I discovered the Shiki Haiku Salon late
in 1999. Once I joined shiki, I learned that haiku was much more involved
than I had ever dreamed possible.
This page contains my earliest attempts at haiku that use the juxtaposition of two images to recreate the “AHA” moment.
Many of the haiku on this page use a central pivotal image to provide the juxtaposition. I've since come to see this as a gimmick, but I was quite taken with it during this period.
My style evolved quickly during this time, as I learned what juxtaposition is and how it can (and can't) be used to good effect. By mid-2000, I was collaborating on several renku projects. The renku-inspired haiku are more stylized than most of my earlier or later work.
The background image for this page is an arashi shibori fabric hand-dyed by yours truly. “Arashi” means “wind-driven rain” in Japanese.
indian summer
red poison oak climbs
the bare trees
redwood needles
trickling to the ground
a thin rain
thin mist gathers
over the mountains
the sunset blurs
upturned spout
the last drops ripple
my teacup
a well of stars
trees breathe in the night
damp leaves underfoot
gnats catch fall thermals
sun plays over the strands of
windblown spiderwebs
empty hand
grasping at nothing
look! a pebble
corn and oysters
on the harvest table
family elbows
raindrops
on the skylight
splatters
winter swarm
blackbirds wheel over
berry fields
five days of rain
clothes on the drying rack
damp to the touch
the room's reflection
hides the night
acorn husk
grass shoots
poke holes in the sunshine
smell of rain
thin ice
creaking underfoot
winter sunshine
sweeping out
cobwebs
a cold draught
wind after rain
the fevered child's
brow
the scent of slate rock
baking in the sun
flu season
tea so tasteless
i might as well drink hay
flu season
the laughing four-year-old starts coughing
cough medicine
the flowing fountain on the hearth
november's end
a straggling storm cloud
steams over the sun
rain drips from the eaves
fingers drum on the keyboard
heater vents rattle
shooting baskets
a fresh cast on his broken wrist
raindrops on spruce needles
the running shower
fogs the window
mid-december
tiny mushrooms in the compost
wet starless night
a smiling moon shines
on her umbrella.
at the lighting
of the town tree
the smell of woodsmoke.
dusk
finding the path in the space between treetops
breaking pumpkins
bounce down the hill
horse skips out of the way
tasting a pumpkin
the horse's whiskers twitch
cresting new year's wave
breaks over the hushed planet
we wait and watch
australia, japan, europe
world war one echo
"the thin gray line, does it hold?"
all quiet
as midnight rolls over the atlantic
in flanders,
do the poppies still bloom red?
almost empty
pouring the last cup
the teapot gurgles
whirring fan
trickling fountain
humming child
cloudy sky
billows of woodsmoke
drift sideways
cumulonimbus
gusts blow the redwood needles
backwards
cloud-watching
a view of the waves
from the bottom of the ocean
bare feet
the cold concrete of the laundry room floor
fourteen-inch rainstorm
eating brownies
hot from the pan
satin pillow
against my lips
the baby's cheek
i can't remember
the name of that flower
forget-me-not
gray scale
the distant treetops
against the clouds
scrubbed sky
swallows swoop above the greening hills
down the window
raindrops blur the raindrops outside
cheek to cheek
the adorable baby
pulls my hair
rain
streaks
a child in underpants with an umbrella
rainy afternoon
clusters of maple seeds
droop their brown wings
drained duck pond
county workers hose off the duck poop
drained duck pond
a lone koi flops in a puddle
drained duck pond
coots gabble on new grass
drained duck pond
the rich smell of algae
drained duck pond
a bucket of duck eggs
drained duck pond
a bright-haired boy holds a red umbrella
drained duck pond
the river heron squats under a tree
drained duck pond
river ducks nest in the reeds
square of sunshine
rocks from the train tracks
on the wood floor
unruffled by the breeze
new maple leaves stand stiffly
red fans folded
spring sunshine
the pink glow of the flesh
where toes touch
equinox sunset
a pastel wash on the face
of the rising moon
dyeing easter eggs
moon rabbit scatters beauty
on the greening earth
yellow violets
the bright hair of the children
playing in the sun
spring shower
his towel slides down
to his hip
april shower
the toddler looks
pleased with himself
splashes of cream
dogwood in bloom
along the bend in the highway
scurrying mouse
the barn door squeaks
crunching almonds
biting through the veined husk
to get to the meat
blustery spring day
the children's quarrels
lost among the gusts
backlit raindrops
on the black iron fence
blackbird fluffs her feathers
raindrops on the pine needles
three swallows flutter by
cloudburst
an apple tree rains petals
on the asphalt
treeburst
raindrops knock the petals
off the apple tree
sleepless night
a new tooth
in the baby's smile
spring has sprung
the old armchair sags
under its own weight
second nature
dodging the potholes
that were fixed yesterday
wind-blown sunshine
spring-cleaning the shadows
in the oak tree
blinking back tears
sunlit raindrops on
the swaying redwood frond
only the moment
haiku
haiku
attentive to this moment
i smile
candlestick park
the witch wind blew the giants
downtown
noon feeding flight
the finches gather more seed
their feathers unpreened
spotlight
filtered sunlight
on the redwood suckers
three days past easter
an undyed egg in the shadows
of the fruit basket
moon shadows
the leaves of the oak
whisper lullabyes
slice of canteloupe
savoring
the heat of your lips
twilight
pools of lupine
in the deep meadow grass
may dawn
a green singing finch
dead on the aviary floor
manna from heaven
the jay in the tree
drops a hamburger bun
high bridge
the soundless splashes
of dropped stones
hot morning
the shadows of her lace parasol
on her tie-dyed shirt
birdsong
the rush of the river
over stones
mercury rising
slipping in the sand
each grain burns my foot
spring afternoon
the leaf shadow spreads
on the pond
learning to walk
not quite ready to let go
of the door frame
bird in flight
the heavy boots of the child
on the swing
[A
series of takes on a break in a storm]
may thunderstorm
a hole in the clouds
leaks sunshine
thunderstorm
a downpour of sunshine through
a gap in the clouds
thunderstorm
sunshine drenches
rain-wet trees
thunderstorm
a downpour of brightness
between the clouds
thunderstorm
the spent clouds start leaking
sunshine
sun shower
a flood of sunshine follows
the spring storm
how deep
the silence
between the words
shaking out crumbs
the smell of rain
on asphalt
breakfast of champions
she pours maple syrup on
her pancakes
summer blaze
the tobacconist's
goes up in smoke
fourth of july
a cottonwood blizzard
on the picnic
heat wave
the pulse of pain in
a sinus headache
the thin stream twists
from one teapot to another
morning oolong
spent tea leaves
the scent of almonds
and cinnamon
pungent ice-box
gray fuzz on the strawberries
no fog
long shadows on the grass
summer solstice
frosting from his first birthday cake
on his chin
dry morning
dust
in the water bucket
cool puddle
a tadpole
in a jar
hot pavement
a tadpole
in a jar
summer house
the gate chain half-buried
in leaf mould
chocolate layer cake
tiny fingerprints
in the frosting
the scrub brush
circles the dirty plate
summer solstice
trombone solo
raindrops add a B natural
to the score
ode to joy
raindrops contribute
the grace notes
rising sun
the baby sits up in bed
and crows
peach
blossom
the toddler cradles
his doll
three
grains of rice
the mouse scurries
to its hole
empty
playground
a squirrel buries nuts
in the sand
empty
teacup
the laundry basket
overflows
petty
theft
he takes a bite
of her poached egg
midnight dusk
a dark blue sky full of
faded stars
back porch campout
the tall trees darker than
the summer sky
compost bin
volunteer potatoes grow
through the slats
untidy shelf
a stack of books waiting
to be put away
shady deck
two naked boys
turn on the hose
almost
dusk
the quarrel of children
in the treehouse
dust devil
an owl spreads his wings
on an old saguaro
track meet
three squirrels race
to the picnic table
late afternoon
a gnat lands
on her eyelid
sacked out
a morning's worth of dirt
on the toddler's overalls
tilted fence
layers of shadows
on the ivy
crow hop
a bird in blue
patrols the campground
lockdown
the stellers jay eyes
the ice chest
late summer river
water skimmer shadows row
across the pebbles
forced march
a woman in blue shorts
goes to the restroom
erosion
a flattened possom
in the road
south wind
leaf shadows scatter
across the tree trunk
open suitcase
she reads the oncology report
backwards
swift river
speckled fish swim
in place
clouds darken
gusts blow the first leaves
from the maple
les nuages assombrent
les premieres feuilles de l'erable
soufflees par rafales
autumn twilight
an algebra book open
on the couch
autumn mist
the squirrel's tail
bushier
steamy bathtub
the freshly washed toddler
dunks his doll
sunday afternoon
the skill saw drowns out
the birds
all the lonely people
the modem lights blink off
hawk's cry
the stellers jay closes
its beak
[Stellers jays imitate the cries of redtail hawks to intimidate birds and other small animals.]
tree shadows
coyote song echoes
against the moon
hunter's moon
the torn flesh of a pomegranate
lightning strike
the small boy pounces
on a cookie
scent of autumn
the first bite of an apple
crunchy and sweet
untended garden
a child crouches to watch
a spider
first cold snap
opening a new box
of tissues
push broom
a ridge of golden leaves
on the asphalt
sand shower
the black cat opens
one green eye
toes in the sand
the small boy draws patterns
with a stick
autumn wind
a crooked oak branch
in the maple
raking the roof
a drift of walnut leaves hides
the station wagon
october wind
the baby drops the leaf
again
foggy night
the bridge lights tie the city
to the shore
all hallows eve
green glitter glue
on the carpet
bearded iris
the hues of the iguana's skin
in sunlight
rosebud on the vine
the new baby suckles
at his mother's breast
casket flowers
the refrigerated body
wears a smile
hazel fronds sway
a soft rain darkens
the path
autumn deepens
redwood needles blanket
the fir stump
fallen oak branch
tufts of spanish moss fill
the hollows
wind storm
a swirl of fir needles falls
from the oak
republican moon
the hole in the guillotine
where you put your neck
[I recently read that the French populace called the hole in the guillotine "la lune republicaine" during the French Revolution. Shine atop the gallows, O Republican Moon!]
abandoned dredge
the wattle-and-daub nest
of osprey
Copyright © 1996-2002 by Heather Madrone . All rights reserved.