SPRING Livelihood

A Dictionary of Haiku
Jane Reichhold

balloon

a popped balloon
breath
a breeze again

birth

washing the newborn
ties with rainwater
cloud to earth

newborn
wet with the water
unrained

April winds
a birth announcement
in the wrong mail box

breakfast

flood waters crest
someone by the river puts water
in a coffee pot

breakfast coffee
the excitement of an ocean
in my cup

threads of smoke
breakfast fires of neighbors
tied together

pale spring sunshine
spread over breakfast toast
quince jelly

beating egg yolks
two yellow butterflies
twist in the fog

early morning rain
the dry sound inside the cabin
of oatmeal cooking

building

for sale signs
yet nobody can own
the river

a bit of sky
pushed aside
the new house

walls
of knotty pine
raindrops

sound of rain
as a dry roof
arches

arches
splashing rain
on a tin roof

raindrops
flattening the roof
till it shines

running away
from four corners of the roof
patter of rain

mashed thumb
out of it flies
a purple oath

return of the cold
flesh by her thumbnail
splits and bleeds

across the canyon
the neighbor hammers
on an echo

sky blue
the faded quilt warm
in the rain

cloudy day
the pattern in the native rug
looks like rain

change of clothes

spring sunshine
warming the wool
of winter socks

childhood

used clothes
childhood and peanut butter
buying a dress

sun and skin
turning cart wheels
a young girl

sliver of moon
a peeled willow wand
in a boy's hand

flickering shadows
the way children imitate
ballet dancers on TV

exercise

rain on the roof
reading in the novel
of hurrying feet

balance act
with a gust of wind
a crash of bowls

Tai Chi on the beach
one gull watches
with outstretched wing

surf sand
sinking in
human feet

fasting

fasting
the sunrise brings
nothing to eat

fatherhood

the macho man
all of his children
just like him

fishing

on the pier
the old farmer tells us
how to fish

as the tide ebbs
fishermen appear
on the sand

ocean fog
fishing boats
in the sky

evening
the river full of fish
fishermen

dusk lake
sinking into darkness
fishermen's voices

gone fishing
the fly-specked sign hangs
from one corner

foreign
the fishing boat pushed aside
our familiar kelp

the blue boat
a hole in the sea
filled with fish

Sunday morning
a fishing breeze tugs
at his tie

fishing
green spots in the river
catch the light

river edged
by the squeak of boots
fishermen

surf fishing
when they saw our catch
beer appeared

tied to the pier
the fishy smells
of empty boats

fishing
in the clear pool
a reflected branch

thoughts
dangling in the river
a fishing line

in the fisherman's pail
his gourmet names
for small fry

the childless woman
fishes with her man
bracelets of salt

river fog
untying the boat
from a long pier

tarnished
the silver knife turns red
against fish skin

cleaning her nails
my husband's lover
sells fish

morning light
catches fishing boats
far out at sea

scattered
from lighthouse to lighthouse
glow of fisherfolk

sunset
dark on the sea
fisher boats

low-tide rocks
coast dwellers going home
with a few groceries

fishermen
the one with a pole
watches a gull

fly swatter

no guests
the fly swatter lies
on the Sunday papers

gather shells

picking up shells
ah! there's an old one
moon in a tide pool

hermit crabs click together
after my morning hum
applause

looking for shells
above the dark sand
the sun rose

a box of sea shells
finding your letters
of long ago

a smooth stone
covered with barnacles
points homeward

low tide weather
salt-stained trouser legs
sandy pockets of air

on the beach
a broken sea shell thought
the forgotten dentist visit

kites

kite string
a child's name spoken
in a high wind

a kite
raising from sea mists
rainbow colors

watercolor class
the painted blue sky
becomes a kite

beach
the hermit's kite
soaring gulls

flying a kite
gulls above the beach stare
at the old couple

a downed kite
the child whispers
"sh, it's sleeping"

wind dies
as the string goes limp
"wake up kite!"

lovers

driftwood lair
lovers hidden from view
discovered by the wind

midday nap

beach nap
plugged into the power
of incoming waves

motherhood

her swollen belly
giving a shape
to baby clothes

her waist
long-gone encircling
a child

flood-swollen stream
the pregnant woman waits
at home

young mother
with a squeaky toy
explains the birthmark

doctor's office
the new mother sings
off key

stars come out
counting baby toes
one by one

a womb
home to a womb
daughter

mountain climbing

mountain climbing
pausing in the level place
to dance

music

wind soughs
in harp strings
chords

melody
from the ocean's surface
a ripple of harp

another song
the drone of a dulcimer
rain on a cedar roof

old melody
picked out of the air
one note at a time

a minuet
and you
sharpening pencils

singing
gentle sounds of rain
silence a voice

water flowing
around the round notes
organ music

out of a dark cloud
the piano solo
arpeggio of rain

cat's cradle
all of the strings
of a clarinet

gentle breathing
before the performance
rhythms of rain

water colors
the flute concert
steals gray

flute concert
taming the wind storm
with a symphony

newly-weds

hailstorm
the bride's first pea soup
uneaten

rain drops
a blanket of gray silk
on the bed

painting

the beach
into watercolors
blowing sand

photographing

bright colors
of her photograph
when he lived

planting

early spring
only the hoe handle
is warm to touch

the rock
carried yesterday pulls on
tonight's shoulder

such a spring day
dad spades his garden
wherever he is

dark moon
something moves deep with
a carrot seed

strawberries planted
the blister on her palm
glows bright red

plowing

April snow
black plowed earth
turned to white

prayers for rain

raindancer
from his face drops
beads of sweat

with water
begging the soil soon
for lettuce

repairing fences

nail in a fence post
warming in the sun
for the first time

sailing

foggy yacht harbor
boats and sailors
still asleep

rocking gently
late in the morning boats
still asleep

snowmen melting

snowman
bowing down
to spring

as the snowman shrinks
the day is lengthened
by the March wind

spring sunshine
the snowman too
loses his head

spring housecleaning

stove black
simple life spring
house cleaning

cabin bed
a blanket of mold
greening spring

a spring storm
the bath brush bristles
bent to one side

freshly washed jeans
haiku in the pocket
are also clean

laundry hung out
the old cat and I
sit together

a day of sunshine
caught on a clothes line
covers the bed

spring cleaning
the last of the lint
in my navel

rotting April snow
the refrigerator defrosts
automatically

fog rolls in
bare windows curtained
with sea green silk

seaside house
in a sunny corner
waves of warmth

incoming tide
moving the chairs
to the porch

shopping

scene from the steeple
a field of umbrellas
has come to market

soap bubbles

breath taking
liquid air swirled rainbows
in soap bubbles

faint shadows
on the earth at eclipse
soap bubbles

wedding

grandmother's shawl
wrapping it about her shoulders
she decides to marry

torn silk
blown into a mist
Bridal Veil Falls

buying a moonstone
with a bogus check
the wedding gift

wedding ceremony
shaping his hand
into a club

weeding

liver of lamb
tomorrow will weed
hills of potatoes

earth cools the wood
of a smooth handled hoe
even song

wild grasses
unable to escape
the chopping hoe

wind chimes

dawn
wind chimes melody
by a light breeze

Continue to SPRING Animals.