Christmas Cleanup

on snow lined streets
christmas wrapping paper peeks
out of neighbor trash bins

Winter Scenes

down at winter's pond
walks a wigeon gracelessly
on frozen water

white paper snowflakes
dance on the window
my niece inside with coco

neighborhood flashing
with colorful christmas lights
grinch stole our snoopy

Falling Snow

snow falling on mountain
like sifted flour into
sugar cookie batter

a dozen deer
peering at me through snow
from mountain side

my footprints
alone defile
the virgin snow

Cat Hugging Heater

fresh snow
blankets ground
leaves us in cold

icy howls
give me
chills

warm spot,
curled up cat
hugging heater

puffy juncos in
snow covered pine
busy bird buffet

Cowboy

wyoming cowboy
warms my heart with texts
from cold coal pit

call from snowfall
while watching surfing
class on warm beach

simple life, desire
everyday survival
to modern world

Winter Scarf

cradled wood in truck beds
snow dusting cowboy hats
at mid-day chat by road

mountain wearing
a gray fluffy snow cloud
like a winter scarf

warm noodle bar
in downtown albuquerque
on a cold city street

Rough Roads

every
electric pole
a raptor

every
grassy field
a cow

every
empty highway
a cop

mountains portruding
like jagged white teeth
from grasslands

down the
roughest roads
delightful places

Dark Wilderness

- alone -
dark wilderness
gnashing it's teeth

crescent moonrise
peeks over dark canyon
ribbon sky blue bright

eerie bull's echo
bouncing off canyon walls
ground vibrating

yip-yap cries and howls
ripple in quick waves from
excited coyotes

Snow

red mountains calling
fresh powder of snow
frost pines higher up

dog eating
the fresh snow
paw prints

wet gloves
high above the city
snowball fight

icicles decorating
the large boulders
covered in snow

Enchanting Mistress

the red mountains
luring me further up and in
- an enchanting mistress

red wilderness
lifting her skirts
showing her secrets

Storm

clouds
blowing in
-rain

thoughts
blowing in
-sadness

drops cascade
off my hood
down cheeks

Behind Juniper Beneath

"Lay" versus "lie"...I had to look it up. You lay an object, you lie yourself down. Click here for Grammar Girl. Please comment if I still used them incorrectly.

bushy red fur
behind the juniper
a coyote

pine infused breeze
as i lie here with closed eyes
chickadee calls

trail from my house
desert scrub to large pines
unseen red mountain

purple berries
beneath juniper
lay near cones

green pine branches
in the center
jay bright blue

Mustache

spell cast from
wyatt earp's mustache
now broken - freedom

Claustrophobic

walls in office
covered with birds
none in my binoculars

that plant
on office shelf
has grown roots

mountain hike
pink valley below
with twinkling lights

when did this
small city get too big
for me to breath?

Moon Rising

reading till sunset
on top my private hill
overlooking the city

we watched
the moon rise
over the ridge line

hike at night
through juniper and grass
moon lit path

bright full moon
reflecting off
patches of snow

Sprinkled Powder Sugar

white cold mountains
the chickadees came down
for bird seed and warmth

backyard pine and aspen
now full of mountain bird calls
fight with the sparrows

looks like God
sprinkled powder sugar
on the mountains

its hard to
drive to work
when the seasons change

Fat White Snowflakes

puffy white snowflakes
falling outside my window
still golden leaf trees

blue hand knitted hat
covered in fat white snowflakes
my run to the car

as snowflakes melt on
my wool coat, I notice a
new shade of gray sky

Sick

wind howls outside door
wrapped in warm blankets, I'm sick
pills litter the room

I had swine flu.

Sparkling Gem

through the pine branches
is a sparkling orange gem
floating on red river

sliver of orange glow
between the puffy dull clouds
and the dark mesa

painting the landscape
the sun an adroit artist
magical pink light

Against the Fiery Red

day painted blue
against the fiery red
tall dark shadow grips

Gloomy

gloomy clouds
spent the night
more rain today

droplets of water
cling to the tips
on the yucca plant

more yellow leaves
fall off the cold trees
into new puddles

Blitz!

There is quit a thunder storm outside my window at work right now. "Blitz" is the German word for lightning, but in English it refers to a military invasion, most likely derived from WWII. So I combined the German and English meanings.

blitz blazes through sky
heavy rain falls like arrows
from fat gray generals

october raindrops
stick lazily on window
gray light fills the room

Wandering Around Watermelon

back stretch
watermelon peak
and dog

spots blur
through the juniper
tail wags happy

sun-kissed horizon
the mountains glow red
hike home in the dark

Two Missed Calls

two missed october calls
an old voice mail from march
your voice on my phone...save

rainy texas breeze
dark clouds swallow the sunshine
mud on these truck tires

blanket of rain made
the cowboy run to his truck
palms laugh in the wind

Bad Day!

water exploded
out of cup in my anger
lemons on the floor

wish i could cross
those burned bridges
leading to friends

deep sadness
and don't
know why

no one
to talk to
,sadness

i miss you caring
about me when no one else
cares at all, lonely

i texted
my ex
depressed

ocean of sadness
clouds cry
lost in a big storm

Warm Cinnamon, Cold Days

crowded pine branches
do not sing like the fresh spring
but wait for fall seed

warm cinnamon rolls
baked from scratch
on a cold october day

sky filled
with five hundred
bright balloons

coco in one hand
green chili burrito in
other, balloon sky

Yellow Leaves

door blown open
in the middle of sleep
cold october wind

the aspen trees
on my mountain
just turned yellow

from my balcony
beautiful sandia peak
a cold wind blows

small bird
blown out of pine tree
outside work window

coat worn
first time
since spring

German Fun

eucalyptus breath
calm nerves
beads of sweet

geriatric germans
bobbing buoyantly
wrinkly and wet

lights
ferris wheel
beer

german carnies
hitting on me
he was scared to ride

young man, long apron
looks bored at the slushy stand
oktober rings near

big boobs
squeezed into
bavarian dress, beer

flashing flickering
dancing prancing
colorful lights

dozens of dangling
legs on the ride
zip up zip down

he works the lights
in the german opera house
free late fall show

paper pen scissors
artistic regional words
actors dressed in black

fish tanks, moss
brightly colored skeletons
modern german art

blond girl
kicking ball
pink shorts

street cafe
old cathedral
sound of skateboards

My Warm German Apartment

two empty beers
and a half full wine glass
sit on the table

hertz brennen
mit
leiben fuer

red, black, and white
cards in a large pile
pretty lace table cloth

ein bettdenke
zwie hertzen

my wet
polka dot bathing suit
sits on the heater

very german
to have a window
for a bathroom door

die krankenwagen
klinkt
duetsch

i hear the streetcar
line sixty-one
from my window

stale smoke
stale marriage
both linger in room

great american
and french authors
on german shelf

deep breath
snore
streetcar

in silence
grinding of teeth
sweat on brow

big black spider
on white wall
quick, but still dead

the pillow
kisses my head
on cool german night

cool friday night
two rented films
sweet english selected

my german window
open, river breeze
reading about old france

early autumn night
the street car

the church bells
r - i - n - g
every hour

warm blanket
murder stories
cool german night

Game of Solitaire

always by myself
life - a game of solitaire
waiting here for you.

Stupid Passwords

work passwords keep me
from doing my daily work
the servers hate me :(

Dog Tears

mountain nightly breeze
blows through backyard trees
early september

howling dog heartache
left behind for a long hike
forlorn doggy cries

No Grass at All

best friend envious
i don't have a family, mortgage,
or drive bmw

is the grass greener
when there is no grass at all
on my side of fence

Email Ashes

i reread the last
of our emails to each other
at peace now

deleted emails
our relationship ashes
blow through cyberspace

left facebook
there was no point
without you in my audience

Someday

i hope that someday
when i don't hate you so much
we can again be friends

scorned, harsh words said
to make you hate me always
to be free from you

Crushed Flower

in the front driveway
a lonely crushed flower
rejected and unloved

Haiku Written Under the Full Caribbean Moon

I needed to escape the Internet and my phone. I needed to escape him. I had the money in the bank, but none of my friends did for a last minute trip to the isle of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. So I went alone, and camped for a week on a beach that belonged to me in a National Park. These are the haiku that I wrote every night under the full moon on the beach, sitting in my chair with a headlamp, although sometimes the moon was so bright I didn't need it. There was so much to do on the island, I didn't think about any problems that much.

a thousand frogs
sing their chorus at dusk
fighting for pretty ears

earplugs needed
to sleep in the alive jungle
caribbean night

a rainbow of fish
seen all day through my mask
sunburn on my back

two stingrays
and a large fish
stare up at floating me

the barracuda
scared me away
underwater scream

i swam
to near island
to conquer my fear

frightened of the dark
jungle black swallows me whole
alone in my tent

jungle rain
followed me
to the beach

which pirates
have set foot
on this shore?

blackbeard watched for
spanish ships up there, now begs
for food at my table

pirate market
now just sells
coral necklaces

the people were rude
until they discovered me
...generous tipper

homesick
after only two days
in paradise

me in a blue dress
holding a giant coconut
caribbean street

two almonds
lay in sand
fresh from tree

paradise has a cost
i paid the mosquito
in gallons of blood

don't look at me
that way mon
see tha wedd'n band!

turquoise beach
no longer
belongs to me

i ran from rain
the frog rejoiced
long song of glee

moonlight shine
reflects off white sand
clear water in dark

last bottle of rum
moonlit turquoise ocean
roars in the still night

puffy white clouds
shroud the moon
peak a boo light

above sea grass
a sea turtle ran from me
in mahoa bay

stoplight screams
up at me
a snorkeling delight

jungle tent
moist dirty...sand
never feel clean

described da pine tree
to da caribbean mon'
he couldn't picture em

lack of good sleep
under frog chorus

Heartache Haiku

forecast today is
a heavy cloud
of unspoken words

watch where
you aim
such dangerous words

i could hit you
with this pillow
feathers well aimed

the cold wind
blows harder
in the dark

jane eyre
keeps me
company

thoughts of
you make
me lonely

every email
i send
is the last

my brother
ten years rest
in april grave

wine, george strait
my memories of him
shoved in a big box

fireworks
explode outside
my front door

another plane
another may
another day

morning call
in German
pretending it's ok

all we
will share
is our words

texas is
for
heartaches

california is
for
regrets

i keep deleting
the poems
of unhurried words

intimate and sincere
shared with naive trust
my thoughts raped

you won't
stay out
of my dreams

this eternal patience
is very long
and boring indeed

i hung up the phone
and wondered how i could find
lying to you so easy

Broken

broken body
to match
broken heart

Spring "Pops" inspired by Jack Kerouac

heavy metal music
floats up
the spring hill to me

bourbon thrift store find
story of a dead pilot
in a March storm

april wind
blew seeds
into my bathtub

I hear
the robin
all over town

the bum
sleeps on
springs sidewalk

gravel crunches
cars speed outside
my screen door

fat winter ass
runs in spring

dust bunnies
multiply in spring
under my bed

text message
unheard among
the bird chatter

crystallized honey
warmed up
on my stove

Battle of the Haiku

Last night me and my 12 year old niece were writing haiku, giving each other a subject to write about. I will just share one of hers:

the breeze comes through fast
leaves are falling in the wind
colors are pretty


not bad for her first one...and here are mine:

past whispers in ear
gnarled piano clanked
whiskey quickly drank

sweet sticky
red love
now dead

long curtain moving
window is a cat's tv
naive birds don't see

barbie hair cut off
brothers can be very mean
sister drama queen

red rose is wilting
the cold breeze blew in last night
petals on the ground

same are love and hate
left growing on passion's tree
frost turns sweet bitter

coward coyote
runs away tail between his legs
passion blazing grass

Haiku Gernerator

This is fun and can be inspirational. Have the computer make haiku for you with the following link:

http://www.everypoet.com/haiku/default.htm

Natural Inspiration

ambrosial love
like a fresh cherry blossom
attracts honey bees

does no one perceive
the lonesome desert flower
yearning for esteem?

my thoughts flutter high
above the hills and the streams
searching for a mate

thor's hammer rings loud
these neoteric gray clouds
blue sky is not found

Playing with my Peas

the goddess of love
steals an Eros arrow
-pricks ardor's bony butt!

a russian proverb
if "the feet follow the heart"
my feet are tired

pitiful pathos
prances with a pink parasol
a pensive pantomime

double-wide queen
he wishes to make me
sometime this spring

i fry my fish now
but cookbooks inspire
dash of dill and fire

My First Haiku and "Pops"

A few of my favorite haiku, written in March 2009

17+ or - Syllables:

fork smeared pink, blue
frosted flower sits uneaten
sugar belly rush

bright florescent red
love sings outside my window
string in beak for nest

Freestyle "Pops":

side to side
the broom sweeps
the summer dust away

unopened mail
shoved secretely
under my sofa

sad dying plants
in the cold room
green thumb brown

never home
--cold bed and
no cat to miss me

my imaginary cat
eats a moth
--Kerouacean moonlight

Albuquerque lights!
glow up at me
ribbon of sky blue bright

hated construction hat
has flown
60,000 miles with me

lonely sky
my open road
hotel rooms my home

i should pay
--gas bill forgotten again

years of email
unread from
an annoying friend

Haiku...Kerouac moon--watched by my imaginary cat

I discovered the joy of writing haiku this last March from my friend Imp, and I love it! I started writing them in 17 syllables, but then found this inspiring "Book of Haiku", a lifetime collection written by Jack Kerouac, written mostly in the 50s and 60s . His American haiku or "pops" appeal to my rebellious nature, with the only rule being that they are written in 3 lines, and he breaks that too sometimes. Haikus are suppose to reflect the seasons, and often mention fall, summer ect. directly or with an image of rain and wind. I would rather just express a thought that is on my mind, but try to tie in a season when possible. Reading his book shed a glimpse of his whole life and what was importantant to him...his cat, the moon, the birds, Buddha, and reading. Perhaps my haiku can shed a light on my life in the same way, and even I can learn more about myself. I'm not trying to be brilliant or artistic, I just like the relief I feel when I can write what is on my mind into a short poem, "pop", or haiku with intimate focus. I'll share my favorite Kerouac poems below, then a few haikus and pops that I wrote in the next blog.

Kerouac:

frozen
in the birdbath
a leaf

...and in his drinking days he wrote this...

Walking down the road with dog
----a crushed leaf

...I love how he stopped only seeing what was beautiful, the first half of the book started making me sick, filled with perfect pictures...

The fly, just as
lonesome as I am
In this empty house

The other man, just as
lonesome as I am
In this empty universe

In back of the Supermarket
in the parking lot weeds
Purple flowers

And the quiet cat
sitting by the post
Perceives the moon