URBAN HAIKU

[New York, New York; photo courtesy of Webshots.com]

“Urban haiku” is how a friend of mine refers to my haiku written about city scenes. I think that makes a nice distinction between these haiku and the more commonly known nature-themed haiku. See my previous post called "Scifaiku" for some of my reasoning on the particulars of the haiku form.

Most of the urban haiku below were written while commuting to work by cab last fall and winter; therefore, all the references to traffic and vehicles.

torn blue recycle bag:
the ants trail
in and out

*

March winds –
traffic breezes along
until the tunnel

*

wild cab ride
barely legible
haiku notes

*

crossing the river:
a sight seeing bus
blocks the view

*

traffic idles:
brown leaves tremble
on the retainer wall

*

the driver and I
bundled and hushed
first snow fall

*

traffic halts
a bevy of cops
search the truck

*

shaft of sunlight
she displays her cardboard
homeless sign

*

after the tunnel:
half moon smudged
by clouds

*

traffic as usual –
the bittersweet comfort
of old songs

*

just shy of full:
the afternoon moon
above the overpass

*

sodas, cell phones,
and back packs
after school stroll

*

in tree of heaven’s
shadows
hot dog vendor

*

turning towards home
refracted winter light
fills the cab

*

open cab door:
oh, the shower
of golden leaves!

*

coming home –
a brown leaf curled
in the last blooms

*

smoke obscures the skyline a lone star

[The last above is a form that some haiku writers are using.
It echos how Japanese haiku look in their original calligraphy
only the single lines are vertical.]

* * * *

There are also two posts here about haiku based on dreams: DREAM HAIKU SERIES, and DREAM MOSAICS: WRITING HAIKU BASED ON DREAMS. And, of course, there’s the DAILY DREAM HAIKU posted to the top of this sidebar.

Resource: Haigaonline, a lovely site with haiga (illustrated haiku).

‘til next time, keep dreaming,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)****My other blog: ROSWILA’S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL.