Merry Xmas

tidings of comfort & joy

Xmas Carols

old time crooners reign

This Up the Mtn haiku was recently featured on the California State Library Website.

      after the rains

   a cool moist breeze

swelling summer breeze

Alyeskan Interior: Book III

in between

summer - winter

fall leaves

The original version of “why didn’t you stay”

summer leaves

all alone - to Wonder

love dreams - fade . . . fall . . . gone


(As the end of summer is upon us here in Alaska I was inspired to write this Honkadori, this haiku upon viewing Spike Lee’s Joint, “She’s gotta have it” on Netflix, the series remake of his landmark film. I was watching Nola Darling, the shows protagonist riding Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel, to Stevie Wonder’s “Why didn’t you stay”, off his “Where I’m at now album”. This scene brought back a stream of memories and emotions to me. I had to replay the scene over, and over, and over again. Sitting in my dry cabin up here in Alaska. See I grew up in Bed-Sty Brooklyn, and rode that Wonder Wheel many a summer, over and over, again and again. It brought back an abstruse time for me of innocence, lost innocence, vulnerability, sheer adolescent joy, and awakening, emotionally, socially, politically, a melancholy period of my life. So this is what inspired me to write this Honkadori Haiku. Thanks Spike, thanks Stevie.)

On “Why didn’t you stay”

summer leaves 

love falls away

all alone to Wonder

(As the end of summer is upon us here in Alaska I was inspired to write this Honkadori, this haiku upon viewing Spike Lee’s Joint, “She’s gotta have it” on Netflix, the series remake of his landmark film. I was watching Nola Darling, the shows protagonist riding Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel, to Stevie Wonder’s “Why didn’t you stay”, off his “Where I’m at now album”. This scene brought back a stream of memories and emotions to me. I had to replay the scene over, and over, and over again. Sitting in my dry cabin up here in Alaska. See I grew up in Bed-Sty Brooklyn, and rode that Wonder Wheel many a summer, over and over, again and again. It brought back an abstruse time for me of innocence, lost innocence, vulnerability, sheer adolescent joy, and awakening, emotionally, socially, politically, a melancholy period of my life. So this is what inspired me to write this Honkadori Haiku. Thanks Spike, thanks Stevie.)

Post Showa

Japanese Spirit   -   Yamato dameshi

      nostalgic   -   natsukashisa

                   REIWA

First page, third poem, a Honkadori, in the “Up the Mtn” book.

Second poem of page one of my poetry book “Up the Mtn”. (Available on iTunes & at Blurb.com)

First poem on page one of “Up the Mtn”.

Another page from the Alyeskan Interior, Book I #48

Another page from the Alyeskan Interior #138

Another page from the Alyeskan Interior #84

Another page from the Alyeskan Interior #137

Another page from the Alyeskan Interior #172

Alyeskan Interior #64

Alyeskan Interior #99

Alyeskan Interior #82