Lanterns [Kyōka]

rows of lanterns —
a jack-o-lantern patch —
lights the temple
on a dark, rainy night;
rain splats on a tin roof.

Pillbox Bunker [Tanka]

pillbox bunker from
a war a lifetime ago
sits in a field.
what the farmer must think
as he plants around it.

Worldly Concerns [Kyōka]

Buddha's lap,
a pigeon lands:
a monk shoos
the bird away,
but Buddha didn't mind.

Sleeping Bear [Kyōka]

the sleeping bear
seems at peace, and still does
when its eyes open,
but my mental state - and
my drawers - are quite changed.

Gray Baby [Kyōka]

an autumn sapling,
red leaves on a stiff twig,
shakes in the breeze;
i can't help but think of it
as a gray-haired baby.

Slow Convergence [Tanka]

morning valley hike:
i slowly walk toward
the sunny-side
as the sunny-side walks
toward me - slower still.

Young & Old [Kyōka]

roadside saplings
take Fall colors for a time,
before going bare;
the envy of humans:
at once young & old.

Beyond Eye & Mind [Kyōka]

a bare tree,
beside the stream,
sent leaves to the sea:
how far did they get?
"beyond eye & mind."

Rocky Outcrop [Tanka]

the rocky tip
of grass-coiffed outcrop
is all I see,
but the sound of a crow's "CAW!"
comes through loud & clear.

Evergreen? [Tanka]

"the trees are green!"
except when blue, white, or black:
in morning sun,
in peak sun, in moonlight,
under dense clouds, or no clouds.