31 December 2015

Another year ends.
I'm another year older.
But not yet wiser.

31 December 2015

Beginning to tomorrow, I'll be opening up the Haiku Project 2016, at the link.

29 December 2015

As we ate breakfast,
We watched snow falling gently,
Melting on the lawn.

29 December 2015

26 December 2015

Constant rain falling,
Grey skies, gusting winds, and cold.
All matching my mood.

26 December 2015

24 December 2015

Once in a while I wish
I could believe in something...
...Almost anything.

24 December 2015

22 December 2015

To  share Yorick's fate
Would be good--to have a skull
Worthy of honor.

22  December 2015

20 December 2015

My hair has turned gray
But my spirit still moves to
That old sixties beat.

20 December 2015

19 December 2015

Not a Christmas tree,
But a poinsettia bush
Sits by the window.

19 December 2015

18 December 2015

At  home the whole day,
Reading, playing with the dog,
Talking with my wife.

18 December 2015

17 December 2014

Just last night, I watched
The clouds drifting slowly past
A pale crescent moon. 

17 December 2015
(Unfortunately, my camera
did not cooperate.)

12 December 2015

Awake in the dark,
Thinking of long-past loves, and
Waiting for the dawn.

12 December 2015

11 December 2015

Miles and Trane trading
Solos on "Blue in Green," and
My spirits revive.

11 December 2015
(Listening to "The Best of Miles Davis
and John Coltrane, 1955-1961."

10 December 2015

Even while asleep,
I seem not to be sleeping...
Strange dreams trouble me...

10 December 2015

9 December 2015

A mountain of leaves
In the yard is just waiting
To be hauled away.

9 December 2015

8 December 2015

I like winter trees--
Their structure reveals itself
Against the sunset.

8 December 2015
(Taken about 4:00 PM today.)

7 December 2015

Atop the pine tree,
A cardinal keeping watch,
Red against blue sky.

7 December 2015
(Little bugger flew off
before I could get my camera,)

6 December 2015

Sitting in my car,
Waiting for it to clear  off--
Frost on my windshield.

6 December 2015

4 December 2015

Above my desk, this:
A print, "Complicity," there
Just to remind me.

4 December 2015
(by Lawrence Gipes, done in 1995)
 

2 December 2015

I turn off TV.
I turn away from the web.
I still find no peace.

2 December 2015

1 December 2015

I'm tired of hate,
And tired of violence.
But they never end.

1 December 2015
("All you need is love."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKiqthx0GKw)

30 November 2015

For about a week,
The moon modestly fading...
Always behind clouds.

30 November 2015

29 November 2015

Waking today to
Helicopters overhead,
I think of Kent State.

29 November 2015

28 November 2015

Rain keeps on falling,
Cold winds chill body and soul...
Winter is coming.

28 November 2015

27 November 2015

Colorado Springs...
A day ends in violence
A day ends in death,

27 November 2015

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/27/us/colorado-shooting-probe/

25 November 2015

Everything changes...
We grow old.  Memories fade.
Only our love remains.

25 November 2015

23 November 2015

Beneath the maple,
A red carpet greets the day.
November morning.

23 November 2015
(This morning)

22 November 2015

After the first snow,
The shrubs are dressed for winter--
Red leaves trimmed in white.

22 November 2015
(Taken yesterday, about noon)

18 November 2015

Looking west, I see
The world as a silhouette
Against fiery skies.

18 November 2015
(Taken about 6:45 this evening.)

16 November 2015

"There's only one rule..."
Kurt Vonnegut wrote..."Be kind..."
We need kindness now.

16 November 2015

15 November 2015

Three in the morning,
Waiting  for sleep, and watching
The branches dancing.

15 November 2015

14 November 2014

The morning after...
We have counted the dead, and
We continue to mourn.

14 November 2015

13 November 2015

And, now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.


How do we find peace
In a world filled with hatred?
Not with more hatred.

13 November 2013

November 13, 2015. Paris

Bob Dylan wrote a song, probably in late 1962, probably partly in response to the Cuban missile crisis. That song is “Masters of War,” and here are the lyrics:

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes...
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned
But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
’Til I’m sure that you’re dead
http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs#ixzz3rQW5uHX2

The rage there has a history, and it has not gone away or ended. But the end of that rage is simply death. That is the frightening thing about the events today in France, about this song, about the world in which we live. The end of rage is not peace, not justice. It is simply death. Look at the final verse. There’s no hope there. There is only rage and death.

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
’Til I’m sure that you’re dead

There are times when I wish I had a belief in a god of peace and justice. But all the gods seem to be gods of war and hatred and death. And so I do not believe. I hope, but hope comes increasingly more difficult. And I do not hope for more deaths, but I’m afraid a lot of people out there will agree with Dylan:

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
’Til I’m sure that you’re dead

12 November 2015

Leaves dance in the wind,
And the wind tugs at my coat,
And the branches bend.

12 November 2015

8 November 2015

From the river, mist
Envelops the trees, ghost-like,
In early morning.

8 November 2015
(Taken about 7:30 this morning)

7 November 2015

Squirrels in the trees,
Scampering up, down, around,
Look set for winter.

7 November 2015

6 November 2015

Flaunting his color,
Enjoying the autumn sun--
The house cardinal.

6 November 2015
(Photograph taken this morning)

5 November 2015

Day-long showers, and
Red/yellow/brown leaves color
A small patch of dirt.

5 November 2015
(Photo takes about 9:30 PM)

 

3 November 2015

A  perfect fall day,
Sunny, warm, gentle breezes...
And election day.

3 November 2015

1 November 2015

Looking for a sign...
And November begins with
Sun and swirling leaves.

1 November 2015

31 October 2015

Memories deceive.
Much of "the past" is what we
Want to remember.

31 October 2013

29 October 2015

Leaves falling like rain
Cover the grass with a red
And fluttering sea.

29 October 2015

26 October 2015

A  quiet, peaceful day...
Or it would have been, but for
The news intruding.

26 October 2015

(The tragedy in Stillwater, OK.)

25 October 2015

1968.
Two remarkable men slain.
And the world was changed.

25 October 2015
(Obviously MLK and RFK.
Stimulated by seeing a play,
"April 4, 1968" at
Indiana Repertory Theatre)

24 October 2015

Fallen leaves making
A carpet beneath the trees.
An autumn picture.

24 October 2015

(Photo taken today, about 5:00 PM)

22 October 2015

Out driving today
Under a red and yellow
Canopy of leaves.

22 October 2015

19 October 2015

Childhood memories...
Aroma of burning leaves...
Sun-filled days, cold nights...

19 October 2015

18 October 2015

Watching the sun set,
The sky mixed reds and purples,
After a fine day.

18 October 2015

14 October 2015

Two things I have learned--
There are cycles in life, and
Thursday is trash day.

14 October 2015 

12 October 2015

I close my eyes and
Listen to the soft night sounds,
Feel the cool night breeze.

12 October 2015

5 October 2015

Up too late again.
Always one more page to read,
One more song to hear...

5 October 2015

29 September 2015

Outside  my window,
A hawk perches on the fence,
Calling to its prey.

29 September 2015

(Happened this afternoon; the hawk
flew off before I could get a camera.
The "call" was a weird chirping sound.)

28 September 2015

As I try to sleep,
The dog curls up next to me
And begins to snore.

28 September 2015

(Just last night)

27 September 2015

Sitting in the sun room,
At night, with only darkness,
Yet unable to sleep.

27 September 2015

25 September 2015

First step of a trip:
Figuring out what to pack...
Harder than you'd think.

25 September 2015

21 September 2015

A perfect fall day,
Spent with old friends, together
After fifty years.

21 September 2015
(High School Reunion)

15 September 2015

Drifting past the trees,
Slowly, toward the setting sun,
A single balloon.

15 September 2015
(Taken maybe 15 minutes ago)

14 September 2015

With open windows,
With cool night air, sleep still came
Too slowly last night.

14 September 2015

10 September 2015

Old friends, long unseen,
Crowd my memories tonight,
As does an old song.

10 September 2015
(Bob Dylan's Dream
Lyrics here)

8 September 2015

Thoughts of long ago,
Places we went, things we did,
Keeping me awake

8 September 2015

7 September 2015

I don't fall asleep
Easily.  My mind plays tricks
That keep me awake

7 September 2015

6 September 2015

A small glass of wine,
Just sitting on the table,
And waiting for me...

6 September 2015

1 September 2015

After fifty years,
I'll see some old friends again...
Strange, and exciting...

1 September 2015
(High school reunion in 17 days)

24 August 2015

A squirrel munching
Crabapples, as the dog stares
Into the distance.

24 August 2015

20 August 2015

Rising in the south,
Quarter moon, pale and ghost-like,
In the cloudless sky.

                                 20 August 2015

19 August 2015

Sunlight filtering
Through the branches, red-brown-gold
In late afternoon.

19 August 2015

14 August 2015

The dog's in the yard,
Rolling in the grass, but looking
Around for rabbits.

14 August 2015 

13 August 2015

Clouds build to the west,
But the promise of rain fails...
Skies clear at sunset.

13 August 2015

11 August 2015

Walking out the door,
I scare a rabbit who was
Munching crabapples.

11 August 2015

9 August 2015

Walking out the door,
Into the humid morning,
My glasses fog over.
                                                                          9 August 2015

5 August 2015

A hot afternoon--
Dragonflies appear, their wings
Shimmer in the sun.

5 August 2015

3 August 2015

The dog at the door
Waits for the rabbit to come--
And then she will pounce.

3 August 2015

29 July 2015, Part 2

Almost a full moon,
Diffused by a humid sky,
Just after moonrise.

29 July 2015, Part 2
(10:30 PM)

 

 



29 July 2015

Our rabbit lunches
On the fallen crabapples...
Good for both of them.

29 July 2015
(Picture taken 29 July, about noon.)

 

 



26 July 2015

An afternoon storm,
And the dog is at my feet,
Where I'll keep her safe.

26 July 2015

24 July 2015

The crabapples fall,
And the rabbits devour them...
And our dog watches...

24 July 2015

23 July 2015

Moon-watching today,
Near dusk...Clouds drift east to west,
Swallowing the moon.

21 July 2013

 



21 July 2015

The frog serenade
Continues night after night .
Enough is enough.

21 July 2015

18 July 2015

Just going outside,
My glasses fog up, and so
I retreat indoors.

18 July 2015

17 July 2015

Thunder, black skies, rain,
The dog lies down at my feet,
Thinking she's safe there.

17 July 2015

16 July 2015

Exhausted all day...
And now, as I try to sleep,
I am wide wake.

16 July 2015

15 July 2015

Threading a needle
That's three billion miles away...
And what do we find?

15 July 2015
(Images from NASA)

 

 

 



13 July 2015

Outside the sun room,
Hummingbirds fly back and forth...
A nectarless search...

13 July 2015

12 July 2015

A rabbit outside,
And, inside, the dog wants out...
And, if she caught it???

12 July 2015
(She's never caught--
or had a chance to catch--
anything...hates it when
the squirrels run up the trees.)

11 July 2015

Looking out, I saw
A rabbit crouched underneath
The crabapple tree.

11 July 2015
(Couldn't get my camera quickly enough)

10 July 2015

So far this morning,
Heavy gray clouds blot out
All hope of sunshine,

10 July 2015

8 July 2015

Sudden thunderstorms.
Sudden cool temperatures.
Typical July.

8 July 2015

6 July 2015

As we were walking,
A crane landed in the lake,
Like it owned the place.

6 July 2015

2 July 2015

Two nights in a row,
Points of light flitting about--
Fireflies in the yard.

2 July 2015

1 July 2015

The rhythms of life
Go on, even when I try
Not to notice them.

1 July 2015

28 June 2015

Another long night,
And, as daylight approaches,
Perhaps I can sleep.

28 June 2015

27 June 2015

I'm trying to read,
But fall asleep...Once in bed,
I'm awake again.

27 June 2015

26 June 2015

Fifty years have gone
And still I can remember...
Just how young we were.

26 June 2015

24 June 2015

Sitting in my car,
Rain drumming on the roof, so loud
I hear nothing else.

24 June 2015

22 June 2015

In the heat of the day,
I'm suddenly overcome--
Weak and lethargic

22 June 2015

21 June 2015

Marking the solstice
With wine, music, and friends,
Late into the night.

21 June 2015

19 June 2015

"Too many martyrs
And too many dead..."  Now add
Nine names to the list.

19 June 2015

18 June 2015

The dog stayed inside.
All day long, persistent rain,
And she prefers dry.

18 June 2015

13 June 2013

Walking out the door,
Caught in a brief rain shower--
Enough to soak me.

13 June 2015

12 June 2013

The pavement shimmers,
Heat waves rising before me,
And then the rain comes.

12 June 2015

11 June 2015

You heard the future,
Your music gave voice to it.
A voice now silent.

11 June 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbt9DDolcag
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/12/arts/music/ornette-coleman-jazz-saxophonist-dies-at-85-obituary.html?_r=1

9 June 2015

There and back again...
A forty mile trip to see
A group of strangers.

9 June 2015

6 June 2015

Napping in the sun,
And waking to see a crane
Landing in the pond.

6 June 2015
(It got away before I
could get a camera.)

5 June 2015

Sixty days apart,
And forty-seven years ago,
Two more heroes dead.

5 June 2015
(RFK on MLK's death
Teddy Kennedy on RFK's death;
Phil Ochs on JFK's death). 

2 June 2015

'Trane blowing softly:
After the rain, listening
To "After the Rain."

2 June 2015
(Here)

31 May 2015

Lying in the dark,
Listening to the frog croak
Out there in the night.

31 May 2015

 



30 May 2015

After the rain stopped,
Vapor rose from the pavement
Heated by the sun.

30 May 2015
(I tried to video this,
but to no avail.)

28 May 2015

Just before sunset,
Leaves silhouetted against
The brightly lit clouds.

28 May 2015
(Taken at about 8:30 PM)

 

 



27 May 2015

Late this afternoon,
Storm clouds in the west foretold
The coming downpour.

27 May 2015
(And I got caught in it.)

25 May 2015

Sorting through pictures
Taken long ago...old friends
Wander through my thoughts.

25 May 2015

24 May 2015

An aching shoulder
And I do not want to move.
It aches anyway,

24 May 2015

22 May 2015

Found on the terrace,
A small burst of red against
A path of grey stones.

22 May 2015

 

 



21 May 2015

Just before the storm,
Clouds over the inn warn us
To run for cover.

21 May 2015
(Taken last Friday,
just before a storm.)

 

 



20 May 2014

Too little sleep and
Too much to do.  Not a good
Way to spend a day

20 May 2015

18 May 2015

Geese around the pond,
Unfolding their wings, stretching
Up toward the clouds.

18 May 2015

17 May 2015

On the road early,
Seeing red-winged blackbirds on
The road-side fence posts.

17 May 2015

13 May 2015

Balanced on a branch,
A red shape against the leaves,
Then it flies away.

13 May 2015

12 May 2015

The tulips in bloom,
And the daffodils as well...
The beauty of spring.

12 May 2015

2 May 2015

A tiny beetle
Crawling across the sidewalk--
An epic journey.

2 May 2015
(I mean that literally; I make it
the equivalent of a 90-day hike
for me; I tried to take a photo,
but that didn't work very well.)

30 April 2015

Geese peck at the grass;
What are they hoping to find?
They look frustrated.

30 April 2015

16 April 2014

Another morning
Waking long before sunrise...
Much, much too early.

16 April 2015

14 April 2015

Masses of purple--
Blossoms on the tulip trees --
One more sign of spring.

14 April 2015
(I didn't take this one.)

 

 



8 April 2015

Waiting out the storm,
Rain pounding on my car’s roof,
Lightning blinding me.

8 April 2015

4 April 1968

Nineteen sixty-eight...
War raging, at home, abroad...
Too many martyrs.

4 April 2015

29 March 2015

Two ducks are splashing
In a puddle, while two geese
Watch them carefully.

29 March 2015

28 March 2015

A difficult time.
Too much anger in the world.
But not in my life.

28 March 2015

26 March 2015

A very bad day...
Hate triumphs over kindness
In Indiana.

26 March 2015

23 March 2015

Spring?  Who said it's spring?
Ice pellets cover the lawn,
Keeping me inside.

23 March 2015

22 March 2015

Waking this morning
To a cardinal singing
Outside my window.

22 March 2015

20 March 2015

Not very spring-like...
Cold, gloomy, now-and-then rain.
Whatever...It's spring.

20 March 2015.

16 March 2015

Seeing girls in shorts
Walking around in the sun--
Must be almost spring.

16 March 2015
(And, yes, I'm a DOM.  So sue me.)

14 March 2015 (Remembering Terry Pratchett)

"So much universe,
And so little time..."  Terry,
You got that one right.

14 March 2015
(From The Last Hero)

12 March 2015

The sun in my eyes,
Almost blinding--I don't care...
I'm warm and happy.

12 March 2015

10 March 2015

All I want to do
Is to sleep well...or, maybe,
Be able to breathe,

10 March 2015

9 March 2015

Harbinger of spring--
Driving, my car windows down,
On a sunny day.

9 March 2015

8 March 2015

Dozing in my chair,
My book slips from my hands, and,
Suddenly, I wake.

8 March 2015

7 March 2015

When dealing with fools,
It's hard not to be foolish.
But I try, I try.

7 March 2015

6 March 2015

Dripping from the eaves,
Freezing almost instantly,
Snowstorm's aftermath

6 March 2015

5 March 2015

Nearing midnight, and
Here I am, more awake now
Than five hours ago.

5 March 2015

26 February 2015

Yes, winter will end.
And, yes, spring will soon arrive.
But not tomorrow.

26 February 2015

25 February 2015

Ice on the windows,
On the sidewalks, on the roads.
Ice everywhere.

25 February 2015

24 February 2015

All I really want,
Right now, is one good night's sleep.
Even half of one.

24 February 2015

22 February 2015

Trees weighted with snow,
Branches bent, touching the ground.
I'm staying inside.

22 February 2015

21 February 2015

Shadows on a wall.
A bird landing on a branch,
Then flying away.

21 February 2015

19 February 2015

A difficult week...
Trauma, pain, too little sleep...
With no end in sight,

19 February 2015

16 February 2015

No, April is not
The cruelest month.  For me,
February is.

16 February 2015
(Take that, T.S. Eliot)

14 February 2015

A Valentine's Day...
Spent quietly together,
Content with our life.

14 February 2015

12 February 2015

Two long sleepless nights...
Even reading is a chore..
So I'll try again.

12 February 2015

11 February 2015

Cold rain on my neck,
Mud clings to my cane and shoes.
An unpleasant night.

11 February 2015

 

10 February 2015

Birds pecking the ground...
Dog watching through the window...
A long winter day...

10 February 2015

8 February 2015

I'm not nostalgic,
At least not very often.
Tomorrow beckons...

8 February 2015

7 February 2015

Waiting for midnight,
Hoping sleep will come by then,
Watching the moon rise.

7 February 2015

6 February 2015

"Too many martyrs
And too many dead..."   Years ago
Phil Ochs got it right.

6 February 2015
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkfgJG5kyQg)

5 February 2015

I'm growing older,
And I wonder, too often,
How did I get here?

5 February 2015

4 February 2015

Born at mid-winter,
And winter is my season--
Cold, grey, and lonely.

4 February 2015
(Literally--Feb. 4 is 45 days from
the winter solstice, usually, and
45 days from the spring equinox.)

3 February 2015

Slept late and took naps,
Saw purple skies at sunset...
And played with the dog...

3 February 2015
(A perfect day?)

2 February 2015

Waiting for the dawn--
In the hours of darkness--
Suddenly, a light.

2 February 2015

1 February 2015

The month I was born--
The coldest and darkest month--
Seems somehow fitting.

1 February 2015

31 January 2015

The half-moon shining,
Lighting my bedroom last night,
Calming and peaceful.

31 January 2015

28 January 2015

A fat squirrel sits
In our tree...so far, it seems,
It's a mild winter.

28 January 2015

27 January 2015

Just across the road,
Flash of red...a cardinal
Hopping in the grass

27 January 2015

26 January 2015

Walking carefully
On an ice-slick driveway
Testing every step...

26 January 2015

23 January 2015

Up too late again,
Chatting with friends, enjoying
What they have to say.

23 January 2015
(It's all virtual chatting now.)

22 January 2015

Einstein said "God does
Not play dice with the world"...But
He does with our lives.

22 January 2015
("I returned, and saw under the sun,
that the race is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong,
neither yet bread to the wise,
nor yet riches to men of understanding,
nor yet favour to men of skill;
but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Ecclesiastes, 9:11
Some people are lucky enough
to start with a huge lead.
Musing tonight on the role of chance
in our lives.)

20 January 2015

Frost covers the path
But I manage not to slip...
I'm safely inside.

20 January 2015

19 January 2015

Watching the sunset--
Purple and red horizon
Framed by bare branches.

19 January 2015

18 January 2015

Just past midnight, and,
Between the rain and the wind,
I'm awake again.

18 January 2015
(That was last night.)

17 December 2015

January thaw--
Warm breezes and sunny sky.
But not tomorrow.

17 January 2015

16 January 2015

Memories, again...
Walking in the rain, at night,
And holding her close.

16 January 2015

15 January 2015

Sometimes, in winter,
I remember my first love,
And smile and smile and...

15 January 2015

14 January 2015

Clouds lit at sunset,
Folding, twisting, in the sky,
Looming above me.

14 January 2015

(Taken about 4:30 PM today.)



13 January 2015

When trying to land
On our frozen pond, a goose
Slid into the bank.

13 January 2015
(And it was funny to see)

12 January 2015

Grass poking up through
Melting snow, a reminder
That winter will end.

12 January 2015

11 January 2015

Slipping and sliding
From the car to the front door.
Thank you, weather gods.

11 January 2015

10 January 2015

Sorting old photos,
Remembering where, and when,
And who I was with,

10 January 2015
(Pitigliano, Tuscany, Italy, October 2002) 

 

 



8 January 2015

Grey skies, bitter cold.
The moon shines through thin clouds
As light through a veil.

8 January 2015

6 January 2015

Distant fiery clouds
Snow reflecting the night sky
A winter sunset

6 January 2015
(Taken earlier this evening,
through a  screened window.)

 

 



5 January 2015

Out in the sun room,
Reading, with music, our dog
Curled up next to me,

5 January 2015

4 January 2014

Late this afternoon,
A light snow falling gently,
Covering the pines.

4 January 2015

3 January 2015

Family dinner...
Good wine, good food, and good talk...
And two dogs playing.

3 January 2015

2 January 2015

The wind, late last night,
A constant, distant, murmur,
Keeping me from sleep.

2 January 2015

1 January 2015

Fireworks at midnight,
Sunrise at eight...one year ends,
Another begins

1 January 2015