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URBAN LIFE
urban renewal....
a party dress swings
in half a room
M. Franklyn Teaford
fresh from a dream
of sinking in quicksand,
i enter the factory
Ed Markowski
afternoon break —
the hooker savors a hotdog
before the evening rush
Carol Raisfeld
paying
the street musician
not to play
Jörgen Johansson
for years my skinny neighbor
briskly walked —
fat now, he runs
Anita Virgil
breaking stride
to avoid brushing hands
with the homeless man
Karen Sohne
new porno shop
locals pass by with
barely a glance
Allen McGill
Campaign rally
the politician
adjusts his smile
Jesse McGowan
state of the union...
i work through a bag
of stale potato chips
Ed Markowski
Broke actor
giving a command performance
to the landlord
Jesse McGowan
behind the theater
Hamlet in doublet and tights
ear pressed to cell phone
Bob Brill
backstage at the theater
ordering everyone around
the puppeteer
Alan Pizzarelli
music class . . .
students troop in
clearing their throats
Kala Ramesh
adjusting tux and tails
much of the violinist
settles on his chair
M. Franklyn Teaford
As the piccolo player
leaves the stage a little skip
enters his walk.
Alexis Rotella
the blues singer
tells how bad it is
then the sax tells you too
Cor van den Heuvel
after fashion show
the short and shy designer
comes out to bow
Jianqing Zheng
the aisle blocked
by shoppers — he walks
through the bra section
Jianqing Zheng
sales clerk:
on her back
a 99¢ tag
Elizabeth St Jacques
last train of the day
its dust settles
on my new shoes
Francis Masat
"Home sweet home,"
says the traveling salesman —
checking into a motel.
Jesse McGowan
Credits:
"breaking stride" from 2003 Raw NerVZ ESSENTIALS, selections Dorothy Howard, copyright © 2003 Karen Sohne
"backstage at the theater" from bottle rockets, vol.7 no.1, copyright © 2005 by Alan Pizzarelli.
"As the piccolo player" Looking For A Prince, White Peony Press, copyright © 1991 by Alexis Rotella: by permission of the author
"the blues singer" from Curbstones, Chant Press, copyright © 1998 by Cor van den Heuvel: by permission of the author.
"sales clerk" from The Senryu Series, edited by Alan Pizzarelli, Haiku Canada Newsletter, copyright © 1990 by Elizabeth St Jacques; by permission of the author.
"last train", from Mayfly, No.38, copyright © 2005 by Francis Masat; by permission of the author.
RURAL LIFE
sunrise
"any cock'll do"
crows the capon
Alan Pizzarelli
in the bake shop
the baker's smile
sweeter than her cakes
Anita Virgil
driving
past the neighbor's corn
to buy the butter
John Wills
supermarket…
a few old biddies cackling
over the eggs
John Wills
late august
the cattle hand
pours ketchup on his tofu
andrew riutta
"Live Bait"
the shop's proprietor
sound asleep
Ed Markowski
deep sea fishing...
the boy hugs the commode
all the way home
M. Franklyn Teaford
in the tree frog's song
strains of "I Got Rhythm"
Alan Pizzarelli
Credits:
"Sunrise" from Senryu Magazine — out to lunch, River Willow Publications, copyright © 2001 by Alan Pizzarelli: by permission of the author.
"in the bake shop" from summer thunder, Peaks Press, copyright © 2004 by Anita Virgil: by permission of the author.
"driving" and "supermarket" are two of three senryu John Wills [1921 - 1993] submitted to me when I was editor of the Senryu Series for the Haiku Canada Newsletter from 1989 to 1992. As my editorship ended before I could include them in the Senryu Series, they are here published for the first time in Simply Haiku. (Note: Every effort has been made to obtain additional permission from the grantors; the editor would be pleased to hear from the copyright holders not acknowledged).
"in the tree frog's song" from Senryu Magazine — out to lunch, River Willow Publications, copyright © 2001 by Alan Pizzarelli: by permission of the author.
Pets
tugging and begging
at the end of his leash
the dog's owner
Mykel Board
divorce final —
he picks up the dogs
every other weekend
Carol Raisfeld
short-cut cut short —
the old man's dog
unchained
Patricia Neubauer
pet shop
i practice
saying no
Ed Markowski
some days the old dog shits indoors
and acts guilty — some days she doesn't
give a shit
Anita Virgil
The new baby comes home —
again the dog gives his paw
without being asked.
Alexis Rotella
Cat on a car trip,
frantically trying to find the window
where the world doesn't move.
M. Kei
At customer service,
the incessant complaints
of a parrot.
Ted Heavens
first date ...
the cat hisses
at his toupee
Carol Raisfeld
thigh to thigh
the movie star
and her mastiff
Arizona Zipper
at the party
again, the dog can't
hold his licker
Carol Raisfeld
After I wax
the kitchen floor, the dog
runs in place
Alan Pizzarelli
while I'm gone
my dog
takes the driver's seat
Christopher Herold
Aboard the jet
the lady with a caged bird says:
"It's his second flight!"
Anita Virgil
the dog runs after the stick
i pretend to throw
Alan Pizzarelli
Old retriever;
he opens one eye
at the tossed stick
Garry Gay
Credits:
"tugging and begging" from The Parakeet's Mirror, Spring Street Poets, copyright © 1993 by Mykel Board; by permission of the author.
"short-cut cut short —" from Frogpond, Autumn, © 1995 by Patricia Neubauer: by permission of the author.
"the new baby comes home" from Looking For A Prince, White Peony Press, copyright © 1991 by Alexis Rotella: by permission of the author.
"After I wax" from Senryu Magazine — out to lunch, River Willow Publications, copyright © 2001 by Alan Pizzarelli: by permission of the author.
"while I'm gone", from Fig Newtons, Senryu to Go, ed. Michael Dylan Welch, Press Here, copyright © 1993 by Christopher Herold; by permission of the author.
"Aboard the jet" from summer thunder, Peaks Press, copyright © 2004 by Anita Virgil: by permission of the author.
"the dog runs after the stick" from The Flea Circus, Islet Books, copyright 1989 by Alan Pizzarelli: by permission of the author.
"Old retriever" from Woodnotes 31, copyright © 1997 by Garry Gay: by permission of the author.
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