literature

July Haiku 08

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Literature Text

-1-
Trees slobber
like overheated dogs,
their shadows dribbling downhill.

-2-
Caught on the feeders:
a red-faced goldfinch.

-3-
Patio heaters
and umbrellas
are all we need for summer.

-4-
Dusk perches on rooftops,
misty as a blind dog’s eyes.

-5-
A fox barks,
but we see only the orange
of dying chestnut trees.

-6-
Summer sales;
the barcode beeping
replaces cricket song.

-7-
Moths, like
scraps of tattered poems,
carry our troubles away.

-8-
A satisfying beetle shell crunch
as we crush
plastic bottles.

-9-
Packing shopping:
a bag engulfs jeans
like a snake eating a deer.

-10-
It’s the thought that counts;
four sizes too big –
the thought needs an abacus.

-11-
Racing against the sky,
trying to out-pant
the thunder.

-12-
Chinese leftovers –
sweet-and-sour sauce
swamps the kitchen.

-13-
Cobwebs embroider grass,
gilded by the fading light.

-14-
Grinning sun,
the face
of an unset alarm clock.

-15-
Clattering wings
as a magpie
reads rabbit-tail Morse code.

-16-
Dragonfly wheelie bins
natter about passers-by.

-17-
Grumbling sheep;
the sky
mimics the knapweed.

-18-
An incompetent Icarus,
the moth bombards my face.

-19-
Bored of tinny pop classics,
the lift
plays mind games.

-20-
Clouds stacked
on the ridges of mountains –
sticky buns at the airport.

-21-
Cicadas purr
like Geiger counters
in the scrub.

-22-
Imitation crab sticks –
strangely appetising
next to squid.

-23-
Yellow parasols
flutter in the breeze;
palms wave back.

-24-
Siesta:
voices echo like dreams
between dozing white houses.

-25-
Dusky ocean;
indigo rolls over sunset red –
waves on parched rock.

-26-
Pigeons nestle
in the chiselled hollows
of emptied graves.

-27-
Eucalyptus hushes us,
green fingers raised
to its chapped lip.

-28-
Big fish
in small pond;
the lobsters joust.

-29-
A bark-skinned cicada
hums hymns
beside the ruins.

-30-
Waves writhe around the boat –
a chicken breast
drowning in ants.

-31-
Ice cream melts
and the planes draw arrows
to home.
The Summer Haikuthon is here, organised by `MSJames! The aim is to write a haiku every day for the month of July. See `MSJames's journal for a list of al the other participants; I'm in good company!

I really, really intend to do it properly this year and not get behind! And, although I'm going to be on holiday during the last two weeks of July, in which time I won't be able to update, I promise I will continue to write them every day. Cross my heart. :paranoid:

Some explanatory notes (and just general vague ramblings):-
1 - when we were out walking the dogs (one of whom was kind enough to sit on my lap on the way home) the trees cast lovely, long, cool shadows.
2 - we have some cheerful and somewhat boisterous goldfinches in our garden at the moment. :)
3 - unusual weather today, but we get by.
4 - a gorgeous sunset and an old dog. The poor thing was so nervous because of her blindness. :(
5 - bleeding canker disease is killing a lot of horse chestnut trees. (Don't let the amusing name fool you. Well, I found it amusing, anyway.) And we waited in silence trying to see the fox, but I think he worked out we were there and ran off. Crafty critter.
6 - I'm working in a clothes shop over summer. I am not enjoying it.
7 - I love leaving the window open at night. Alternative version:
Night’s sigh
floats through the open window;
moths carry our troubles away.

Your thoughts would be appreciated as per usual!
A week in and I'm not behind! :dance:
8 - as much as I hate doing the recycling, the noises are a fun perk.
9 - although the bags don't have a jaw to unhinge. More clothes shop excitement!
10 - bad pun time! :boogie: Don't blame me, it's 1:00 and I should have gone to bed by now.
Anywho, this is extremely unfair to my poor Nana, but she puts up with me. She sent me some clothes that are a bit big, but I'm hoping that she just got them from a shop with small sizes. And it's probably handy to have some roomy tops for summer - get a bit of a current flowing. :nod:
11 - we were walking in the woods when the thunder got a bit close for comfort, and thought it might be worth running for a bit. The dogs thought it was great fun.
12 - the aftermath of my birthday party, in which we ordered too much food as per usual.
13 - the grass is covered in cobwebs, but you can only really see them when the sun is low in the sky and just catches all the tiny threads. We reckon that they are in fact the strings from String Theory, holding the world together, thereby making spiders the overlords of the universe. I'd always had my suspicions about the nasty little blighters... :paranoid:
14 - I'd only meant to have a quick doze for ten minutes... ^^;
15 - the flashes of white as the bunnies scampered away seemed to spell out "Eeps, run for it, lads!" And the magpie had evidently spent some time deciphering rabbit communications. :nod:
16 - they were standing in clusters of blue, brown and green, and giving me funny looks.
17 - sheep make the most fantastic noises. And knapweed is a lovely shade of purple.
18 - I was getting really quite fed up about the stupid creature.
I'm off on holiday to Cyprus for two weeks now, so I'll update when I get back!
--
And I'm back!
19 - that was one devious lift (aka elevator); it kept saying "doors opening doors closing doors opening doors closing". What were we to do?? :crying:
20 - bring your own food to the airport, it's much cheaper. :nod: I just love flying through clouds, it's so surreal.
21 - noisier than your standard Geiger counter, though.
22 - Cypriate hypermarkets stock some crazy stuff. But then they probably think the same of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.
23 - nothing to say on this one, does what it says on the tin.
24 - we went to visit a Byzantine church in a little town in a valley in the midday sun (yes, we're Englishmen and quite possibly mad dogs as well) and it was so quiet you could hear people calling to each other from their houses.
25 - watching the sun set by the sea is time well spent.
26 - we were visiting some ancient tombs which have now been colonised by pigeons. I don't blame them, it was nice and cool down there.
27 - the peeling bark looked kind of like lips...
28 - we were at an aquarium with some pretty titchy tanks, and tempers were rising in the lobster tank.
29 - we finally caught sight of one, after hearing them buzz at us for days!
30 - we made the mistake of going on a glass bottom boat tour. Only Mum escaped without seasickness, and we saw more fish in the harbour. And then we returned home to discover the ants had attacked.
31 - the last day of the 'wrimo and the last few days of the holiday... :( But the Winter 'wrimo draws ever closer! :D

Well done to everyone participating! :dance:
© 2008 - 2024 chugglepuff
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moyanII's avatar
day 10 LOL! the thought needs an abascus.

day 14 oh-oh. i know what happened next.

day 20 interesting comparison of clouds and sticky buns. i can see their similarity.

day 21 on first read, i had the impression that the geiger counter was in the scrub. i think a switch in line sequence could correct that.

day 24 possibly too many descriptive words in this one.
i suggest something like this:
dreamy siesta:
voices echo
between white houses.

day 31 excellently summery. i find the expression of ';planes draw arrows to home' innovative and head-on. my favorite of your set.