Eating out again / Used to enjoy more at home / Can’t fight our ages

Who understands koan? / Why write them in the first place? / Zen abhors language

A lotus posture / I understand and I do it / mentally on bed

Girl whirled on sidewalk / to unwind dog leash round her / Scared couple of pigeons

Met old friend on street / We looked at each other’s hair / Likeness made us laugh

Typhoon is forecast / Clouds are running high above / Looks like they are scared

Moon light through thin clouds / making long shadows of trees / Crickets’ trills began

One cicada’s cry / Fallen comrades on the ground / Summer to retreat

Fox crossed mountain path / Rabbit jumped out and ran down / Metamorphosis?

Cool wind through wet leaves / blew fragrance into my dream / Strange wakening in sleep

Typhoon blows away / on our isles to make way for / new ruling season

Typhoon passing through / Music’l beats of rain and wind / Might as well enjoy

Typhoon left our isles / Summer’s heat back tomorrow / Hope forecast is right

Whirl of autumn air / stirred by file of jogging girls / Falling leaves twirled

The moon barely seen / But cool breeze too inviting out / to drink tea at home

First sushi in months / The taste came back with crisp air / Definitely autumn

Hearing cricket’s trill / All other sounds fade away / I am that cricket

Hot tea in the cool / of a calm autumn evening / What more do I want?

Trees in silhouette / against pale translucent clouds / Walking in a dream

Pine trees in front yard / framed by window with the moon / Masterpiece indeed

Late on autumn night / lonely crickets keep trilling / Only moon to hear

Chorus of crickets / ringing like thousand silver bells / everywhere in town

Wherever you are / I hope you too see this moon / enormous and bright

No more cicadas / Yesterday, they were noisy / Today, I miss them

Government change. All / I want is a cup of tea / in peace and quiet

The word ‘want’ is struck / off from my dictionary / but not from my heart

Imperial Palace. / Moon reflected on the moat / belongs to citizens

Clear, blue autumn sky / now graced by puffs of white clouds / and coloring leaves

Two brown butterflies / flying together up and down / falling leaves envious

No-work Labor Day / I have a feeling some friends / worked hard on Twitter

Long hair on the back / she walks'n sways ahead of me / Autumn air fragrant

So drunk I couldn’t walk / Lying on a side bench, I watched / many legs walk by

Blossom in April / Caterpillars in autumn / Both from cherry trees

Long autumn evening / Peaceful chirping of crickets / Just right for warm tea

Cool air into lungs / Sparrows chirping orders for / fresh worms for breakfast

Walking in darkness / guided by something within / Strange power of poem

Haikus are arrows / pierce through heart, not body / Non-violent weapon

Dreamed of a rattlesnake / Never seen one in real life / Wonder whence it came

Two-foot kids running / like battery-powered dolls / on the sunny lawn

Autumn dragonflies / Red and so small blown by wind / like coloring leaves

Teacup in cupped hands / Where are yesterday’s crickets? / Autumn in progress

Wean haikus from rules / so they stand on their own feet / to be full-grown poem

Haiku was born in / feudal world, but now in free / world to grow freely

Basho’s mighty brush / crushed old rules to free a frog / to jump in old pond

A frog must be free / to jump wherever it wants / even in old pond

Looking at a globe / Over equator, flowers / must be like leaves here

For democracy / Suu Kyi has a government / to run. Free her now

Thick dark clouds above / I can still see a full moon / by closing my eyes

Air is getting cold / Why does sadness come with the / falling of tree leaves?

Fallen gingko nuts / scattered apart from each other / Do they feel lonely?

Caressed by cool wind / walking with poem within / deep meditation

Falling leaves stuck on / the pavement by rain make an / autumn ornament

Cricket trills so weak / barely heard in wet bush / Stopped walking to hear

Should be a full moon / The sky’s covered by dark clouds / I must see it within

Walking through cool air / I sensed a fragrant olive / But no tree around

After rain, the far / end of the road is sunlit / Hope through cracks of clouds

Looking at the moon / wishing she could relay our / messages to Suu Kyi

Long autumn evening / Only sitting quietly / That’s enough to do

Black and white spider / At center of a huge web / Fate in nature’s hand

Be still with eyes closed / to hear what is going on / in the world unseen

Cool October air / Sparrows’ chirping sounds sharply / Winter’s coming soon

Autumn rain just fit / for walking meditation / Paths calm through wet woods

Cold autumn rain / One thing I feel grateful for / Coffee tastes better

Cold rainy morning / Sparrows splash in shallow puddle / I put on sweater

Typhoon is coming / Too strong winds and heavy rains / to enjoy nature

Typhoon is snarling / It will soon be raging. Then / it will leave fine days

Typhoon is passing / The nature's musical sound / Scared, yet enjoyable

Strongest-in-ten-years / typhoon is just passing here / with warm winds and rain

Howling and whistling / typhoon sounds like demanding / something for nature

School of dragonflies / swimming in the air after / typhoon. Wings glitter

Clean air and blue sky / Storm blown away pollutant / Traffic noise survived

Calm after typhoon / even kills the traffic noise / Effect of relief

Wind or ghost that / knocks on my window with a twig / I feel the spirit

Carpet rolled out on / the sidewalk by falling leaves / in colorful pattern

The moon keeps shining / in the night sky like Buddha / in lotus posture

A slow watchful walk / floating in meditation / No more to desire

Walked with headphones on / White and grey clouds in blue sky / listening to music

Good about autumn / Cool air just right for sushi / yet cool beer tastes good

Quiet autumn night / I came to know that I am / when a car passed by

Music sounds in heart / with the rhythm of leaves falling / Sparrows may hear

On and through window / I see myself and leaves / both changing so fast

Migrating cranes / a pair is seen in the sky / Thousands to come soon

In darkness within / I grope for words for poem / to look at myself

Sudden rain at night / accompanied by thunder / I miss short autumn

The bird I hear sing / must have just migrated here / The call sounds foreign

No inspiration / Sitting quietly alone / Only faith I have

Walking on fallen leaves / Red, brown, yellow, purple. They / all make the same sound

Waterfowls in the moat / floating and bobbing with leaves / in peaceful friendship

Met with childhood friends / Looks unrecognizable but / smiles and warmth unchanged

Noise in subway train / turns into quiet music / while listening calmly

Dark thick clouds draping / A meteor shower tomorrow / Wish they’ll clear away

Gorge between buildings / Tempted to walk to the end / where the sun’s setting

Smile on the face of / a baby in mother’s arms / So unforgettable

A baby sucking / on its big toe. Hands busy for / doing something else

Dragonflies' colors / summer to autumn keep changing / Now gone leaving blue

Replanted roses / Painful blood spots left on arms / somehow made me smile

Nothing like hot tea / in a fine autumn morning / Blue sky, nothing else

Quiet autumn night / alone in my room I feel / so thankful I was born

Night’s darkness is felt / The sound of car far away / A deep blissful moment

Night’s darkness is felt / The sound of car far away / The world disappears

Autumn night sidewalk / White flowers in pots lining / Softly luminous

Went to see a play / directed by my old friend / I felt him throughout

Cold drizzling morning / Sparrows chirping at high pitch / Preparing for winter

Drizzling continues / Warmth from inside meets the cold / in meditation

Drizzling persistent / Makes the quiet quieter / It’s a noiseless sound

Thanks to DVDs / John Wayne, Steve McQueen, James Stewart… / Reliving youthful days

Crows are blown sideways / Wintry winds claim dominance / People walking faster

A half moon looks white / in pale sky over pine trees / Darkness is missing

Lone sparrow chirping. / Singing, calling or warning? / Good luck! All the same.

Blue sky after rain / Inhalation of cool air / Deep satisfaction

Shadows on the ground / long in soft autumn sunlight / are reality

Deep within darkness / Fully expanding wings, fly / Wanting not wanting

Pink camellias / Behind bushes shedding leaves / So conspicuous

Eavesdropping sparrows / I can tell blue sky above / A fine day’s starting

Halloween’s over / Now it’s turn of wintry winds / to howl ‘round the town

Tea on a cold night / brings peace through warm cup in hands / Quiet rain perfect

Winter morning mist / Crows cawing furiously / Nobody likes cold

Neon signs shine bright / in the soulless shopping town / A few stars twinkling

Winter winds howling / Falling leaves are blown away / to places to rot

I’m often offered seat / on buses and subway cars / Each time feel older

Day is getting short / It’s dark after eating out / Full moon’s for dessert

Must be a cricket / Trill came from a roadside bush / Lonely survivor

Looking like a leaf / a moth flew down in the wind / knowing where friends are

Fallen leaves brown on ground / Last call for sparrows to peck / Snow waits to blanket

Evening sky hangs low / Turning orange in the distance / Crows’ cue to fly home

Dramas of dream / staged in the darkness within / Stories limitless

Dive into darkness / Music of the soundless world / My meditation

Noise and quietness / I watch their co-existence / in meditation

Dramas in dream / staged in the darkness within / Stories limitless

Grey clouds on neon lights / People masked amid swine flu scare / They shun more each other

One thing I have learned / Tranquility’s creation / deep within myself

Meadows soft sunlight / past paths meandering long / thorns source of nectar

Your only letter / On pure white sheet, now stained brown / Sapience, too late

Sharp sunlight cold air / Winter beauty of its own / Nature’s extra gift

Cold rain since midnight / Single caw of a crow echoes / Hold teacup tightly

Rainwater dripping / Clinking of teacup with spoon / Ensemble performance

Rain stopped, darkness falls / from outside to deep inside / Calls for quiet tea

Night is made quieter / by the rain that fell all day / Whole body tastes tea

Winter winds arrived / Leaves began whirling around / No more gentle falling

Trees sway in cold winds / Crows enjoy swing on branches / to cope with nature

A hot cup of tea / Warmth spreads from hands to body / Distant friends to mind

Cold rain on and off / Quiet with noisy intervals / through darkness of night

Rain, winds and sunlight / Having them all this morning / But can’t take a pick

Rain, winds and sunlight / Having them all this morning / But can’t take my pick

In raspberry bush / you turned to me with soft smile / Distant memory

Flowers new to me / in bloom in cold nowadays / Welcome here anyway

I can’t write poems / without you in mind to read / Too frightened to be free

Tiny grapefruit seed / spat and forgotten sprouted leaves / Now tree bearing fruit

Pile of memories / recalled at present moment / You I want to frame

Only to sit down / with a warm teacup in hands / Day ends quietly

Leaves dance singing songs / You can hear them if willing / deep down in your heart

When day is over / Retreat to my room with tea / Only freedom waits

Red camellias / proudly in bloom in cold rain / look a little lonely

Leaves rolling on sidewalk / more from tree tops follow me / Feel like Pied Piper

Come to think of it / it was right poems change world / Given sufficient time

Motorcycle roared by / my house at six this morning / Missed alarm clock’s bell

Gingko tree-lined street / The pavement is all yellow / Soft carpet of leaves

A kitten-size puppy / chased ‘way pigeons on sidewalk / Proud as a pit bull

Hot tea on cold night / Aromatic steam leads me / to meditation

A kitten-size puppy / chased ‘way pigeons from sidewalk / Proud as a pit bull

Cold cloudy morning / distant chirping of sparrows / warning rain’s coming

Misty rain gently / falls on the golden leaves / lost lifelines from trees

The sound of darkness / stars’ music heard on the earth / by mind’s receptors

Morning mist, crow’s caw / Maybe looking for its mate / or claiming domain

In my memory / vast meadows, brook flows, birds sing / Berries at my will

Saturday morning / Shine or rain week’s best morning / Sparrows trill, ‘yes, yes…’

Red sunset horizon / where some say our next world is / I wave to old friends

Flame dancing in stove / Winter’s darkness so peaceful / Nothing more to want

Butterfly flutters / Spring meadows in memory / Soft blue of stove flame

Star light frozen still / Darkness keeps noises away / Deep within myself

Winter’s stars twinkle clear / Bamboo leaves rustle in darkness / Heart sinks in silence

Stream I caught crawfish / now flaws through pipes beneath roads / Memory deep past

Crow’s last caw sounded / Noises fade into darkness / Just sit quietly

Unless mutual / falling in love’s tragedy / Sad many destined

Lies and greed deep down / Society is built ‘pon / Admit first to mend

Red, brown, yellow leaves / taking turns to fly off trees / Winter butterflies

Floating down a stream / a boat made of bamboo leaf / carrying childhood dreams

Noise outside sounds like / sparrows at war this morning / Total emergency

A half moon floating / Trees lining the street naked / Neon signs too bright

Brown leaves piling up / off sidewalk, joyf’l puppy / diving in and out

Clouds floating away / elsewhere to find blue sky and / green meadows too see

Leaves still left on twigs / shivering in winter wind / Lonely resistance

Footsteps came and gone / Couldn’t help opening the window / Not a star tonight

Darkness drapes around / All noises kept far away / The restf'l time of day

The sun about to set / Clouds slightly pink in blue sky / Nature’s cosmetics

Steamed sweet potato / special winter treat for kids / I remain a kid

Teacup warm in hands / brings calmness deep into heart / Remain in silence

Red camellias / No attention to cold wind / Lady’s smiling lips

A crow on tree branch / Immovable in icy cold wind / Like meditating

The morning sun shines / Birds call at rapid intervals / A great day ahead

Recurring in mind / Before the Word silence was / It’s meditation

Rain makes night colder / Hot tea tastes that much better / Makes quieter too

Days getting colder / Early morning but darker / Birds shouting louder

Sit awhile with tea / Steam of fragrance fills my heart / Eyes closed quietness

Home from cold outside / Stoves blue flame and cup of tea / Nothing more to want

Pigeons on sidewalks / don’t fly away nowadays / Too fat or lazy

Kicking amber leaves / see lots more in stock on trees / Winter to last long

Gingko leaves yellow / camellias side-by-side / Artwork as it is

Like paints splashed around / park lawn covered with fall leaves / Don’t rake them, gardeners

Cold but sun dazzling / Winter’s coming definite / The air feels prickly

A girl and a dog / The dog pulling her ahead / The girl runs, cheeks red

Rustles from pile of leaves / Pigeons are pecking around / Leaves don’t stop falling

Teacup in cupped hands / Fragrance rising in sunlight / A sip and close eyes

Blue sky sunshining / Greetings to you in return / with doubly broad smile

What’s left of the foliage / Some leaves basking on tree tops / Soon their turns to twirl

Lured out by fall leaves / seniors crowding park benches / Young couples bear with them

Flowers look lonely / in pots at a roadside shop / in wintry drizzling

Tree leaves shivering / Quiet fall of wintry rain / Sparrows fly away

Drizzling persistent / Only sound gives me shiver / Heat up tea alone

Grapefruits on a tree / grown from a spat forgotten seed / Sour in mouth but sweet

Teacup without handle / just right to hold in cupped hands / Fragrant steam deep breath

Musical trills of birds / from treetops but no mov’ments / Anonymous play

Wave mount’ns to my love / Bring my words with you to her / Stars twinkle her eyes smile

Vehicle of love words / Send you silently from heart / across land and sea

Soft sunshine thin clouds / Furiously warn sparrows / Rains coming later

Scent flows in the air / Only threshold to cross in / Waits tranquility

Deep in night drizzling / Only fragrance is with me / from my old teacup

After rain calm descends / Car heard in distance soon gone / Calmness sinks deeper

Tea left on the desk / from last night emits fragrance / Out to plants sun shines

Sunbeam through curtain / Dancing figures on the wall / Like from memories

A sparrow chirping / Not a yard off the sidewalk / In azalea bush

Three sparrows on roof / Waiting for me deceptive / Door opened flew away

Cello play’r next door / His soundproof room not soundproof / He should meditate

Walked home at night / ‘gainst icy cold prickly wind / Moon only watched me

Mt. Fuji in clear sky / The snow cap against the blue / high and far away

Layers of lies conceal’d / Deceived souls dressed well to die / The moon but silent

Birds or butterflies / too far to tell from park lawn / Only moving things

Girl dancing alone / in a park lawn noticed watched / Shyly smiled ran off

Amber leaves on twigs / surviv’d wintry wind night through / Glitter in sunlight

Bare twigs shiver cold / cradling tiny buds light green / Be patient spring’ll come

Persimmons on tree / Birds know still juicy inside / Winter provisions

Sparrows flying up / Puppies running full of joy / Out of bush, leaves fell

Girls walking sexy / Winter sidewalks few flowers / Just the role they play

Thickness of darkness / A starless night of winter / Silence to sit in

Cold drizzling morning / makes me love fragrant tea more / Drink, mind flies to friends

Heavy clouds splash rain / warm teacup raise scent in steam / song afar brighten heart

Cold drizzling persists / Soft sound invites me to sleep / tea fragrance dreamy

Camellias bright red / on bushes along a sidewalk / smiling at cold rain

Teacup warm in hands / Take a sip fragrance calming / Eyes closed sound of rain

Falling gingko leaves / yellow rug on sidewalk trampled / by pedestrians

Gingko trees no leaves / Bare twigs sticking up like needles / toward clouds against blue

a few stars twinkle / above buildings black shadows / slight rustle of leaves

Winter yet to hit / Birds sing in morning sunshine / Roses bloom in heart

A stream through meadows / nectar of love flows to sea / heart leaps to all lands

Where the truth hidden / In silence eyes closed to seek / poems without words

Your unseen beauty / Sounds sweet in music softly / Silently I hear

Sparrows trill warning / winter front is approaching / mercury dropping

Roadside trees at dusk / Amber leaves barely visible / Some left on the twigs

Wintry sky no moon / A few stars twinkle timidly / through a crack of clouds

Winter night darkness / Sitting alone in my world / Thoughts subside silence

Wintry cold morning / Sparrows seem to enjoy it / Chirping all over

Thin thread of sunlight / through bare tree twigs to window / warmth in heart rises

A girl standing still / cell phone in hand on sidewalk / A leave falls on hair

A pair of bulbuls / sharing a persimmon on / a branch swayed by wind

Snow tonight forecast / I might have to sit up late / to see the flakes dance

Winter night darkness / Soft smell from burning incense / Noises disappear

Tea fragrance flows in / Deep slow breathing on teacup / Warm treat on cold night

A girl standing still / cell phone in hand on sidewalk / A leaf falls on hair

Snow dumped far away / Heart ached by news of troubled people / Dancing flakes vain dream

Gingko leaves rolling / hurrying to tell winter’s here / In sky clouds racing

Sidewalk leaves rolling / Kids chasing like batt’ry-powered / Mothers run worried

Slow burning incense / somewhere in the house so good / for silent sitting

Bright morning sunlight / Building afar reflects back / into sky awesome

Blue bulbuls flew up / Scared by opening of window / I didn’t mean to shoo

Amber leaves falling / Azalea flowers caught my eye / lonely pink in cold

Lemons found growing / On twigs over frosted ground / Must be good for tea

A white crescent moon / in the light blue evening sky / A well shaped eyebrow

Blue sky, sunshine, birds / Thin clouds scattered ornament / One beauty morning

Narcissi blooming / waiving their claim to spring warmth / for beauty in snow

Sunlight abundant / Wake up to another day / What’s more glorious?

Birds puffed up in cold / perching on a tree branch like / monks meditating

Crack between buildings / reserved for the sun to rise / Bright orange at dawn

Lone crow hurrying home / Sun is setting shopping street / no time for cawing

No leaves sunlight through / Foliage for shade in summer / Sidewalk trees smiling

Pile of amber leaves / Ducks out of pond foraging / for foraging sake

Ducks on the cold moat / floating still heads under wings / Sleeping or thinking?

Birds sing, flowers bloom / Meadows green in bright sunlight / All seen in your heart

Sunrise sparrows trill / eighteen hours left for the year / “Who cares,” the birds sing

Chorus of trilling / Sparrows dominate shrine trees / joined by gong of bells

Gymnasium empty / New Year’s days fine in a row / Kids out skateboarding

Meadows always green / Creek ne’er dry to quench my thirst / Bushes keep berries ripe

my tea getting cold / fragrance remains, good for throat / deep breath relaxing

The white narcissi / right by the front-door step-stone / emitting fragrance

Fragrant narcissi / blooming in the icy cold / wintry sun limelight

Shivering from cold / Paces of passers-by fast / Even the moon looks frozen

Stars light through pinholes / ragged clouds blown by cold wind / the moon huge and bright

Ducks in the moat / Quietly afloat basking / Soon to fly back north

Sunlight through window / Sparrows’ trills in distance heard / Fresh winter morning

Sparrows’ rapid trills / sound like they have their signals / to tell I’m coming

Tall grass windless still / large dead leaves dangling sudden sway / sparrows flying up

Snowflakes on your hair / all like tiny twinkling stars / Please don’t shake your head

From icy cold outside / into warm bathtub for a / good meditation

Drizzling and so cold / a crow scurrying behind the bush / with hands in pockets

Quietness of night / comes down deep into myself / with a sip of tea

Tea at night alone / Darkness shuts out all the sound / Meditation comes

In darkness I’ll see / clearer image of myself / Sitting in calmness

Walking in darkness / watch the moon, stars, tree shadows / I am not alone

Red camellias / through cracks on frosted bushes / peeping out like kids

The sun bright dazzling / yet the puddles on the ground frozen / reflecting the light

Kids riding bicycles / The park path meandering / Fat pigeons crossing

Blue sky bright sunlight / Sparrows talking to each other / Whatever they’re saying

Frozen puddle like mirror / Curious puppy looks in / barks at its image

Haiti a land far / yet their sufferings so close / Pray helps reach there fast

Black sky not a star / Walking home my ears like ice / Roadside lamps lonesome

Sunlight from fence cracks / to the sidewalk pigeons rest / too lazy to fly

Pile of amber leaves / in the park woods dry and crushed / Sparrows foraging

Sparrows taking place / of lost leaves on top of tree / chirping for rustling

Fragrant but drooping / narcissi in winter’s cold / few people walking by

Lull in severe cold / Puppies out to the park lawn / Fleeting enjoyment

Music by itself / sounds within, I disappear / My Zen achievement

My mind is empty / absorbed by moon’s delicate crescent / shaped like your eyebrow

Fragrance melts my heart / taste of beauty in warm tea / Gentle steam keeps rising

Tightly closed buds red / on the twigs of ume trees / ready to bloom soon

Ducks afloat in moat / Sudden diving I stop walking / Determined to wait

So warm overcoat off / Fragrant jinchoge blossoms / blooming in advance

Lone red camellia / blooming hesitantly deep / in a dark green bush

Overhead railroad track / roared as I pass underneath / Train’s gone so’s my thought

Your smile in portrait / A flower with soul to me / Unseen is the essence

Across park walk-path / flew a mejiro white-eye. / Green in brown twigs bright

Bright, round moon tonight / but stars can hardly be seen / over shopping street

Sky aglow sunset / Over woods dotted by crows / Park path stand alone

Rain beating tin eaves / forecast to change to light snow / at night for pleasant dream

Through cracks of gray clouds / Straight beams of morning sunlight / Last night’s snow glitters

Brown leaves and thin stems / Morning glories left on fence / Lonely sway in snow

Whatever your language / Say it in five-seven-five rhythm / My heart will follow

Red camellias / In bloom all through the winter / Your role is over

Shivering from cold / But officially it’s spring / I’ll stop chattering

Sunshine in cold air / Plum blossoms shyly blooming / Faint fragrance of spring

Wintry morning moon / White and alone in blue sky / Sparrows too noisy

Palace moat down town / Heron still in traffic noise / Sudden thrust of its beak

Roses lush in flowerpots / on balcony braving cold / Soon fragrant beauty

Birds chirping around / Soon to fly back to the north / They’ll miss our spring here

Used tea leaves cold / In hand to mulch flowerpots / Sunlit balcony

Still icy cold air / Crows don’t seem to mind bathing / Taking turns in puddle

No wind sunlight warm / Park lawn ducks up from the pond / for afternoon nap

Sky gray wintry cold / A bird chasing another / Spring is on the way

Drizzling Ginza street / Beer-warmed cheeks caressed by breeze / Evening-walk pleasure

Brief fall of snow flakes / Twirling, floating and dancing / Sunlight cracked clouds through

Weekend but sleeting / Might as well stay warm at home / Watching Olympics

Chirping of birds / Skies over far buildings bright / Sun will shine today

Cold air of winter / But the sunshine feels like spring / Plum blossoms fragrant

Leaden skies look heavy / With water to pour down soon / Watch out plum blossoms

A few amber leaves / Dangling from twigs all winter / Now destined to fall

Birds on twigs don’t move / Watching me curiously / In spring, they’ll be gone

Birds on twigs don’t move / Watching me curiously / Spring comes, they’ll be gone

Green birds in oak tree / Only shadow of movements / Sing for poetry

Snowflakes on the sleeve / Clear crystals for a moment / Short life of perfection

Park lawn undulates / Must be hills for kids toddling / Cold air but sunshine

Lined by plum blossoms / walk-path air full of fragrance / Winter is forgotten

Half moon looks smiling / followed me all the way home / Couldn’t open the door

Spring of light today / Soon to be of temperature / Then cherry blossoms

Lady on bicycle / Daffodils in the basket / Spring smile on her face

Early spring sunshine / A cat dozing off on roof / or meditating?

Spring breeze flowers burst / Unceasing cycle of nature / Ducks to fly back north

Tangerines in tree / Some have holes and juice sucked out / I know the villains

Walk-path wet shiny / In spring rain leaves grow greener / I furled umbrella

Chunks of clouds run fast / under the moon full and bright / Leaves whisper in winds

Soft sunshine on leaves / Breathe spring air cool after rain / What more do I want

Rain stopped cracks in clouds / In sunlight sparrows trilling / Leaves growing fragrant

Leaden skies sparrows echo / Curtain rise for the flower season / A little more to wait

Back to icy cold / Not a bird in the park woods / March but spring is shy

Starless sky long road / Fading into darkness far / Endless walk I do

Smell of spring rising / from the soft green of young grass / in tender sunlight

Delicate fragrance / wafting in the air changing / from winter to spring

A bird perched on a branch / of a tree on the road side / listens to traffic noise

Gentle fall of spring rain / on the asphalt glittering / Long line of street lights

Cat on the sidewalk / The whole world is her domain / Eyes closed in spring light

Warmer at every rain / Yellow waves of rape blossoms / Fragrance extra gift

A lone crow in tree / watches other birds away / like a lonely king

Sparrows’ rapid trills / Huge sun in the horizon / Spring morning arrived

Sparrows in bare trees / Lucky they are only brown / Red and white crows’ prey

Spring night but sleeting / glittering in the streetlight / watching with hands numb

Doll festival for girls / Arranging twigs and flowers / What is she thinking?

Night’s deep darkness felt / Alone with mind focused on / jasmine tea fragrance

Sun shines in cold breeze / Spring is nearing but teasing / Flowers blush head down

Morning sun brighter / Seems it moved its rising place / Gives me a new hope

Walking jacket off / Missed this sweating a long time / Cherry blossoms soon

Soft wind and sunlight / holiday traffic-free street / for an endless walk

On an endless walk / On streets circling same buildings / for meditation

Magnolia in bloom / Large petals fragrant but drooping / Beauty short-lived sad

Plane droning away / Plum blossoms left in silence / Sunlight gaining strength

After wintering / Ducks gathering into a cloud / Moving northward home

Snow-white camellias / Shyly hiding so pristine / Behind leaves in bush

I looked at the moon / It was looking back at me / All remained tranquil

Through the thin dark clouds / the sun is like a white moon / A morning miracle

Gentle breeze in spring light / The nature’s caress in smile / In a dream awhile

Swallows from the south / Ducks to the north come and go / Flowers are bursting

Flower pageantry / Red, yellow, blue in the garden / All dressed for contest

Warm windy spring day / A dust storm, can’t keep eyes open / Crows bathing in pond

Spring storm raged night through / Wailing and bangs were in dream / Stretch in soft sunlight

Woods wet from night’s rain / Tender wind cool on the cheeks / Meditative walk

In bright spring sunlight / Girls browsing in shopping street / Jackets off dazzling

Three hours of walking / Tight cherry buds coming out / along the sidewalk

Frog dragging hind leg / Must have escaped crow’s attack / Frightened by helping hand

Equinox spring’s here / Cherry blossoms declared open / Cold wind sarcastic

Back to wintry cold / Half blooming cherry blossoms / Shivering in rain

Along the moat bank / Cherries burst into flowers / People moving like ants

The smell of lilac / I awoke it was a dream / Touch of petals remained

Walking with spring winds / Cherry blossoms, magnolias / which is which couldn’t tell

Long oriental skirts / Dangling sleeves and grandma’s shoes / Coed grads swaying

Icy cold again / Determined people out in overcoats / Cherry blossoms shy

Smooth lilting high tones / Call of spring birds in thicket / Looks are mystery

Unseasonal snow flakes / Dancing with cherry blossoms / Rarely seen beauty

Day’s work is finished / Sitting alone mind empty / Just like yesterday

From the balcony / The moon has no elbow room / Crack between buildings

From my window moon / Huge and bright but all I see / You by your window

Spring flower season / Walking to view happiness / There’ll be time you’ll know

Cherry blossoms storm / Petals dancing around in winds / Some into my mouth

In dream of meadow / Hummingbirds at lightening speed / Jewels of nature

Genuine sushi / One piece of bluefin tuna / Saved it for last morsel

Quiet rain on eaves / No soul passing on the street / Not yet fully spring

Statue of Buddha / Sit centuries at temple near / Like born yesterday

Soft spring rain noiseless / Makes statue of Buddha shine / Immersed in quietness

Rain hits umbrella / Walking’s best meditation / Beat of tiny drums

If I were a crow / I’d spread my wings over head / Ideal umbrella

I’m still looking for / An egg bunny hid for me / I even dream of it

Fine spring day outside / Sad I have to work inside / For whom the weather?

Cherry blossom petals / “On your hair, sir,” barber said / As I sank in chair

Icy cold again / Blossoms in full bloom unwatched / Enjoying themselves

Winds shaking branches / Sparrows like riding on swings / Stealing glance at crows

I feel compassion / for falling cherry blossoms / So much like our life

Fragrant departure / Your faint existence lingers / Strangely powerful

I have never seen / Yet appears in thoughts and dreams / Hummingbird strange bird

Shopping street evening / Cherry blossom petals falling / Countable in lamp light

Cold rain in April / Cherry blossoms beaten to ground / Petals scattered in mud

On the moat surface / Huge spread of pink mosaic / of cherry flower petals

Cold rain persistent / No other sound in darkness / Warm teacup long breath

Teacup in cupped hands / Listening to rain hitting eaves / For tranquility

Met with childhood friends / Walked home through the cool of night / For two hours in dream

Scent of flowers strong / Along the sidewalk in dark / White or blue my choice

Cobblestones shrine walk-path / Plastered with cherry flower petals / Pigeons foraging

Now cherry blossoms / Doing one thing at a time / Pursuit of simple life

White camellias / Luminous at night in garden / Think of you smiling

Rain drips on the eaves / All other sounds fade away / Calm prevails inside

Supposed to be spring / Light snow on cherry blossoms / Artwork of nature

Butterflies flutter / White, yellow over pink, purple / Park yard changed costume

Girls ducking their heads / Crows whirling over in town / Nesting on street trees

Squeak of chair woke me / Your face with smile disappeared / Quietness of night

Your flowery smile / Floated awhile silently / I am lost awake

Afraid of losing / Sweet memory in darkness / I sit up with wine

Found a book I read / When I was burning with love / Flame glows but no heat

Early summer sun / Trees changed to green leaves, shifting / Flowers to sidewalks

Morning sun work-free / Coffee or tea kettle steaming / Bird calls distracting

Path of violets / Wafting fragrance and bird calls / Walk on in sunlight

Woke up to sunlight / Got up to the noise of rain / Sparrows on the eaves

Walked hours spring evening / Air was perfect I couldn’t stop / Passed my house, went on

Second cup of tea / Before go to bed tonight / One more if can’t sleep

The sun is rising / By the demand of sparrows / Whole universe obeys

Sugar cubes in tea / Figure melts into sweetness / What a sacrifice

Amber leaves rolling / They must fall for summer’s green / In the winds singing

Rustles of bamboo leaves / Shady figure, who goes there? / Moonlight and spring wind

Quiet rain outside / Longing for what I don’t know / Luxury of night

Rain beating the roof / I am besieged in my room / Enjoying the noise

Birds chirp this morning / Sunshine in clear skies foretell / A huge moon this even

No more cherry petals / To fall and float on the moat / Moon without makeup

Write haikus freely / Rules are fort of the snobbish / Basho shines so bright

Thousands of haikus / Each day but few remembered / Public is the judge

Blocking other people / Escaping into one’s own fort / No poem is born

Spring sun on sidewalk / Kitten’s wide yawning contagious / Azaleas open mouths

Azaleas’ chorus / Accompanied by sunlight / Sound through sidewalk

Shadows of leaves dance / To the music of sunlight / Prelude to summer

Walking through the woods / I see the dance of sunlight / Birds play the music

Flower name unknown / Irresistible fragrance / Along the beaten path

Butterflies flutter / Flowers contest for colors / Curtain rise for summer

Night calmness with tea / Effortless meditation / Only to close eyes

Girl on a cell phone / At crossing light changed to Walk / Let her know or not?

Summer day sunrise / Bird calls in the morning cool / Lush foliage shines green

Humming still I hear / Long ago I fell asleep / Now in dream cradle sways

My mother was strong / Whatever I did right or wrong / She was stoutest shield

“I’ll tell my mother” / I can’t say hat any more / But still sounds within

The month of lilac / Stood on the stairs to the porch / Fragrance kept me there

For gift from lilac / Bear with pollen allergy / It is worth even life

Early summer rain / Waters the lawn for young grass / Swallows back swooping

A veteran said / Mother country not on mind / Think of just mother

Single cut rose in bottle / Nods its head every time when / Someone passes by

Only a few days / Didn’t water and roses dead / Summer’s sun my sin

Mosquito season / Suck as much blood as you want / Just don’t itch my skin

I saw a leaf flow / On a stream dug in a park / Followed, end so soon

Grapefruit flower scent / Wafting like soundless music / that steals my heart

Dandelion seeds / Fluffy balls scattered in winds / After birds flew out

I was only four / Azalea size of my hand / Nectar was sweetest

deep night quiet rain / helpts me to not fall asleep / but get up to drink

Flowers different / in colors, forms and scents / all for my one love

Deep in the park woods / A boy practicing his flute / Birds tutoring him

Winds caress the pond / To prod the lotus to bloom / Colorful carps waiting

Why do I hate crows? / At eye contact I shoo them / Maybe they hate me

Imagination / From things I have never seen / Beauty without bound

Early summer sun / Parasols like flowers sidewalk / Light clothing dazzling

Swallows back swooping / On the road cars are racing / They don’t care dashing

Narrow cobblestone path / Meandering through park woods / A butterfly guides me

Walking on park path / Lined by red azaleas / Brown sparrows flew up

Foliage greener / With the day soon rainy season / New life to nature

Warm evening sidewalk / An old cat sits mesmerized / By kimono girls

I suddenly noticed / Azaleas laugh in the wind / How else can I think?

I was five or so / Sweet nectar of azalea / Shielded by bee sting

Dense camellia bush / A red flower blooms alone / Stubbornly beautiful

Butterflies flutter / All flowers nectar’s the same / But can’t make up mind

Now season for sun hats / Locks of hair through holes on back / Swaying like horse tails

A toddling infant / Stopped walking and smiled at me / Sparrows watching us

Listening to music / That I heard when I was young / You are with me too

Sunday traffic noise / Crows on the top of buildings / Waiting for quiet

Dragonflies out now / Midair over the park lawn / On watch like sentries

Traffic noise and fumes / Bright yellow along the road / Dandelions alive

Cool pleasant morning / Unusual this time of year / Rainy season waiting

“Two milks, is that all? / OK, I will pick them up” / The same call I just made

Summer festivals / Old piping and drumming sound / Wafting through buildings

Park lawn being mowed / Fragrance of the grass wafting / Pigeons foraging

At dawn bird songs start / So do farmers to the fields / Worship rising sun

Downtown garage door / Kept open all day for swallows / Nesting on tool shelf

Azalea buses / Thickly covered by flowers / Carpet for sparrows

Sweating after walk / Open windows to let in breeze / With sparrows’ chirping

Azalea bushes / Thickly covered by flowers / Carpet for sparrows

Dragonflies hover / From spot to spot in the air / Wings shine red and blue

Pigeons white as snow / Bred as shrine’s decoration / Crows look envious

Dragonflies flight in group / Wings reflection of sunlight / Fragments of rainbow

Texting and sleeping / Darkness outside the window / Subway ride at night

Lotus in the pond / In full bloom in soft sunlight / Like smiling at breeze

Lotus in full bloom / Pure pink on muddy water / Reflects Buddha’s smile

So many flowers / On the azalea bushes / Yet they look lonely

Stuffy and sweating / Tea tastes better hot than cold / Feels meditative

Misty rain of June / Hydrangeas in full big bloom / Sadness of no scent

Grass leaves widened and dense / Waiting to share the sunlight / Through foliage above

Dinner appointment / At a restaurant in a park / Outdoor table with birds

Nameless weeds leaves wide / Reflect sunlight shake in breeze / Friendly beckoning

By the window side / Feel the evening breeze with the / Scent of gardenia

Irises in pond / Flower red and blue in rain / Tiny ripples dancing

Scent wafts in the air / Gardenias in the evening / Gleam under street lamps

Gleaming gardenia / The moon in a crack of clouds / Open-air museum

Scent of gardenia / Wafts in the air far and strong / On sweltering night

What a happy life / Convoluted relations / Freedom from boring

Physical strength of youth / Where did it go? But a joy / Mind reads poetry

Scent of gardenia / Wafts into my room at night / I sense it in dream

Sultry summer night / Hot jasmine tea soothes mind / Fragrance in silence

Dragonflies hover / Over the park yard couples lie / Watching each other

Cicadas chirping / The first to hear this summer / Sounds warning time flies

Breeze cooled by soft rain / Gently drifts through gardenias / I see pleased faces

Lonely hydrangeas / Look fragrant but no fragrance / Turn colors in rain

Day’s work is over / Breeze in rain through fragrant woods / No better reward

Meandering path / Through the park for quiet walk / Stop at gardenias

Dragonflies move fast / From time to time they hover / For meditation

Cicadas’ chirping / Sounds through the road with cars’ roar / The air filled with life

Lotuses thousands-years old / Bloomed on muddy pond and still / Good enough for Buddha

Noise-canceling earphones / Cars are soundless like in dream / Man-made Zen silence

Trees fragrant in rain / Stroll through the narrow park path / Wish I could stretch time

Giant dragonflies / Hovering on glittering moat / Spread rainbow colors

Early morning stroll / Lotus flowers blooming hour / Bright pink on tall stalks

Asphalt burning hot / Befriend cicadas’ chirping / In the shade of trees

Rainy season over / Skies are higher trees taller / Cicadas louder

Trees grow green in heat / Paradise of cicadas / Scented breeze goes through

Hottest this summer / Cicadas dominate world / Carps seek lotus shade

Sunlight from blue skies / Sidewalk full of parasols / Flowers of summer

Cool air through window / Long-waited rain beats the eaves / Sounds like a joyful jazz

On the old temple pond / A lotus blooming alone / Pink on tall stalk shines

Birds and cicadas / Sing a loud morning chorus / Another hot day

Sparrows nowadays / I walk close but don’t fly off / Relationships change

Cicadas dying down / Hint of cool breeze in the air / Life flows through changes

Birds’ calls wind through woods / Vehicle of life energy / Fresh vitality

Rain sweet as honey / Cool breeze through woods is worth gold / Stirs life for new day

Streaks of cool breeze / In heat waves cicadas chirp / Crickets wait for turn

Thin streaks of cool breeze / In heat waves cicadas chirp / Crickets wait for turn

Predawn cicadas / Do they shout for something, or / Tell us of something?

Goldfish and lotus / An indoor pond in building / Like an oasis

Fireworks in the sky / Kimono girls like goldfish / Best summer evening

Fallen cicadas strewn / Tomb of the unknown war dead / White chrysanthemums

Summer afternoon / All having a siesta / But a cicada

Shooting starts fleeting / Expectations high in heart / For what, I forgot

Sweltering morning / Rapid chirping of sparrows / No complaint to heat

Ringing like little bells / Crickets taking over season / Heat carried over

Cicadas shriek loud / Last drop of life energy / Give way to crickets

Born into this world / Humans grow with words within / Hear as they sound

Words that sound within / Umbilical cord to Cosmos / To make life eternal

Many cicadas / Sound like all trilling for me / On the mountain path

Cicadas music / Awamori on the rocks / Heat wave not too bad

Heat wave stops today / According to calendar / Can’t trust human thought

Heat wave lingers on / Windows open wishing for breeze / A smile on the moon

Chanting of sutras / From an old neighborhood temple / Joined by cicadas

Thunder sounds afar / Makes me expect good cool rain / Sound gone heat remains

Huge bell at a temple / Gongs loud and fades to silence / Depicts birth to death

Heat wave and no rain / Cracks on the bott’m of garden pond / Ants busy nesting

Sun heat beating down / Carps in a different world / Under lotus leaves

Have to find a shade / Heat beats down without mercy / Lotus exception

Search for hint of fall / Faint sound of crickets’ love call / Sweating, but it’s time

Lush gardenia bush / No flowers but the leaves shine / Under strong sunlight

Manmade waterfall / Powered by a solar panel / Crows enjoy bathing

Summer months have gone / Killer heat wave left behind / Crickets are waiting

Wafting in the air / The scent of chrysanthemum / Tells me it’s autumn

Over warm saki / How the day is doesn’t matter / Complaints fly away

Small autumn flowers / In weakly sunlit sidewalk / Attract eyes like smile

Summer’s heat lingers / Miss warm teacup in cupped hands / A glass of beer’ll do

How long will it last / Heat left behind by summer / Pray crickets survive

Golden sunlight soft / Tall grass caressed by cool breeze / At last it’s autumn

Between skyscrapers / Crows perform flight acrobat / Street trees clap their leaves

First cold rain in months / Hope summer is shooed away / Autumn is waiting

Summer squatted here / October stripped of autumn / Trees still green and lush

Blouses all short-sleeved / October shopping street bright / Autumn is lost here

Walk alone at night / Sound of darkness in the ear / Stars play from afar

Persimmons unripe / Trees are green, birds are waiting / Blessings of autumn

Narrow park walk path / Bumblebees buzzing on flowers / Many friends around

A brown butterfly / No falling leaves to play with / Fluttering alone

Warm teacup in hands / Soundless autumn night deepens / In tranquility

Summer heat has gone / So I hear the crickets sing / Next a brighter moon

Falling and rolling / Amber leaves race on the road / Heralding winter

A bright moon and clouds / Over the lit shopping street / On my way back home

Crickets now trilling / Glad they survived the heatwave / Loud but so soothing

Thorns protect fragrance / Such is your smile behind veil / A dream of far past

Silent words within / Furious to let them out / The dream fades away

On the mountain path / The tranquility of trees / Walked five miles for it

Autumn night deepens / The moon through the cracks of clouds / Warm tea is my friend

Busy shopping streets / Sea of colorful neon lights / The moon in the clouds

Winter winds began / Trees are hissing in the air / Like whispering words

Autumn elbowed out / Tree leaves still green winter’s cold / Mosquitoes shiver

Ginkgo trees still lush / No pile of autumn fallen leaves / For birds to forage

Music from earphones / Loud but some times inaudible / On a subway train

Hood drawn over bangs / Smile reflects sunlight through trees / Winter has arrived

Soft sun in cool air / Waste of time to not take walk / Write poems in heart

Secondhand book street sales / Under November’s blue sky / Time pass so fast

Cool crisp autumn day / Amber leaves against blue sky / Soon to be falling

Twirls of leaves can tell / What says the invisible dance / Of the autumn wind

Fallen gingko nuts / Smelling bad on the sidewalk / They’d taste good roasted

Autumn leaves, spring flowers / All together for a ball / In my inner world

Leaves began falling / Nothing like meeting old friends / Warm tea glows within

Waterfowls are back / The moat ‘round Royal Palace / Is their home sweet home

Heard a sparrow chirp / For the first time this morning / Since the heatwave’s gone

Finally autumn / Persimmons large, red and sweet / I beat birds to it

Squirrel on the roof / Hopping around and happy / Nuts in the gutter

Pink azaleas / Deceived by Indian summer / Caped with amber leaves

Thin smoke from incense / Dances in quiet music / I join it by heart

Evening traffic noise / Bushes under the street lights / Camellias gleam

Words mysterious / But soprano mingled with heart / Purity of tears

A walk in a dream / My road leads into darkness / Words will be guidance

Prayer goes on in sleep / Stay in conscious awareness / Of eternal moment

Two pink camellias / Softly in bloom face to face / Braving winter’s cold

Love is not a word / Silent certainty locked in heart / Life springs like flowers

Red and ripe persimmons / Protected on the roadside / By heavy traffic

Joggers pass leaves twirl / Red, brown, yellow on sidewalk / Roaring from asphalt

Sylvan park walk path / What a waste to stroll alone / So many colors

Sparrows perched on twigs / All puffed up in winter wind / At least they look warm

Gingko leaves yellow / Air is cool and agreeable / Got off train to walk

No meditation / Is the Zen meditation / Let the fall leaves fall

Moths or butterflies / Mingled with falling leaves midair / Indistinguishable

Crowded shopping street / I become the traffic noise / Calmness takes over

Inside or outside / It depends on where you are / If snow looks beautiful

Blooming in the cold / Camellias just as last year / Pink spots on bushes

Camellias shiver / December winds cold to them / But look like smiling

Windy winter day / Amber leaves twirl on the road / Crows flying sideways

Amber leaves carpet / On sidewalk for promenade / Couples stroll arm in arm

Crow on top of tree / Shaking twigs to make leaves fall / Amusing himself

A crow on a fence / Bowed at me as I passed by / Glaring eyes but nice

Ｂａked sweet potatoes / Smells wafting from the vendor / Girls walk side-glancing

Baked sweet potato / Even better than chocolate / Her smile can tell it

A long-faced old man / Wrapping hot sweet potatoes / Girls wait patiently

Winter but winds warm / Amber leaves dance merrily / Puppies join circling

White camellias / Inconspicuous when it snows / I know you are there

Ice cold drizzling / Fallen leaves flat on the pavement / Hurry for hot tea

Winter night sidewalk / Power cables sing in the wind / Rustle of fallen leaves

Winter orchid bloomed / Can’t see where the flowers are / But smell like perfume

Camellias shiver / Winter flowers but colorful / Like girls walking by

Winter shopping street / Baby carriage in windshield / The legs in long boots

Quiet winter night / A warm teacup in cupped hands / Nothing more to want

Crows on a tree branch / In black robes like Buddhist monks / Cawed sutras, flew off

Forgot of the moon / Till I heard of the eclipse / Cloudy, I miss you

Few people at the park / Leaves falling like confetti / For no one but me

Orgy of pecking / Sparrows on a piece of bread / In a pile of leaves

Refusing to move / A puppy dragged by the leash / Paws raking fallen leaves

A lone pink flower / Azalea out of season / No bees to visit

Christmas shopping street / Peaceful smile of pedestrians / Kids run with fallen leaves

An infant toddling / Extended its arms with smile / What a high honor

Sound of kind warning / Rapid chirping of sparrows / Must be cold outside

Red camellias / Clustered over the bushes / Watch people jogging by

Cold spell as forecast / The blue flame of an oil stove / Flickers like talking

Small white narcissi / Shiver in the wintry wind / Shyly waft fragrance

Stopped walking awhile / To see off in the horizon / The year’s last sunset

Plum blossoms in bloom / Unseasonal on New Year’s Day / Wish a good omen

Walking on the road / Once walked a long time ago / Memories well up

Hear the birds chirping / Might open the window to see / Braving the cold air

New Year holidays / Now behind in memory / Traffic jam and noise

White camellias / So white the snow shied away / Cold but sunlight bright

Eddies of fallen leaves / Sparrows fluffed up against cold / I feel the winter

Buddha on lotus / Icicles wintry ornament / Soft smile on the face

As immovable as / Buddha in meditation / Snow-capped Mt. Fuji

Sparrows scattered / What a misunderstanding / It’s crumbs that I threw

Better be careful, bird / You dropped a dropping on me / There’s a path down here

On the Palace moat / Ducks doing the duck-walk / Ice is slippery

On the Palace moat / Ducks are doing the duck-walk / Ice is slippery

In the roadside pond / Ducks diving in a hurry / Water may freeze soon

Women at crossing / Extra heavy winter clothes / Watch for kids’ safety

Waterfowls dozing / In the moat head under wing / Rocked by winter wind

Nice to wake up to / Rapid chirping of Sparrows / Don’t feel winter’s cold

In the crack of ice / A lotus blooms with fragrance / That’s how I see things

Cloudless dark blue sky / Stars twinkle in admiration / Of a huge bright moon

Starless wintry night / Sound is guidance in darkness / It comes from the core

Leaves brown and drooping / Lotuses like ghosts wintry pond / Snow softly covers

Through evergreen leaves / Winter sunlight drop shadows / Dancing on the ground

Leafless gingko trees / Thrust into the wintry sky / White dotted by birds

Second-hand book sales / On the sidewalk leaves falling / Wind flipping pages

Against wintry breeze / A crow sits on a tree branch / With calm dignity

Tiny narcissi / Bloom with fragrance in the cold / Don’t seem tough but tough

Air still wintry cold / But prodded by soft sunlight / Buds appear shyly

Snow-white camellias / Wait for their friends in full bloom / Little snow fall so far

Tiny woodpeckers / Never seen them in this park / Forced out of home woods?

Evergreen leaves shine / In the thin wintry sunlight / The sign of spring warmth

On a snowy night / Only my footprints behind / Street lights, flakes flicker

Migratory ducks / A long journey soon ahead / Bobbing and diving

Behind the white clouds / The sun weak to warm the ground / Twigs wait to turn green

White plum in full bloom / Soseki wrote and died here / Petals circle in soft wind

Sidewalk spring sunlight / Willows bow twigs in deep thought / Winds carry world news

A flock of sparrows / Occupies a roadside tree / Discussing the world

Shadows of street trees / On the sidewalk spring sunlight / A crow has landed

Wintry wind today / Motor traffics sound faster / To escape the cold

Two plums red and white / In full bloom amid forecast / Of heavy snow falls

Windowsill crowded / With potted mini roses / Braving snow blooming

Wet snow flakes heavy / Basho leaves bent to the ground / Waiting immovable

Over lands and seas / The voice of jubilant people / Sent joy here to share

Spring wind caresses / The park lawn yard kids toddling / Mothers watch cross-armed

Residual snow / On the roadside flowerbed / Befriends crocuses

The moon almost round / Looks shy in the starless sky / Shopping streets too bright

Sunlight that of spring / Piles of snow left on the curb / Struggling to survive

Seagulls in downtown / Miles away from the seashore / Hope no trouble at sea

Spring sunlight winds cold / Camellias deep into the bushes / Shyly peeking out

Spring winds violent / Park trees dancing like crazy / Birds trying to perch

Atop a street tree / A crow sits with its eyes open / To watch far ahead

Snow still on the ground / But I see and smell lilacs / Travel through time and space

Ready to explode / Into mountains of blossoms / Buds on cherry trees

On the moat ducks float / Soon to embark on flight home / Quietly resting

Narrow path through park / Manmade stream water poured in / Waits for spring flowers

Powerful spring sunlight / Breaks open the buds and love / For the world’s new start

Behind a street tree / A dandelion why hide? / Beautiful yellow

Winds of early spring / Rage to blow off plum blossoms / Cherry trees waiting

Rain changed to snow / This was not in the forecast / Crows are complaining

A hot cup of tea / By a stove cold rain outside / Pelting is music

Snow white camellias / So conspicuous in the bush / Yet very quiet

Winter’s cold squatting / Flowers have schedules to keep / March and spring is here

In the shade of woods / White plum blossoms in bright bloom / Nectar attracts birds

Spring wind made me walk / A long way ‘round to get home / Still feel time wasted

Sparrows are at war / They woke me up this morning / Their battlefield peaceful sun

Birds’ calls in the hills / Travel lilting and echoing / Path through woods fragrant

Sun bright but air cold / Stragglers of the winter wind / Shiver with street trees

Crocus sticking up / Buds coming out on roses / Off a train to walk

Arrows of sunlight / Leafless gingkoes defenseless / Buds moving to shield

After an earthquake / Sit in a mess of strewn books / Thinking of reading

Cascade of spring light / The resurrection of the earth / May life be reborn

Camellias quiet / Teach the power of the smile / That words cannot match

Looking for dry noodles / A half-lit supermarket / Post-earthquake shopping

The moat no ducks seen / Must have flown back home in north / To their safe places

In March winter’s wind / Ladies mask faces with scarves / Roll eyes right and left

How can sparrows care / About the troubles on the ground? / None of their concern

Wind bitterly cold / Unusual for the season / Hope spring not forgotten

Tides of hordes of people / Flood commuter train stations / Inland tsunami

Power cuts for saving / Lighting dimmed in shopping streets / Moon brighter more stars

Clouds puff in the sky / Figures overlap on blue / Many washed away

Waxes to round and bright / Lighten the devastated earth / Mercy of Nature

Waxed to round and bright / Lighten the devastated earth / Mercy of Nature

Cherry buds growing / Think of the devastation / Silence dominates

Large yellow daffodils / Their heads drooping in cold rain / Look sympathetic

After 9.11 / 3.11 changes the world / To which direction?

After 9.11 / 3.11 changes the world / IN which direction?

Wind of winter’s cold / Plum blossoms that opened can’t close / Shivering beauty

In the park walk-path / Birds fly and sing innocent / So I walk alone

Mother arms folded / Her child immersed in its play / Park yard grass grows green

Smile on people’s faces / Warmth of sunlight in cold wind / Walk, cry is over

Icy cold hands numb / Plum blossoms gleam in sunlight / Don’t seem to complain

Full bloom magnolia / Big and pink in the blue sky / Nature still with us

Early spring sunlight / Shines with soft warmth in cold air / Mother’s smile for child

Cherry blossoms bloom / Ants began digging their nests / It’s spring as scheduled

Rapid flow of stream / Meanders though the park yard / Vast meadows for kids

Cherry blossoms bloom / In cold air pity to see / Don’t feel like wining

Why bloom so shyly / Bright and pure yellow yields power / Small dandelions

Blossoms on sidewalk / Dropped by sparrows stealing nectar / Need more buds to open

Cherries in full bloom / Still cold but April and spring / A crow scattered petals

Vying for beauty / Blossoms of many colors / In still cold April

Bright dandelions / So small lie flat on the ground / Tried to lift them up

Still winter-like wind / Violent ground shakes may have scared / Spring away from here

Fluffy pink blossoms / Against the white cloudy sky / Depict Zen beauty

Mountains of blossoms / Branches and twigs hidden unseen / Birds flew out, petals spread

Lilting of bird calls / Cherries burst into flowers / May th’ beauty spread strength

Instead of yellow / White oil seed flowers dominate / The moat banks this year

Tiny white flowers / Wherever I walk I see / Alike but unique

I have the feeling / Of the flowers talking to me / At least watching me

Spring wind makes patterns / On the pink carpet of petals / Blown off on the moat

Cherry trees turned green / Babies toddle on the park yard / Grass is soft carpet

Wild flowers attractive / Something must be in common / Nature as it is

I am left alone / To be with other alones / Dream time is over

For power saving / Water flows in park brooks stopped / I’ve long been deceived

The soft spring park lawn / Dandelions demanding / The right to exist

A willow cherry / Firmly in full bloom alone / The pink shines stronger

Dinner in candlelight / Reunion with old friends / Their smiles deepened by wrinkles

Cold, warm back and forth / I saw peonies today / Things must move forward

Thought no one around / An enormous peony / Kept me company

Sudden rain and north wind / Coldest spring I’ve ever known / Blossoms shivering

What’s left of blossoms / On the cherry trees cold spring / Pink firmly retained

Group by group they spread / Dandelions on the lawn / I feel beautiful

Urged to see old friend / Irresistible bought ticket / Train goes so slowly

Old ninja district / Took me hours to walk a mile / Flowers on fences morph

Already May wind / Jacket off for a long walk / Joy for no reason

Gorgeous ornament / Pink and red azaleas / Wish they had fragrance

Deep in noiseless night / Send a message by the stars / Make them twinkle my words

Misty rain of May / Gently waters hydrangeas / While they change colors

I love rain in May / So gentle I’d rather go wet / Hydrangeas-lined path

Welcome back swallows / Hope you’ll catch lots of insects / Out of soft May rain

Flowers dominate / The month of May in soft rains / Colors without noise

Shopping street downtown / The sun sets in the reddened sky / Like the countryside

At a blow of wind / Dandelion seed balls / Spread life all over

Warm then cold with rain / Unpredictable nowadays / Birds sing as they want

Float in the blue sky / Cotton seeds of dandelion / Spread life and beauty

Along the sidewalk / Bushes plastered with flowers / Why not hummingbirds

A lone crow ascends / Between buildings evening dusk / Must be a straggler

A dot of a crow / Speeding in the vast blue sky / No group to catch up

Swallows just arrived / Dashing like arrows in rain / Have no time to rest

Made feel it wasteful / Bright yellow chrysanthemums / To leave them outside

Countless hydrangeas / Along the road like queuing / For rations of rain

Utter no complaints / Dandelions bloom to suit / Whatever around

No harm intended / How come the birds fly away / I walk on alone

Sound of rain and wind / I gather them into words / Endless amusement

Early summer rain / Warm and cool hydrangeas love / Purple, blue, pinkish balls

Used to be through woods / Now a walk between houses / And small flower patches

Still and walking flowers / Along the sidewalk downtown / They watch each other

Mother’s angry face / Her boy’s crying in the street / She stands, smiles and waits

Dashing like arrows / Through the misty rain of May / Swallows are busy

To their full extent / Bloom in early summer’s rain / Flowers bright in the mist

Typhoon aftermath / Broken twigs rolling on the road / Got no place to go

The frog can’t decide / Whether or not to jump in / June but the pond’s cold

June but rain is cold / Doesn’t matter for hydrangeas / Lining the sidewalk

Dandelion seeds / All flew up into the sky / Mother stems remain

In the park I saw / Flowers I know not the names of / Floral immigrants

Dragonflies came back / On the same old park fish pond / Now wait for lotus

Early summer rain / Makes park woods lush and fragrant / Path quiet for walk

A skinny sparrow / Ran and hid under a bush / Big ones flew away

Birds must be in dream / Rustle of leaves in the moon light / Shadows on the rocks

So many molehills / Enough to make a mountain / Park keepers busy

Dandelions grew / In the cracks of parking lot / The same bright yellow

Dandelion seeds / Hang gliders on the park lawn / Wish them good landing

Tiny white flowers / Planted or just weeds can’t tell / Bees come all the same

Butterflies flutter / Park walk path through the thicket / They are guiding me

Dragonflies midair / Shiny wings rainbow colors / Fast flight spot to spot

Crows perch on street trees / Cold rain in early summer / Caw and tip their heads

Low radiation / Said safe but mothers worried / Their kids have future

Gardenias are here / The flowers gleaming in June rain / Fragrance yet to come

June rain cosmetics / For the gardenias just bloomed / Delicate fragrance

Guided by fragrance / Sidewalk lined by gardenias / World of new senses

Sun-baked lawn one tree / People and pigeons in the shade / Together in peace

Waking at sunlight / Rapid chirping of sparrows / A dream slipped away

Huge morning glories / Climbing up over the gate / To watch guests go by

Dragonflies midair / Landed to rest with wings drooped / Like friendly salute

Two cut gardenias / Gift from a little girl next door / Fragrance fills the house

An elegant gleam / A gardenia in her hair / Matches her soft smile

Under a street tree / A bench flanked by gardenias / I rested too long

To a lotus pond / A cool tunnel through the shrine woods / Carps wait with mouths open

Thunder from afar / Rustling of tree leaves close by / Waiting for cool rain

Rain on lotuses / Obedient moves of the petals / Like greeting with smile

One gardenia tree / Small space between house and road / Fragrance fills the air

Walk farther around / Sidewalk lined by gardenias / Flowers smile at dusk

A sudden sound of splash / A lotus slightly swaying / A red carp beneath

A park’s manmade stream / For kids a water meadow / Mothers sit and chat

Rainy season over / High humidity and heat / At least starts twinkle

Over and over / Morning glory brings out seeds / Same face every year

Sunrise to sunset / Morning glories life is short / Seeds pass on beauty

Pigeons on sidewalk / Made lazy by summer’s heat / Refuse to give way

A cicada’s trill / Heralding a commotion / Throughout the summer

Fat colorful carps / Dragonflies are mesmerized / The temple lotus pond

Dragonflies midair / One is chasing another / Over lotuses

Sparrows in and out / Rapidly out of the bushes / Typhoon is coming

Typhoon rain pelting / Not a soul in the park lawn / Woods cicadas’ land

White and delicate / Nadeshiko blossoms withstand / Typhoon winds and rains

Lonely walk at night / Scent of lily in the air / Perfume of darkness

Ticklish lotuses / Made laugh by big fat old carps / Swimming through the stalks

A drone fly floating / So many flowers it’s hard / To make up its mind

Cicadas chirping / Sparrows trill in the morning / Summer concert opened

Faint cicada trills / Lazy summer afternoon / All things far away

Early morning walk / Hurried to the old castle moat / Lotuses pink spots

Lotuses blooming / From two-thousand-year-old seeds / Waft Buddha’s fragrance

Humid summer night / Breeze through lush tree leaves sways curtain / Room filled with your scent

Dragonflies midair / I sit on a park lawn bench / Watching each other

A brook through park woods / Water flows like uttering / Though no one listening

No destination / Out for driving for driving / Enjoy thoughtless thought

Walk walk and walk on / Walking hast it in itself / That we seek to know

The sound of a brook / Accompanies cicadas / Shyly from behind

Cicadas’ chirping / Dominates the park yard and woods / Tranquil still maintained

Cicadas’ chirping / Dominates the park yard and woods / Tranquil still remains

Cool path through park woods / Cicadas’ chirping music / Strange tranquil in heart

Girl in yukata / Holding his arm smile no word / Hours yet for fireworks

A crow on the roof / Calmly in meditation / In thunders and rain

Fallen cicadas strewn / The path winding through the park / Summer is over

A crow watches me / From the top of an oak tree / Seems to want to talk

Cicadas crying / The sun scorches the pavement / There were trees last year

Kids learn from adults / Adults loot and kids will follow / Taste never forgotten

Scarlet dragonflies / Bring autumn to the park yard / Kids chase them to catch

Park lawn undulates / Kids proud of toddling higher / Scaring grasshoppers

Draught of autumn air / Time for orchestra of bugs / Bell crickets tuning

Cicadas’ cry far / Late summer afternoon nap / The time disappeared

Summer’s blue no cloud / Cicadas’ cries different / Wailing for war dead

Sweet oleanders / Full bloom when the war ended / Flowers heavy again

Summer’s heat lingers / Fallen cicadas on park path / Ants in procession

Dragonflies hover / Trying to rest on grass leaves / Autumn breeze hindrance

Autumn blows cool air / Or the breeze brings autumn here? / Cicadas falling

Farewell to summer / Torrential rain and thunder / Joyful smile of leaves

Cicadas appeal / Autumn no end of their life / Will be back to trill

Chirping or singing / Lamenting is more like it / Cicadas in town

Bell crickets ringing / In the same spot as last year / To start a new round

Dragonflies chase me / Come to perch on my shoulder / Walk with me awhile

Cicadas falling / Crickets take over singing / Autumn deep in thought

A brook of water / Runs lonely through the park yard / Till crows come to bathe

Cool rain of autumn / Monotonous sound perfect / For a calm tea time

The shadow of trees / The moon behind sends message / To a soul that hears

Clouds flow as they do / Trees sway also as they do / By winds yet feel free

Squeezing out last cry / Cicadas’ chirping robust / Keeps autumn at bay

Warm teacup in hands / My favorite aroma / Nothing more to want

Summer heat lingers / So do stubborn cicadas / Bell crickets waiting

Coolness on the skin / This morning has brought autumn / Lotuses shiver

Hateful September 1 / Marked end of school vacation / Now sweet memory

Typhoon is coming / Warning by the sway of trees / Cicadas all gone

Cool, crisp and pleasant / Walked round again and again / Department store floor

Loaches or goldfish / They don’t care the difference / Only we see it

Straggler cicadas / Chirping in vain to catch up / Autumn breeze starting

Fumes in autumn breeze / Smells yet still cool and pleasant / Joy of human life

Summer is over / Some cicadas reluctant / To go where they must

I confess to you / The stone is imitation / But my love is not

Tall grass drooping brown / Bell crickets tuning their wings / For an autumn moon

Why silent crickets / Three-eleven or nine-eleven / The moon needs your trills

Summer heat lingers / Fear the autumn full moon marred / Crickets not chirping

From abroad afar / Remember the Nine-eleven / Deaths of too many

Scarlet dragonflies / Errands of autumn forgot / To carry cool breeze

A snake watching me / A patch of grass middle of town / Long but thin, pity

Mid-autumn full moon / Waning in lingering heat / Still Queen of night sky

Moon still bright enough / Too hot and humid for tea / But fragrance calming

Crickets stridulate / Noise to some, music to me / In the rustle of leaves

Many autumn bugs / Chirping somewhere in the grass / Like musical seek and hide

Who planted cosmos / Between the road and sidewalk / Small but nature’s power

Talk, talk, talk and laugh / So nice to meet with old friends / Passed autumn midnight

Cool autumn air here / Last night’s summer heat forgotten / Obedient mind

Sound of rain and winds / Brought by a major typhoon / Think of Noah’s ark

Typhoon aftermath / So many nuts on the ground / Some eaten others’ll grow

Smell of gingko nuts / Crushed along the park stream / Crickets in fallen leaves

Scarlet dragonflies / In the cool of autumn breeze / Whole world is now theirs

Quiet temple walk path / Mixture of acorns and pebbles / Trees hear the bell sound

The temple pond dirty / The lotus flowers all gone / Needs a frog to jump

When leaves start falling / Tea begins to taste better / Cool air deepens thought

Birds in the air know / It’s their business to fly / Worms wait in the trees

A stick of incense / Thin smoke rises at gravestone / Deceased remembered

I said it’s a frog / But friends tell me it’s a toad / Wonder if it cares

Drove out to meet friends / Out of town still many cars / Sun setting ahead

Gingko nuts scattered / On the sidewalk and all crushed / Nourishment wasted

Cool and clear autumn / Gingko trees turning yellow / After shedding nuts

Cool breeze dance through trees / Letting leaves fall to carpet / The promenade path

Don’t fly away, birds / Leaves to hide behind falling / That’s how autumn is

Scarcely any people / Brown leaves rolling on the lawn / The park at sundown

I wish I could send / The scent from fragrant olives / To friends I haven’t met

Made me stop walking / This remarkable resemblance / Roadside cosmos smiled

Downtown roadside trees / Birds practicing freedom of speech / Scaring off brown leaves

From the cracks of clouds / Long rays shed on persimmons / Hint of winter winds

A lone brown maple leaf / Fell twirling to the garden pond / Carps came, turned away

Main Street full of people / Raising placards and shouting / Crows watch from power cable

Dragonflies floating / In the air while autumn lasts / Right wind’ll go away

Autumn warm like spring / Cherry blossoms everywhere / Opening and blushing

Young girls gathering / Baked sweet potato vendor / Fallen leaf on gray head

Birds flock for a feast / On persimmon trees fruits ripe / No leaves to bother

She stands in park woods / Trying to catch falling leaves / With a smile at sky

Opened my car window / To hear the rustle of fallen leaves / Racing on the road

Running on the road / Fallen leaves are now free from trees / Jumping and laughing

Sparrows’ rapid trills / Dark autumn through the window / They know world changes

A well-swept sidewalk / Decorated by fallen leaves / Re-designed by breeze

Why honk from behind / Just traffic jam, not gridlock / Watch the leaves falling

Growth of trees at rest / Leaves falling their work done / The life will go on

Falling leaves prickly / On cheeks, lips but not on eyes / So I see them flirt

Bright autumn sunlight / Sparrows’ chirping at high pitch / Both outside window

Don’t mean to complain / Birds have their own reason to chirp / But they woke me up

Love cool autumn breeze / So do the roadside cosmos / Orange still intact

Birds in autumn trees / Looks like dressed in amber leaves / Feasting on ripe fruits

The first winter wind / Down from the northern forests / Leaves running away

The bench in the park / Alone in the winter wind / Sat by amber leaves

The words of beauty / Behind the back of my mind / Today’s autumn sky

Long autumn shadows / Birds pecking at persimmons / By a thatched farm house

Brown leaves on the fence / What’s left of morning glories / Caressed by soft breeze

Fallen leaves on the road / Rolling and skidding racing / Winter wind chasing

She opens the window / Serenaded by little birds / Her smile soft sunlight

Evening darkness falls / Flock of sparrows on a tree / Chirping for roll-calls

Fallen leaves piling up / Birds kick around foraging / They know it’s winter

Slow line of vehicles / I’m one of them making it / Fallen leaves passing by

Cold winter drizzling / Droplets from the eaves lonely / Not a bird around

Black clouds hang ahead / Over the lining street trees / Walking’s still pleasure

Sun from cracks of clouds / Always hope in the morning / Birds accompany

Dancing of shadows / Soft sunlight on the eyelids / Through leaves still on twigs

White camellias / Here again in the same place / Another winter

On the dark green bush / Variety of camellias / Invite birds to play

Many camellias / Calmly blooming in the cold / Slight shiver with birds

Wet coloring leaves / Maple trees look proud in the rain / Gives warmth in the cold

Fallen leaves piling up / No two are same in color / All unique like us

Rustle of the park woods / Confetti of color leaves / Forecast snow’s coming

Ducks in the temple pond / Just arrived for wintering / Dozing in gentle rock

Enjoy traffic jam / Attention focused on now / Best meditation

Slowly falling leaves / Carry message of winter / Conveyed by gesture

Windowsill farming / Parsley enjoy the sunshine / Watching leaves falling

Bright as the sunlight / Little yellow chrysanthemums / Stopped walking to watch

Leaves blown by the wind / My school day question floats up / Who decides my fate?

Shy white camellias / Hiding in the bushes yet / Conspicuous to me

The park woods few people / The light from the autumn sun / Shadows dance in winds

Rolling and sliding / Fallen leaves restless on the road / Wind their destiny

Rustle of the park woods / The time for wintry music / Birds silent to listen

In rain, sleet or snow / Quietly conspicuous / Tender camellias

Winter flowers bloom / Winds and sunlight softened through woods / For quiet sitting

Ducks safe to winter / The Imperial moat in town / Floating and dozing

Lotus leaves all brown / No place to fall in the pond / Shiver in cold wind

After wintry rain / The pavement warmly reflects / Lining Christmas lights

Wintry misty rain / No more leaves to fall from trees / People are walking fast

Winter sheds soft light / Conspicuously colored / Leaves fall glittering

Stuck on wet pavement / Once the ornament of streets / Fallen leaves now trampled on

Mild winter morning / Full of sunlight but no birds / Must be on long flight

A lone sparrow’s trills / Wish I could join in the call / Someone might answer

Straggler leaves shiver / Street trees in the winter wind / We lost much this year

Crows navigating / Narrow space between buildings / New skill developed

Teacup close to nose / Fragrance deep down to the heart / Tranquility spreads

Leaves hanging from twigs / One more blow of winter wind / Will decide their fate

The shadows of leaves / Dancing on her smiling face / A fine winter day

A fine winter day / Paths carpeted by fallen leaves / For a long pleas’nt walk

Soft sun on the moat / Wintering ducks floating still / Like getting homesick

Hanging on to twigs / A few amber leaves fight on / Against winter wind

Knell of the temple bell / Sitting by the pond to listen / Eye contact with carp

A lone falling leaf / All others are blown away / Twirling but lonely

Tell you my secret / I believe in Santa Claus / Didn’t know it myself

In the blue darkness / Of a winter night freezing / Even the light of stars

Living on credit / Same as a house built on sand / I fear winter wind

In unlit alley / White camellias’ strange glow / Like sisters of starts

Winter wind raging / Seems angry at the park woods / Some leaves hanging on

The moon in her eye / Round and clear crescent eyebrows / Stars sparkle winter sky

Against winter wind / A crow trying to fly up / Down, wings furled from cold

Opened the window / Azure sky but icy winds / Beautiful all the same

A pair of bulbuls / Every morning I scare up / Opening the window

What’s the commotion? / Sparrows chirping like at war / Cold and food is scarce

Not for foraging / Sparrows on a pile of leaves / Diving to keep warm

Never seen sparrows / Fly up so high as crows do / Live differently

New Year’s Day downtown / Subways run where Basho walked / Thoughts come uncontrolled

Small white narcissus / Inconspicuous winter flower / If not for fragrance

Quiet New Year walk / Spring sunlight in wintry woods / Could be good omen

Small chrysanthemums / Shining in the winter’s cold / Sparrows take shelter

A lone falling leaf / Danced down to my car’s windshield / For a short free ride

Winter wind ice cold / Leaves refuse to leave the twigs / Clinging together

Musing like a poet / A crow perched on a tree branch / Only to say “caw”

Pigeons foraging / The winter dirt cold and dry / Perseverance pays

A fallen leaf twirling / In the middle of crossroads / Sudden wind saved its life

Small white narcissi / Gregarious and fragrant / Winter ornament

Do we watch the moon? / Or the moon is watching us? / So bright I wonder

We aren’t only ones / Who can’t wait for the spring warmth / Hasty plums frosted

A lone tall building / Against the winter’s white sky / Lonely like living

A crow on a tree / Looks at me and tips its head / Like I’m a strange man

Red spots on bushes / Camellias in the frost cold / Each smiling at me

Sparrows like at war / In the flow of morning sun / Crazy trills yet peaceful

Park pond nearly frozen / Crows splashing in shallow part / Ideal for cold bath

A hint of spring here / Puppies don’t mind their masters / Running with toddlers

Despite the forecast / Not much snow to start shoveling / Feel a good luck guilt

Song of spring in heart / In the winter’s freezing cold / Praise the human heart

Leafless twigs dancing / Shadows on my car windshield / Fleeting performance

Cold and dark morning / Without sparrows rapid trills / Daybreak unnoticed

Snow-covered sidewalk / Someone must have walked a dog / Random-move footprints

This season’s coldest day / Slippery sidewalk people dance / Crows watch from the roof

Wonder how I look / To the crow on the high branch / Watching me head tipped

Cold night the stars bright / Icy sidewalk slippery / Yet want to walk on

Snow on the pine trees / Waiting for warm spring sunlight / So melt and go home

Frozen pile of fallen leaves / Find anything nutritious? / Sparrows foraging

Soothing tea fragrance / Warmth flows deep into belly / Glad winter’s still here

A lone camellia / Proud of its bright red color / Others fell in cold

Dry pile of fallen leaves / Sparrows foraging skinny / Walked back home for crumbs

Fallen leaves dry and warm / For the seeds held underneath / Till they sprout young leaves

A raft in the moat / Where wintering ducks sunbathe / With their heads in wings

Sparrows so early / Sounds like throwing a party / In below zero

In the room alone / Tranquility of snowfall / Warm tea so friendly

A bird I’ve not seen / May be an errand of spring / Trees soon to sprout leaves

News of mass killings / From the far side of the Earth / We watch the same moon

Walk with a full moon / The bright light so generous / Hope you take your share

Cloud like cotton blue sky / Yet the air is icy cold / Birds don’t seem to care

Another daybreak / Cold and birds sound protesting / Sunlight brings no heat

Plum blossoms blooming / They have their schedules to keep / Petals may fly with snow

Joyful trills of sparrows / Spring sunlight through winters air / The world is alive

Leafy twigs moving / Soft chirping but no bird seen / St Valentine’s day

Misty wintry rain / Warmed by talking with a friend / Of long long ago

Time for bush warblers / To come down to the town park / Plum blossoms waiting

Snow on Ginza Street / Flakes on a woman’s red coat / A fleeting design

Why so cold this year / Even birds are out of nests late / Leaves curling frosted

Wind still icy cold / But the sunlight is like spring / Made plum blossoms open

What’s the complaint, crows / It’s cold but don’t be so loud / You must take what’s given

On the humblest food / Good health and intelligence / Crows able to maintain

Diagonal fall of sleet / On the bulging plum blossoms / Spring fighting its way

Looks like a close friend / A lone sparrow on pavement / Stood still till it flew

Rain’s gone birds chirping / Rustle of tree leaves by spring breeze / Change of the world destined

Music of sunlight / Heard from the caressing breeze / Pleasant faint lyrics

After erosion / No more shingle but lonely soul / With the waves eternal

Warm and cold again / Plum blossoms can’t make up mind / Faint scent in the air

Tsunami-hit town / Cherry blossoms peeking out / Spring is on its way

The tall lone pine tree / That withstood the tsunami / Lost life but still stands

Magnolias waiting / For departure from cold winds / Spring is overdue

Snowflakes shadow dancing / On the frosted window glass / Visitors coming

Shadow of snowflakes / On the frosted window glass / Visitors coming

Drips from melting snow / The sound of approaching spring / Buds and young leaves smile

Words squirming in heart / To praise the melting of snow / Joined by sparrows trills

Girls day festival / Elegant smile of hina dolls / Peach trees in full bloom

Kids in the park lawn / Toddle like battery-powered / Spring leaves soft carpet

Cold rain but outside / Sparrows sound as usual / Felicitated

Time to wake up, frogs! / Stop hibernating and jump! / The old pond’s warm now

Dark and cold morning / Little sparrows chirp merrily / The sunlight comes through

Birds chirping somewhere / People talking somewhere away / All somewhere I’m here

Stretch to heart’s content / A new day starts with drizzling / Birds sing as usual

Snow in March like petals / Cherry blossoms yield the way / Better days will come

Spring warmth beginning / The great quake a year ago / Still haunts like air raids

Birds trilling powerful / Tired legs on a mountain path / Start climbing again

Woke up then dozed off / At early morning bird calls / Alarmed but soon soothed

Cold but time has come / Wintering ducks must fly home / Hope it’s warmer there

Winter’s cold in spring / Birds chirping noisy outside / No one is to blame

Icy cold morning / Now time for cherry blossoms / I know they can’t wait

Quiet rain in March / Wind from south brings spring weather / Reward for waiting

Spring rains on and off / Each time it stops one step up / Toward mountain of flowers

Woke up to hear birds / Wonderful light through the window / Filled with gratitude

Year’s first encounter / Dandelion in spring sun / Bright but shivering

Sunshine is of spring / Yet the wind is of winter / Hope they’ll soon unite

Trills like machine guns / Sparrows outside the window / Sound challenging me

What’s there to want more / By chirping so rapidly / The spring light’s all yours

Spring on calendar / Sparrows chasing each other / Blossoms yet to bloom

Chirping and cawing / All at once this spring morning / Sky’s blue no echo

Small but bright yellow / Power of dandelions / Beaten path ornament

Quiet of spring night / No cicadas, no crickets / Birds also at rest

Sleepy spring morning / Getting up and changing clothes / Still in bed dreaming

Tiny sparrows’ trills / Sound like cannons in spring light / Window curtains swaying

Swing open the window / For the spring light and fresh air / New life will come in

Violent spring storm / Lucky it was cold this year / Blossoms yet to open

Spring afternoon nap / Fragrance of cherry blossoms / Wafts into a dream

Cherry blossom petals / Confetti dancing midair / Children on the ground

Violent winds raging / Fatal blow to cherry blossoms / Trees swaying wailing

Rage of violent winds / Low atmospheric pressure / At least sky’s left blue

Survivors of winds / Many cherry trees in bloom / Petals dance on the crowd

Mostly unnoticed / Dandelions everywhere / Their beauty with strength

Clear sky no hindrance / For the sunlight to come through / Spring blossoms in bloom

The love of Nature / Cool air for blossoms in bloom / Keeps petals from falling

Blossoms for viewing / By the crowd but not by birds / Sucking sweet nectar

Traffic jam endless / The road lined by cherry trees / Petals on the bonnet

Beckoned by soft rain / Cherry petals begin dancing / Finale of spring

The park pond surface / Plastered pink with cherry petals / Disturbed by rowboats

Crows tipping their heads / Few petals left on cherry trees / Quiet end of spring

Warm quiet spring rain / Fallen petals spread over garden pond / Pink matches the carps

Impetuous spring / Petals fall like snow in cold wind / Oilseeds shivering

Leaves taking over / Cherry trees turning to green / Cicadas waiting

Crimson camellias / On fully opening they drop / Like birds fly away

Park in the suburbs / Birds calls lilt out far and wide / Answered by echoes

Nuclear crisis street / Cherry blossoms in full bloom / Only birds to see

Must be life at stake / Sparrows fighting over worms / Somehow I’m made smile

Nobody promised / That April would come with warmth / But still I feel fooled

Soft yellow oilseeds / Wave in breeze over the field / Picnics kids wade through

Misty rain of spring / Feels good without umbrella / Scent wafts from young leaves

The well raked park lawn / Met a lone dandelion / May it multiply

Look so small this year / Gregarious dandelions / Increase explosive

A path to the temple / Meandering through the woods / Guided by bird calls

Scent of grass wafting / On the field trampled by hikers / Soon to be beaten path

Pink azaleas / Densely blooming on the bush / Vying for sunlight

Something crossed sidewalk / Swallow’s flight like an arrow / Back to raise their chicks

Bright yellow oil seeds / Waft scent into auto fumes / Downtown palace moat

All looking at me / Azaleas lining the street / May’s sunlight blessing

Azaleas shaking / Rain and wind without mercy / May’s sunshine not yet

Quiet rain of May / Pleasant to stay in the room / Joined by sparrows’ trills

Meandering path / The moon appears now and then / Darkness in-between

Moist in morning dew / Leaves in shiny ornament / Reflecting sunlight

Still dark but hear birds / Sound of spring rain on the eaves / Reciting poems

Fragrance of summer / Sprayed by young leaves on the trees / Sparkling after rain

Sea of azaleas / She buries her face awhile / In search of a scent

Pink azaleas / On bushes irresistible / Honey bees came back

No wintering ducks / The moat surface not a ripple / Lonely lotus leaves

One year since the quake / Dandelions and oil seeds / Nature revives first

A long wait at stoplight / Kids wave in rearview mirror / From a car behind

Don’t sound like sparrows / Trills for love not fight for worms / Must be the season

A sturdy tree branch / The throne of a glaring crow / The tight grip of claws

Heavy rain forecast / Kept me stay inside all day long / Sparrows sound laughing

Longer summer day / Sun still shines after supper / Sparrows keep chirping

Will never use them / Smart phones designed for old people / It sounds like foolproof

Clear sky sudden thunders / Sound of rain pelting the eaves / Fragrance from young leaves

Like girls side-glancing / Shy green of young leaves fragrant / Soft sunlight of May

Music with fragrance / Birds and young leaves in the woods / All stretch together

Temple pond summer light / Lotuses about to bloom / Sway prodded by carp

Rain and sparrows trills / Accompanying each other / Tree leaves applauding