Category

Haiku

A Japanese verse form most often composed, in English versions, of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. A haiku often features an image, or a pair of images, meant to depict the essence of a specific moment in time. Read More
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  • Glossary Terms

    Haiku (or hokku)

    A Japanese verse form most often composed, in English versions, of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. A haiku often features an image, or a pair of images, meant to depict the essence of a specific moment in time.
  • Poem

    fallen leaves

    By John Brandi
    fallen leaves
    the abbot sweeps
    around them 
  • Poem

    a party

    By John Brandi
    a party
    where everyone says goodbye
    then stays
  • Poem

    scent of orange blossoms: haiku/senryu

    By Teresa Mei Chuc
    this morning
    weaving Chi in the garden
    invisible ball in my hand
     
     
    *
     
     
    Halong Bay
    battle distant memory
    smoke from Gulf of Tonkin
     
     
    *
     
     
    did the atom
    ever know its destiny
    how our hands create?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A student asked me,
    “Why do your people
    believe in dragons?”
     
     
    *
     
     
    river birch –
    undressing
    in the wind
     
     
    *
     
     
    the solid bones of...
  • Poem

    Suicide's Note

    By Langston Hughes
    The calm, 
    Cool face of the river
    Asked me for a kiss. 
  • Poem

    Useless! Useless!

    By Jack Kerouac
    Useless! Useless! 
    —heavy rain driving
    into the sea
  • Poem

    Koi

    By Jennifer Wong
    Among heart-shaped leaves
    the white fish gleams, red tail. 
    Soft lotuses sleep. 
  • Poem

    Haiku

    By Frank Lima
    I
    The lights are out
    The cats are hungry
    The room is full of gangsters

    II
    The dishes are dirty
    The icebox is empty
    I dream of celery and a compass

    III
    The roof is upstairs
    The window next door
    A guitar in the shower

    IV
    The hours disappear in my room
    Where is...
  • Poem

    [even with insects]

    By Kobayashi Issa
    Translated By Robert Hass
    Even with insects—
    some can sing,
        some can’t.
  • Poem

    [under the evening moon]

    By Kobayashi Issa
    Translated By Robert Hass
    Under the evening moon
    the snail
          is stripped to the waist.
  • Poem

    [mosquito at my ear]

    By Kobayashi Issa
    Translated By Robert Hass
    Mosquito at my ear—
    does he think
          I’m deaf?
  • Poem

    If Not for the Cat

    By Jack Prelutsky
    If not for the cat,
    And the scarcity of cheese,
    I could be content.
  • Poem

    p1

    Small Poems for Big

    By Chinaka Hodge
    when you die, i’m told
    they only use given names
    christopher wallace

    no notorious
    neither b.i.g. nor smalls
    just voletta’s son

    brooklyn resident
    hustler for loose change, loosies
    and a lil loose kim

    let me tell you this
    the west coast didn’t get you
    illest flow or nah

    had our loyalties
    no...
  • Poem

    p1

    Poem Written with Issa [“In my dream”]

    By Matthew Rohrer
    In my dream
    his voice began to fade
    I had to call him
    the next day
    I feel about average
    he said
    I’m going out
    to buy some juice
    a huge frog
    was in the driveway
    a small boat drifting
    the river flowed in silence
  • Poem

    p1

    Poem Written with Bashō [“A photograph”]

    By Matthew Rohrer
    A photograph
    on the back of a hand mirror
    resembles someone you knew
    who sang themselves utterly away.
    It cannot touch you
    or the sound of the rapids.
    Leave it, and walk farther
    crawling up my leg
    to find me all smiles
    attached to nothing.
    You and I can stay
    in...
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