change of shift
children serenading me
as I waken

Upper, right panel reads:
still old water
elephant ears
cradle raindrops.

power lines

power lines beneath summer clouds children play

words & photo © gerald england, 2007

prompted by the "feathered friends" theme at one deep breath

another photograph of this sculpture can be seen at Ackworth born, gone West

summer rain...

may december romance

severed too quickly

moving back and forth
to stay in the shade
in this hot day
unable to ignore
the motion of time

staring -
black eyes
sunflower's center

my blind neighbour
fingers each new bloom
...and smiles

startled awake
it's only thunder
blessing moon*


*one name for the August full moon

the graphite
in an overcast summer sky-
iTunes from my desktop

wedding plans-
two of my future in-laws
help me keep sane

extra innings —
the dog groans
in its sleep

teen boy bike riding –
no shoes, no hands, no helmet –
big grin

after SFH*
trenching new garden bed
to find center



after the rain
sanity washes through
the plant floor



*shift from heck

small white starred weeds
beneath the tall flowers
my aching back

windless night —
a cloud of gnats
all around me

rough shift at plant
stopping for some fresh flowers
on the way home

cats cradle
braiding her long fine hair
in humid weather

* * * *

pounding from downstairs
the handsome handyman
likes to sweat

across the leaves
a two-headed shadow -
squirrel raids the orchard

morning jaunt

finding another city park

during taxi duty

fallen petal -
brightens
a dull duck

summer sick day

looking out at the garden

wishing I could eat

silence shattered -
a snail underfoot
in the long grass

cool summer night —
I leave another voicemail
for my daughter

fireflies

river's fireflies
battery operated
bicycle lights

the day brightens
a sunflower peeps out
from behind a hollyhock

another downpour
the smell of barbecue
reminds me it's summer

SHOPPING TRIP

glory vines strangle the gate morning after

* * * *

a bright blue bottle
in the elm's shadows
rest stop

* * * *

trail of pink bubble gum patches almost home

mountain walk-
the jocondologue's
enigmatic sunglasses

tall thistles -
through their leaves
rags of blue sky

vacation planning..
finding the right someone
to tend my garden

one year on -
no tan lines on my
ring finger

Apologies for being distracted from Summer Haiku. Especially if I missed anyone's request to join. Please le t me know of anything I missed while I was away!

afternoon sun

afternoon sun
wet feet follow
the tide line

photo: steve glossin
words: mandy smith

sudden summer storm
the couch cover starts to come
with me to the window

morning task
garden bed hand dug from clay

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sudden outbreak-
I welcome the cold rain
without a raincoat

.

against the white clouds -
a swallow
anchoring my thoughts


(after Ian Hamilton Findlay:concrete poet)

we pick
sun warmed berries
the cool lake

relief...

sticky summer day
first sip of cool lemonade
my whole body goes "ah......"

after the rain
new weeds sprout in flower pots

summer afternoon
dad teaching son to mow lawn

thistle's purple bonnet -
bee's weight
tips it jauntily

after power goes out
dust dances in the sunbeams
through the plant skylights

writer-in-residence in sunny Cheap Street

While I was a writer-in-residence at the Frome Festival (U.K.) a member of staff, Jen Pickup, even wrote two haiku with me in!


Resident writer
sitting in the window shade
scribbling lines.


Noise from the stream street
Drifting in past the poet
Into the shop cool.


For more information and links: click onto Area 17

,

on city chimneys
gulls sitting -
their songs of the sea

summer torrent

summer torrent
pigeon at the bird feeder
undeterred

words & photo © gerald england, 2007

prompted by the "feathered friends" theme at one deep breath

out from a sky
of black and white clouds -
crows and gulls

'jazz on a summer's day' -
a basket full of flowers
full of bees

the child halts
in the shade of the old elm
dripping ice pop

shift from hell

arrested by jasmine fragrance

wafting into the plant

pending fireworks color cloud bottoms

soggy holiday
enjoying the fireworks
from my couch

hugging the hot stone -
a lone rose
dying of thirst

garden run

red dwarf crepe myrtle

and peach day lillies

storm warning-
inbetween poetry & coffee
that Hovis ad

Web link: six poets go to Dorset

day dawns
darkness disperses -
leaving the crows behind

summer morning -
to see such joy
wriggling through a horse