Simply Haiku: A Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry
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Winter 2006, vol 4 no 4

SENRYU
Edited by Alan Pizzarelli

 

 

saturday night dinner —
the guests all-consumed
with their own stories

Kala Ramesh

 

now that he's home
with his university degree
he serves French soup

Michael McClintock

 

discussing
the rescued duck
as we eat yakitori

Keiko Izawa

 

oil and vinegar —
again he completes
my sentence

Angelika Wienert

 

baking tiramisu
he leaves all the bills
on the counter

Ariel Lambert

 

The step-child visits.
       Poking her food,
"What's this stuff?"

Anita Virgil

 

tragic tv drama…
his tears as he
eats wasabi beans

Keiko Izawa

 

No one touches them —
the cleaning lady's
homemade chocolates.

Alexis Rotella

 

mouth watering —
Pavlov's pizza
rings the bell

Carol Raisfeld

 

Sunday brunch
his eyes on the crumb
kissing her cleavage

Carol Raisfeld

 

fondue party
photograph —
"say cheese!"

Brian Pastoor

 

a hungry clock —
going back
four seconds

Michael McClintock

 

seconds!
all the kayakers
lurch toward the cook pot

Marlene Egger

 

Lunch with an old friend —
her facelift
between us.

Alexis Rotella

 

Today's Special
is the "Dolly Parton":
two large breasts of chicken

Alan Pizzarelli

 

at the health food restaurant
a cockroach shares our
seaweed soup

Steve Dalachinsky

 

dishwasher explains
how good sauce is made —
the chef's smile

Denis M. Garrison

 

"Dance, snail dance!
Or you're escargot!"
Shouts the chef.

Alan Pizzarelli

 

Overweight
slowly pushing the cart
through frozen desserts

Garry Gay

 

boiled cabbage
    eaten hours ago
but still with us

Michael McClintock

 


Credits:

"now that he's home" from American Tanka, Spring issue, copyright © 2000 by Michael McClintock; by permission of the author.

"The step-child visits" from One Potato, Two Potato Etc., Peaks Press, copyright © 1991 by Anita Virgil; by permission of the author.

"Lunch with an old friend" from Looking For A Prince, White Peony Press, copyright © 1991 by Alexis Rotella; by permission of the author.

"Today's Special" and "Dance, snail dance!" from Senryu Magazine — out to lunch, River Willow Publications, copyright © 2001 by Alan Pizzarelli; by permission of the author.

"Overweight" from Fig Newtons -- Senryu to Go, Michael Dylan Welch, Editor, Press Here, copyright 1993 by Garry Gay; by permission of the author.

"boiled cabbage" from Clouds Peak No. 1, copyright © 2006 by Michael McClintock; by permission of the author.


 

 

dishes done
the butcher's wife devouring
True Romances

John Wills

 

going through the tunnel
the girl looks at her reflection
so do I

Cor van den Heuvel

 

he smiles, she blushes
with leashes entangled
her dog sniffs his dog

Bob Brill

 

on a date
the actress
still acting

Alan Pizzarelli

 

"This tea has wonderful body,"
he says,
touching my knee.

Alexis Rotella

 

First kiss —
it lands
on his nose.

Alexis Rotella

 

stalled elevator —
alone, they push
each other's buttons

Carol Raisfeld

 

Sunday tryst —
her silk panties
read Monday

Carol Raisfeld

 

Stuck for paper,
I write this short love poem
on her bum.

John Hawkhead

 

I love you she said
forever and forever
and he said ditto

Bob Brill

 

their first quarrel
ended
in bed

Jörgen Johansson

 

Seeing right through
my seduction plan —
the pretty x-ray technician

Jesse McGowen

 

spurned by my friend
the amorous woman
turns to me

Shane Bartlett

 

empty perfume bottle--
with men I have
no luck

Brynne McAdoo

 

darkened bar —
a businessman
spins his wedding ring

Michelle Keener

 

married man
can't be my lover —
prick of the cactus blooming

Brynne McAdoo

 

all her promises
gone
by the 2nd drink

Roberta Beary

 

After marrying Mr. Right,
she discovers his first name is
"Always."

M. Kei

 

Lamaze class —
she reminds her husband
to breathe

Jesse McGowen

 

birthday —
as usual he remembers it
after I begin to sulk

Kala Ramesh

 

Forty-five today,
special treat in the bedroom —
second cup of tea.

John Hawkhead

 

discussing divorce
she tightens
the choke collar

Roberta Beary

 

twenty years later
after our surprised hellos
we tried to find words

Jianqing Zheng

 

an aging blonde
paints her lips red —
last call

Michelle Keener

 


Credits:

"dishes done", from mountain, Qual-Tech Publishing, copyright © 1993 by John Wills. [Note: This is the third of three senryu that John Wills (1921 - 1993) submitted to me when I was editor of the Senryu Series for the Haiku Canada Newsletter from 1989 to 1992. As my editorship ended before I could include them in the Senryu Series, they are here published in Simply Haiku. Every effort has been made to obtain additional permission from the grantors; the editor would be pleased to hear from the copyright holders not acknowledged].

"going through the tunnel" from the sequence The Wooden Indian, first appeared in Cicada, copyright © 1980 by Cor van den Heuvel.

"This tea has wonderful body" and "first kiss" from from Looking For A Prince, White Peony Press, copyright © 1991 by Alexis Rotella; by permission of the author.

"on a date" from Senryu Magazine — out to lunch, River Willow, copyright © 2001 by Alan Pizzarelli; by permission of the author.