Monday, October 31, 2016

Haiku jottings, Japan, Autumn 2016.

Works in progress, Tokyo.

spring behind
autumn ahead
Tokyo bound

out the airplane window
cities of clouds

out the airplane window
the Sistine Chapel


down below —
the sea has
stretchmarks

scary cloud monsters on parade
—all fluff

on the plane
I rub noses with
plumes of cloud

a lifetime of self doubt
erased
in a haiku moment

to be mid haiku
in the final moment—
ah...

forgoing the movie
in favour of
 the view

the porch light turns off
setting sun

disembarking
everyone on their screens
my pen in a notebook

night train into Tokyo
down side streets
—Bladerunner

at the hotel
the security guard and his
samurai pose

silent streets
thunder rolls
my suitcase wheels

in the city centre
a pin drops

a sudden brigade 
of see-through umbrellas
Tokyo rain

late autumn moon 
businessmen with small black bags
wind their way home

practicing his golf swing
while he waits
white umbrella

muted tones of Tokyo fashion
my red raincoat 
too red

at Zojoji temple
red wool caps warm the heads
of unborn babes

at the fish market
bright red 
SUCKERS

just one anomaly in this squeaky clean city
what's that bad smell?
oh, laughs Akira
the ginkgo tree is dropping its seeds
smell, not so good
but taste, delicious

just one bad smell in this squeaky clean city
the ginkgo tree 
dropping its seeds

night worries wake me
the ginko tree drops its seeds

anxious thoughts wake me from the dead
but what good fortune!
I am still alive

writing something
I exist

autumn rain
Tokyo streets
sirens call

dog yelping in the rain
my squeaky shoes

silent streets
autumn rains
my squeaky shoes

in the subway
Basho's skylark

from the speaker in the metro
Basho's skylark

birdsong in the subway
the Emperor's nightingale

reading Murakami on the train
a sleeping man falls 
into my lap

workmen sleep in their van
dream engine running

Tokyo Tower
you could see Mt Fuji
except for the smog

travelling again
bringing too much
then buying more
stuff

on my way to the Emperor's Palace
pull a muscle in my glute
too busy jotting
a walking haiku

no jaywalking in Tokyo city
we wait and wait 
finally green

in the business district
crows carry 
small black bags

salary men and their black bags
what's inside?
lunch?

two men up a ladder 
trim a giant
bonsai

approaching the Emperor's moat
I'm in Mandalay 

her majesty on the palace moat
a white swan

outside the closed palace gate
so many tourists, yet somehow
peace

at the Emperor's eastern gate
a Chinese tourist hums
a lively folk tune

at the eastern palace gate, a Japanese toddler sings:
London Bridge is falling down
my fair lady



the chalk sign outside the Kukyomon gate says:
the guided tours of the Imperial Palace, will not be held today
due to the other activities of the Imperial household
oh

at the next table 
eight Japanese beauties
unusually tall

in Harajuku street
how do you know if schoolgirls are really 
schoolgirls?

behind the clouds
a melon moon
the softness of Tokyo faces

two old school mates, fresh from chemo 
could be two wise monks
except for their 
jaunty hats



to be continued...