haiku

My friends Izak and Angela sent me a copy of their book, recently published under the name of Go To the Pine: Poetry in Japanese Style (Bouwer & Sumegi, 2009). You can read the synopsis and learn a bit about my friends here, at BuschekBooks. It is a beautiful book, and it inspired me to write the following. I have no idea if I've followed all the rules of haiku; for proper poetry I suggest you see my friends' book. "Go to the pine" - which comes from the Japanese saying translated as "Go to the pine if you want to learn about the pine" - applies well here!

Hats off and many thanks, Izak and Angela. Your poetry is wonderful.

Here is mine:

bright afternoon moon
proud above cemetery
her light not her own

father-in-law's corpse
rotting and teeming below
his life not his own

from my mother's womb
to chasing and nursing kids
body not my own

from life to life
vagabond thoughts or stillness
mind's great perfection