Saturday, September 20, 2014

Haiku/Senryu--By Robert Epstein--United States

spilling into
Macy’s Men’s Dept.
3 robed monks
_______________

not only
3,000 miles between us
mom's dementia
_______________

butterfly
iris
my
ears
are
wings
_______________

on a park bench
a stranger shares
her love of God
_______________

there
among the treetops
the poem’s ending
_______________

Robert Epstein is a licensed psychologist who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has edited several anthologies: The Breath of Surrender: A Collection of Recovery-Oriented Haiku; Dreams Wander On: Contemporary Poems of Death Awareness; and The Temple Bell Stops: Contemporary Poems of Grief, Loss and Change; as well as two books of haiku: Checkout Time is Noon: Death Awareness Haiku; and A Walk Around Spring Lake: Haiku.  He is currently editing another anthology, The Sacred in Contemporary Haiku, due to be released in 2014.

6 comments:

  1. Well defined points made in these strongly constructed words. A joy to read, too! Sheri

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  2. That second haiku was very poignant.
    Maureen Sudlow

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  3. Robert, I can sure relate to that second haiku. That explains exactly my dilemma of not knowing how to describe the chasm that existed between my mother and myself. The only possible bridge was praying for and developing patience, kindness, love, hope, trust and a host of other virtues I learned to develop in the three years I cared for her before her death. Thank you for sharing your talent in the whole of this well written haiku/senryu.
    .Charlene

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  4. Hi Robert. Love the haiku, especially the 4th one. Thanks for sharing and continued blessings!

    -MJ (www.tgbtgpublictions.com)

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  5. This is a lovely set of haiku, Robert.....the end one being the icing on the cake! Well done. // paul

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