Saturday, December 12, 2015

Haiku--By John McDonald--Scotland

the old man
leans on his brush -
one last leaf to fall
_______________

a little mouse -
scratching scratching
a hole in my sleep
_______________

snowman -
for crow a gift:
carrot eyes
_______________

stealing
squirrel's nuts
...homeless and hungry
_______________

surely seen
from space:
Earth's candles for the dead
_______________

John McDonald is a retired stone-mason who came to haiku in the mid-nineties. He fell in love with the genre immediately. Being a writer in the Scots language this genre fitted so well with Scots: a language steeped in rural life and having a natural succinctness to it. John has his own blog in Scots, with English versions: http://zenspeug.blogspot.com  He enjoys being involved in translations, working with the very fine Irish poet Gabriel Rosenstock on various ventures, the most recent being translations into Irish and Scots of the great haiku poet Buson: Moon over Tagoto and has appeared in many anthologies.

4 comments:

  1. John, I especially like the one about the nuts and the homeless and hungry..Sara

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  2. Yes, that was a good one, Sara. I also especially liked the little mouse, scratching, scratching a hole in my sleep.
    Thanks so much, John.

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  3. John...some wonderful Aha moments in your haiku! Mele Kalikimaka! Aloha, Connie

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  4. Enjoyed this delightful string of haiku, John, especially the first one. Regards // paul

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