Butterfly Dream: Mountain Pass Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

mountain pass

headlights on the edge

of a thunderhead

                    

First Prize, 2006 Porad Award   

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

山隘

車頭燈照射

在雷雨雲邊緣

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

山隘

车头灯照射

在雷雨云边缘

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America. 

Butterfly Dream: Christmas Morning Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

Christmas morning

toys on his windowsill

wrapped in sunrise

World Haiku Review, 2:2, July 2002

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

聖誕節早晨

窗台上擺著玩具

沐浴在日出的陽光

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

圣诞节早晨

窗台上摆着玩具

沐浴在日出的阳光

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America. 

Butterfly Dream: Latte Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

late again 

the thickening skin 

on her latte

getting on, 2021

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

又遲到了

她的拿鐵咖啡上

增厚的泡沫皮

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

又迟到了

她的拿铁咖啡上

增厚的泡沫皮

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America. 

Butterfly Dream: No-Man's Land Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

no-man’s land 

the rattle of a troop train 

returning empty 

A Glimpse of Red, 2000

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

無敵方的戰地

返程空的軍用火車

的嘎嘎聲

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

无敌方的战地

返程空的军用火车

的嘎嘎声

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America. 

Butterfly Dream: Hurricane Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

hurricane

the taste of rain

from a barrel

Third Prize, 2007 Porad haiku Award

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

颶風

從一個水桶中舀起

的雨的味道

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

飓风

从一个水桶中舀起

的雨的味道

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America. 

Poetic Musings: Hurricane Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

hurricane

the taste of rain

from a barrel

Third Prize, 2007 Porad haiku Award

                            

Ernest J. Berry

Commentary: L1 sets the stage for a wide and rich range of emotions, including dread at the thought of one's house taking the brunt of a hurricane's winds or being damaged beyond repair by fast-moving floodwater, or even worse, of one's loved ones being injured. Then, just as these worries take over the periphery of the reader's thoughts, Ls 2&3, show something seemingly trivial, something that the narrator may taste everyday, but which today has a different flavor, a bit of a metallic edge to it, that the narrator hasn't sensed before.

What's left unsaid is at least as potent as what's said. This well-crafted haiku reminds me of the following remark by Bob Spiess: a multi-sensory haiku is likely a better haiku than others. 

Butterfly Dream: Mother's Parasol Haiku by Ernest J. Berry

English Original

mother’s parasol

I unfold the dust

of other summers

Dust of Summers, 2007

Ernest J. Berry

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

媽媽的陽傘

我攤開過去夏日

的塵埃

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

妈妈的阳伞

我摊开过去夏日

的尘埃

Bio Sketch

Ernest J. Berry was born in 1929 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After a decade of shepherding, he spent several years in business before retiring to a beach in Mexico where he rediscovered his boyhood love of poetry. He un-retired in 1993 and settled in Picton. After founding Picton Poets in 1994, he started teaching haiku in workshops, secondary schools  and haiku meetings. Two of his haiku books were honoured with Merit Book Awards from The Haiku Society of America.