Butterfly Dream: Corner Office Haiku by Joshua St. Claire

English Original

corner office

the slow unfurling

of a plastic fern

Joshua St. Claire

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

角落辦公室

一株塑膠蕨

緩緩展開

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

角落办公室

一株塑胶蕨

缓缓展开

Bio Sketch

Joshua St. Claire is an accountant from Pennsylvania. His haiku and related poetry has appeared in Modern Haiku, Mayfly, NeverEnding Story, The Heron's Nest, and Blithe Spirit, among others. He is slowly coming to terms with being a formalist.

A Room of My Own: Late Night Shift Haiku

late night shift done

a stray’s barks lengthen

the way home

Added:

thunder and lightning

what's left between us 

half-spoken

Added:

cascading clusters, 

clusters of wisteria …

scent of sunshine

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCXCIII: "trapped echo"

the sound of drones 

in an armless boy's head

like a trapped echo

his mother's last scream 

drowns in the smoky dark

FYI: "Israel's oldest daily, Haaretz," which was was sanctioned by the Israeli government on Nov. 24, 2024

Opinion, April 24, 2026: Israelis' Thunderous Silence Enables Daily Atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank

In the Gaza Strip, the dead and wounded aren't "casualties," they are "collateral damage" – a dry technical term backed by artificial intelligence and legal permits. They aren't casualties, they are damage. Language itself has been recruited to cloud what happened, as if by swapping the terms, we could also swap our reality...

But the most chilling sound of all is silence. Israelis' thunderous silence was what enabled and continues to enable the atrocities we committed in Gaza and the ones we commit every day in the West Bank. 

This tanka could be read as a sequel to the following:

Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCXCII: "P/Crime Minister"

written on Israel's Independence Day

behind the shroud

of "our hero warriors"

the P/Crime Minister

spills the Castro-length 

blah, blah, blah on victory

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCXCIV: "fighter jets' trails"

Gazan sky tinged gray

fighter jets’ trails underline

a crescent moon

Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CCXCV: "bullets and blasts"

a hum

thickens into a roar ...

bullets and blasts

tear through brick walls and flesh

as dust and blood fill the air

Added:

makeshift clinic

a  Beirut boy blowing

on shrapnel wounds

Butterfly Dream: Time to Quit Haiku by LeRoy Gorman

English Original

time to quit

I hear the bell

before the bell

Modern Haiku, 33.2, Summer, 2002

LeRoy Gorman

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

該辭職了

在鈴聲響起之前

我聽到了鈴聲

    

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

该辞职了

在铃声响起之前

我听到了铃声

Bio Sketch

LeRoy Gorman lives in Napanee, Ontario. His poetry, much of it minimalist and visual, has appeared in publications and exhibitions worldwide. He is the author of two dozen poetry books and chapbooks. He is also the winner of the 2017 Dwarf Stars Award.

Reading More and Writing Better: Tower Cranes Tanka by Chen-ou Liu

written on Labor Day

a gray-haired worker

takes another sip of coffee

from his thermos ...

tower crane after tower crane

against the twilight skyline

FYI: This tanka is inspired by PBS's 14-minute documentary, City of Cranes, a film that "provides a unique perspective on urban construction by focusing on the lives and experiences of crane operators. The term can also metaphorically refer to cities with a high density of construction cranes, such as Toronto, which has frequently ranked highest in North America for its number of tower cranes." 

Butterfly Dream: Grandpa’s Tractor Haiku by Randy Brooks

English Original

frost covered weeds

grandpa’s tractor

cough, cough, coughs

Randy Brooks

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

凍霜覆蓋的雜草

爺爺的拖拉機

發出咳, 咳, 咳的聲音

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

冻霜覆盖的杂草

爷爷的拖拉机

发出咳, 咳, 咳的声音

Bio Sketch

Dr. Randy Brooks is Professor of English Emeritus at Millikin University where he teaches courses on haiku and tanka. He and his wife, Shirley Brooks, are publishers of Brooks Books and co-editors of Mayfly haiku magazine. His most recent books include Walking the Fence: Selected Tanka and The Art of Reading and Writing Haiku: A Reader Response Approach.

A Room of My Own: July 4th Reflection Tanka

(Added: No More Fairy Tales, XLV

written in response to ABC News, July 9 2025: Texas flooding live updates: 95 dead in Kerr County, at least 110 dead in the state

in a heat haze

blah, blah, blah with fingers

pointing at others ...

beds, comforters, sneakers

and stuffed animals caked in mud

FYI: NBC News, July 9 2025: How a confluence of extreme weather, geography and timing created Texas' flood disaster

Texas leads the country in flood deaths. Steep hills, shallow soils and a fault zone have made Hill Country, also called "flash flood alley," one of the state's most dangerous regions.

And my haiku below could be read as its sequel:

aftermath of floods

the trail of this

unnamed grief

NeverEnding Story, July 4 2024)

not down in the gutter

or high in the cirrus clouds ...

at thirty

holding a cubicle job

I stare at the fireworks-lit sky

FYI: I was reminded of the following remarks on the everyday man while writing this tanka

Every man dies. Not every man really lives. 

-- William Wallace

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. 

-- Abraham Lincoln 

Added:

the staccato 

of July 4th fireworks ...

what's left unsaid

reprinted in Asahi Haikuist Network, August 15 2025

Added:

this ever-growing

wall between who is and isn’t 

deemed worthy

of an American life ...

alone after July 4th fireworks

Added: Trump Empire, Inc, XLIV

written in response to Alligator Alcatraz: Trump's New Migrant "Holding Facility" in Florida

and for Jan. 21, 2029

caged in shadows

Trump and Trump-wannabes

wear jumpsuits

"Alligator Alcatraz: 

Make America Safe Again" [indeed!]

Added: This Brave New World, CXXIII

written in response to Elon Musk's July 5 X post: "Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom"

[New]  America

          a

        rope 

      bridge

    straddles 

the  false  dawn

FYI: Time Magazine, July 6, 2025: Musk Announces New ‘America Party Is Formed,’ Cementing Split From Trump and Republicans

“By a factor of two to one, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said via his social media platform, X, on Saturday, a day after Trump signed the bill. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

The Tesla CEO had opened a poll on July 4, Independence Day, asking his more than 220 million followers if he should create the new political party. Over 65% of the more than 1.2 million respondents voted “yes.”

Added:

I'm  alone again 

and doomscrolling in bed ..

the summer gets cold

when the day grows old 

on full blast non-stop

Poetic Musings: Shift Change Haiku by Ignatius Fay

shift change

fried chicken and exhaust

on the warm breeze

DailyHaiga, 10 January 2017

Ignatius Fay

Commentary: This is a fine example of shasei (sketch from life) haiku, infused with multi-sensorily evocative imagery (smell of fried chicken mixed with musty and smoky exhaust on the warm breeze, Ls 2&3), about quick-pace drive-through window service (as implied from the juxtaposition of L1 and L2).

And this is also a good example of "less-means-more" haiku. What's left unsaid, such as negative impacts on worker health and well-being due to increased stress, physical strain, and potential for errors or injuries constantly occurring in a culture of speed,  at least as potent as what's stated/indicated in the haiku, such as "oily smell" of fried chicken mixed with "musty and smoky" exhaust. 

A Room of My Own: Promised Land Tanka

Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXXVIII

in this promised land

my immigrant life compressed

to hard working 

and light sleeping between jobs ...

fresh morning in my broken world 

FYI: L5 alludes to the following lines:

...

it is a serious thing

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in the broken world.

I beg of you...

Mary Oliver, "Invitation," Red Bird, 2009

Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXXIX

stringing 

and unstringing this old erhu ...

My Hometown

the song I come to sing

remains sung in my heart

Added: 

a riot of colors

in my neighbor's garden

at its edge

Foreclosure tilted 

in breezy sunshine

Added:

a long lineup

at the recycling station

in his cart

empty bottles and cans 

taller than this street kid

Added:

Good Friday afternoon

the white church steeple's shadow

darkens a stray

FYI: This haiku could be read as a prequel to the following:

whitewashed church

on the street corner a black man

with a crown of thorns

NeverEnding Story, October 5 2022

FYI: Ls 2&3 allude to "Black Jesus."  Black theology envisions Jesus Christ as one who stands on the side of the oppressed people, blacks, and is one with them, over against the oppressor.

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XXIII

shoulder to shoulder

protesters chant, Not Our King!

holding a giant banner,

Vladimir Putin walks

Donald Trump on a leash

Added:

in his $50,000 

three-bedroom ranch-style rental home

the Richest Man sneers

homeless men? Just drug zombies, 

needles and human feces on the street

FYI: Yahoo! Finance, April 4: Elon Musk sold his seven mansions for more than $100 million and now lives in a $50,000 three-bedroom ranch-style rental home in Boca Chica, Texas

The Independent, Dec. 13, 2024: Elon Musk calls homelessness a ‘lie’ and ‘propaganda’ — and Trump is listening

“Homeless is a misnomer. It implies that someone got a little bit behind on their mortgage, and if you just gave them a job, they’d be back on their feet,” he told former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson in October. “What you actually have are violent drug zombies with dead eyes, and needles and human feces on the street.”

The more money spent combating homelessness, “the worse it gets”, according to Musk.

And Los Angeles Times, April 20: Lancaster mayor's remedy for homelessness: 'Free fentanyl' and 'a purge'

Butterfly Dream: Shift Change Haiku by Ignatius Fay

English Original

shift change

fried chicken and exhaust

on the warm breeze

DailyHaiga, 10 January 2017

Ignatius Fay

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

換班

炸雞味和汽車廢氣

隨暖風飄蕩

Chinese Translation (Simplified) 

换班

炸鸡味和汽车废气

随暖风飘荡

Bio Sketch

Ignatius Fay was a retired invertebrate paleontologist. His poems has appeared in many of the most respected online and print journals, including The Heron’s Nest, Modern Haiku, Ars Poetica, Gusts,Chrysanthemum and Eucalypt. Books: Breccia (2012), a collaboration with fellow haiku poet, Irene Golas; Points In Between (2011), an anecdotal history of his first 23 years. He was the editor of the Haiku Society of America Bulletin. 

Butterfly Dream: Polar Vortex Haiku by Rich Schilling

English Original

polar vortex

making it through another

round of layoffs

Human/Kind Journal, 1:5, May 2019

Rich Schilling

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

極地渦旋

挺過另一輪

的裁員

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

极地涡旋

挺过另一轮

的裁员

Bio Sketch

Rich Schilling is a husband, dad, and award-winning poet. He has been published in Human/Kind Journal, NOON,  antantantantant, Is/let, The Heron's Nest, Sonic Boom and numerous other journals.

Butterfly Dream: Work Shirt Haiku by Michael McClintock

English Original

spring dream ...

slipping my wings

into a work shirt

Touchstone Award, 2015  

Michael McClintock

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

春之夢

我的翅膀滑入

一件工作襯衫

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

春之梦

我的翅膀滑入

一件工作衬衫

Bio Sketch

Michael McClintock's lifework in haiku, tanka, and related literature spanned over four decades. His many contributions to the field included six years as president of the Tanka Society of America (2004-2010) and contributing editor, essayist, and poet for dozens of journals, anthologies, landmark collections and critical studies. McClintock lived in Clovis, California, where he worked as an independent scholar, consultant for public libraries, and poet. Meals at Midnight [tanka], Sketches from the San Joaquin [haiku] and Streetlights: Poetry of Urban Life in Modern English Tanka, were some of his recent titles.

Butterfly Dream: Daily Grind Haiku by Milan Rajkumar

English Original

what she knows

about my daily grind ...

espresso coffee 

Prune Juice, 33, 2021

Milan Rajkumar

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

她知道那些

關於我的日常勞苦 ...

濃縮咖啡

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

她知道那些

关于我的日常劳苦 ...

浓缩咖啡

Bio Sketch

Milan Rajkumar is a  secondary school teacher who teaches economics while writing haiku. He lives in a corner of the north eastern India. Genetically a mongoloid by look and food, he speaks a Tibeto-Burman language known as 'Manipuri' ‘Meiteilon’.  Writing is his passion since childhood. Nowadays he writes haiku every day and night.

A Room of My Own: Gig Worker's Life Haiku

the stop, go, stop

of a gig worker's life ...

rush hour traffic

Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXX

after work

we're cocooned in a place

called Sweet Home:

all these hidden layers

of silence upon silence

Added: Re-Homing in the Maple Land, XXXI

written in response to Justin Trudeau's Monday night appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Canada is the best country in the world... beautiful wilderness and scenery, but “Canada is about the PEOPLE.”

no more immigrants

this invisible asterisk 

beside my name

Added:

war news on mute

with my eyes to the window ...

darkness between stars

Reprinted in Haikuniverse, October 2 2024

Added: reading between the lives and writing between the lines, LXXXVII

it comes in waves

almost physical, he sobs

sinking into his chair ...

is it a mistake to join

this group that drowns me in pain?

Biting NOT Barking: Picket Line Haiku by Leroy Gorman

English Original

the picket line

ants parade

with crumbs 

Hauling the Tide, 2024

Leroy Gorman

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

罷工糾察線

一群螞蟻在遊街

並搬運麵包屑

    

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

罢工纠察线

一群蚂蚁在游街

并搬运面包屑

Bio Sketch

LeRoy Gorman lives in Napanee, Ontario. His poetry, much of it minimalist and visual, has appeared in publications and exhibitions worldwide. He is the author of two dozen poetry books and chapbooks. He is also the winner of the 2017 Dwarf Stars Award

Butterfly Dream: Night Crossing Haiku by Neal Whitman

English Original

night crossing

Tijuana border guard

in dark glasses

First Prize, Haiku Society of America Senryu Award, 2014

Neal Whitman 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

夜間過境

蒂華納邊境警衛

戴著墨鏡

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

夜间过境

蒂华纳边境警卫

戴着墨镜

Bio Sketch

Neal Whitman lives with his wife, Elaine, in Pacific Grove, California, where he is a docent at Point Pinos Lighthouse. Visitors who come there from near and far inspire him to write poetry that takes the “particular" to convey the “universal". Neal is Vice President of the United Haiku and Tanka Society.

Butterfly Dream: Unemployment Rate Haiku by Elliot Nicely

English Original

unemployment rate

the length of our street

empty recycling bins

Moonset, 6:1, 2010

Elliot Nicely

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

失業率

我們街道的長度

空的回收箱

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

失业率

我们街道的长度

空的回收箱

Bio Sketch

Elliot Nicely is the author of The Black Between Stars (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2017) and Tangled  Shadows: Senryu and Haiku (Rosenberry Books, 2013). He resides in Lakewood, Ohio.

Butterfly Dream: Fighting Trout Haiku by Marian Olson

English Original

90 this year

the fisherman reels in

a fighting trout

Mann Library’s Daily Haiku, May 2 2014

Marian Olson

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

今年九十歲

一位漁夫收線拉入

一條搏鬥的鱒魚

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

今年九十岁

一位渔夫收线拉入

一条搏斗的鳟鱼

Bio Sketch

Marian Olson, non-fiction writer and widely published international poet, was the author of nine books of poetry, including the award winning haiku in Songs of the Chicken Yard, Desert Hours, Consider This, and Moondance. Published in 2017, The Other and Kaleidoscope were her first books of tanka.

Poetic Musings: Prize Quilt Tanka by Carmen Sterba

an Amish woman

dressed in grey

her heartsong

in the vivid colours

of her prize quilt

Eucalypt, 8, 2010

Carmen Sterba

Commentary by Jan Foster: On the surface, a simple tanka, traditional in shape and expression but, like all the topnotch tanka, a layering of thoughts which provide a wealth of concepts for the reader to come back to many times over. In the true tanka tradition, it begins simply, each line adding to the thought, growing to a crescendo in the final line, where the whole theme is laid before the delighted reader... 

-- excerpted from Tanka Appraisal Reports by Bowerbird Members

Butterfly Dream: Waitress Haiku by Bill Kenney

English Original

open all night

the waitress stares

into her reflection

the earth pushes back, 2016

Bill Kenney

 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

通宵營業

一位女服務生盯著

商店櫥窗裡她的倒影

Translation result紙箱

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

通宵营业

一位女服务生盯着

商店橱窗里她的倒影

 

Bio Sketch 

 

Born and raised in the Boston area, and living for over 50 years in New York City, Bill Kenney was a professor for many years in the English Department at Manhattan College. He started writing haiku in 2004, a month before his 72nd birthday, and became an active participant in the New York City Spring Street Haiku group. His haiku were published in numerous journals and anthologies. And his collection of haiku, keep walking, won the 2021 Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards.

A Room of My Own: Layoff Email Tanka

the layoff email

ends with best of luck ...

alone

I wander this snowy city

of cold faces and colder hearts

Added:

a woman chasing

after a barefoot boy

after his dog

in the snow-covered park ...

I envy him, a mess of joy 

Added:

overlapping shadows

of Billionaires' Row, New York ...

an old man mutters,

these helicopter people live

without their feet on the ground