A Room of My Own: Life goes on behind the wall

the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXXIV: "wall of indifference"

Life goes on behind the wall

written in response to Haaretz, Opinion, April 9: "This Intolerable Gap Between Jewish Memory and Palestinian Reality" and in memory of 15 executed aid workers

anything new 

on the other side of this wall

of indifference ...

15 aid workers bound

and shot at close range

the young medic 

with a penetrating gaze

at smoke-darkened skies ...

his last phone message: the path

I chose to help people

too much to ask you 

to see Gazans as humans? 

50, 000 deaths

silenced, forgotten, buried

under the weight of daily life

FYI: Listen to Harrteza's April 8 podcast interview with Nir Hasson: 'I Don't Know of Any IDF Soldier Who Paid a Price for Killing Innocents in Gaza'

Haaretz journalist Nir Hasson has been covering the war in Gaza for months. He has seen so many horrifying acts of war go unpunished and uninvestigated, that he was hardly surprised by the killing of 15 aid workers at the end of March.

Added: the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXXIV: "Seder and mass grave"

an empty chair

at the Seder table 

100 miles away

in a mass grave bodies found

in paramedic uniforms

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XX

tariff after tariff ...

another food bank lineup curls

around the corner

Butterfly Dream: Outfield Haiku by Cor van den Heuvel

English Original

the ball sky-high

as the crack of the bat

reaches the outfield

Baseball Haiku, 2007

Cor van den Heuvel 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

棒球高飛

當球棒的爆裂聲

抵達外場

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

棒球高飞

当球棒的爆裂声

抵达外场

Bio Sketch 

Cor van den Heuvel (March 16, 1931 - September 12, 2024) authored hundreds of haiku and haibun, including one of the most controversial works of the 20th century, one-word haiku: tundra. In addition to more than a dozen collections, he edited or co-edited a number of influential anthologies, most notably three editions of The Haiku Anthology, as well as Baseball Haiku. He also won three Merit Book Awards from the Haiku Society of America, a World Haiku Achievement Award at the World Haiku Festival, and the Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Prize. 

Hot News: New Milestone, the Highest Daily Pageviews, 23, 802 and Call for Submissions

My Dear Friends:

NeverEnding Story reached a new milestone yesterday at midnight:

the HIGEST daily page views, 23, 802

We read to know we're "not alone."

-- The character of C.S. Lewis in William Nicholson's play, "Shadowlands" 

The proper response to a poem is "another poem."

-- Phyllis Webb 

I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this poetry journey. And look forward to reading your haiku and tanka (see haiku and tanka submission guidelines)

on the windowsill

two bluebirds singing

to each other

I tweet and retweet

"NeverEnding Story" (most-read haiku and tanka poetry blog) 👍

And most importantly, 

In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent. This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear.

-- Toni Morrison, "No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear"

Trump Empire, Inc., XVII

Against Trumpinator

patho-cracy ...

my ESL teacher whispers

then puts her finger 

to her mouth as USA! chants 

grow sharp and darker outside

wecan'twaitfor 

$5, 000 made-in-USA

iPhones. iPhones now ...

flanked by a spray of flags

red-hattedTrumpists shouting

 

tariffs, a tax cut 

for working Americans

louder from TV

in gathering dark, he mutters

my 401K, now 401

Land of the Crazed --> USA

Canada <-- Home of the Brave

a giant road sign

at the corner near the border

as flocks of geese fly north

in Toronto sunshine

with the scent of early spring

and freedom

two Americans meet and part:

one draft dodger, one Trump evader

Hands Off Rally:

chant after chant of fried truth

eggflation

scrambled justice, poached rights,

cracked democracy... Trump, Fuck Off

(FYI: Trumpinator,  Donald Trump as the Terminator, is a MAGA codeword. ESL stands for English as a Second Language. The Polish psychiatrist Andrew Lobaczewski coined this term, "pathocracy," to describe a type of governance by a small pathological minority that takes control over a society. And a 401(k) is a retirement savings plan in the US)

And

A poem after a poem after a poem is POWER!

-- paraphrasing Margaret Atwood

Look forward to reading your work

Chen-ou

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XVIII

White House news on mute

shaft after shaft of sunlight

through rainclouds

Added: the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXXIII: "15 aid workers executed"

aid workers bound and shot

the s t  r   e  t   c    h of silence

after silence

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XIX

the stocks rocketing

downward, upward, downward ...

Trump brags, kissing my ass

One Man's Maple Moon: Friends Tanka by Kirsty Karkow

English Original

cafe coffee

with friends not seen

for a while

listening to them chatter

wondering why I came

Gusts, 21, Spring/Summer 2015

Kirsty Karkow

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

在咖啡廳和久未曾見面

的朋友喝咖啡

聽他們喋喋不休

好一陣子

心想我為什麼要來

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

在咖啡厅和久未曾见面

的朋友喝咖啡

听他们喋喋不休

好一阵子

心想我为什么要来

Bio Sketch

Kirsty Karkow lived in Waldoboro, Maine, where she wrote haiku, sijo, tanka, and other short forms. Lyrical, poignant, and spare, her poetry reflected a rich and deep sense of place and spirit. Her haiku have won the Mainichi and the R.H Blyth Award and placed in other contests. And she had two best-selling books in print: water poems: haiku, tanka and sijo and shorelines: haiku, haibun and tanka , published by Black Cat Press.

Butterfly Dream: Ebb Tide Haiku by Peggy Heinrich

English Original

ebb tide

turning to look back

at my footprints

Issa's Untidy Hut, July 23, 2010

Peggy Heinrich

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

退潮

回首注視

我的足跡

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

退潮

回首注视

我的足迹

Bio Sketch

Peggy Heinrich's haiku have appeared in almost every haiku journal both nationally and internationally and in many anthologies. Awards include Top Prize in the Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum English Haiku Contest in both 2009 and 2010. Peeling an Orange, a collection of her haiku with photographs by John Bolivar, was published in 2009 by Modern English Tanka Press. Forward Moving Shadows, a collection of her tanka, with photographs by John Bolivar, was published in 2012.

Poetic Musings: Bombs and Storks Haiku by Daniela Misso

bombs fall

in a child's eyes

storks flying

Third Place, indianKUKAI, 37

Daniela Misso

Commentary: Enhanced by the effective use of a pivot, L2, the contrasts between L1 and L3 are timely and poignantly effective.

And the choice of the POV of an innocent and defenseless child adds emotional weight and psychological depth to the haiku.

When evaluated in the context of European folklore or now global pop cartoon culture, storks are often associated with new beginnings, fertility, and the arrival of babies; it's mainly because of their return from wintering in Africa to nest on village roofs in the spring.

Therefore, the symbolic significance of "L3, storks flying (away), " increases the negative impact of L1.

A Room of My Own: Sin Haiku

This Brave New World, CXXI

spiral razor wire

along the white church wall

Sin Is Everywhere

FYI: In Christian theology, "missing the mark" (or "hamartia" in Greek) is a metaphor for sin, signifying failing to meet God's standards or purpose.

And Matthew 24:12-13

12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

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

no one for miles

the billboard declares

SIN IS EVERYWHERE

Raw Nervz Haiku, 7: 2, Summer 2001

LeRoy Gorman 

Added:

a flock of seagulls

between ocean and sky

the touch of breeze

Added:

the unspoken

gnaw into our regret

For Sale sign

Added:

her eyes' warmth 

through bulletproof glass

jail guard's stare

Butterfly Dream: Curve Haiku by Angelee Deodhar

English Original

gibbous moon

my ear on the curve 

of her belly

Galaxy of Dust, 2015

Angelee Deodhar

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

凸形月

我的耳朵貼在她的腹部

的曲線上

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

凸形月

我的耳朵贴在她的腹部

的曲线上

 

Bio Sketch

Angelee Deodhar of Chandigarh (India) was an eye surgeon by profession as well as a haiku poet, translator, and artist. Her haiku/haiga has been published internationally. She didn't have her own website.To promote haiku in India, she has translated six books of haiku from English to Hindi.

One Man's Maple Moon: Beast and Cherry Blossoms Tanka by Fumi Saito

English Original

long dead

the bones of a beast

decaying tonight

I am nearly choked

as cherry blossoms are falling

White Letter Poems, 1998

Fumi Saito

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

早已死去

一頭野獸的骨頭

今晚腐爛

當櫻花飄落之時

我差點窒息

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

早已死去

一头野兽的骨头

今晚腐烂

当樱花飘落之时

我差点窒息

 

 

Bio Sketch

Daughter of a military officer who was noted for his verse-writing talent, Fumi Saito began writing poetry in the traditional 31-syllable tanka form in her early teens. Her first book of tanka, Fish Songs, published in 1940, immediately established her as a brilliant young poet. She was inducted into the Japan Art Academy in 1993 and invited to serve as meshiudo (a position similar to the Poet Laureate's) at the Imperial Palace in 1997.

Butterfly Dream: Dollhouse Haiku by vincent tripi

English Original

white lilac scent --

the dollhouse at the window

with its window open

Haiku Anthology, 1999

vincent tripi 

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

白丁香花香味 --

窗邊一個娃娃屋

的窗戶敞開

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

白丁香花香味 --

窗边一个娃娃屋

的窗户敞开

Bio Sketch

Founder of The Haiku Circle, vincent tripi was closely associated with the spiritual movement in American Haiku. He wrote haiku for over 35 years, and published 14 books of haiku. Most of his haiku reflect a Buddhist foundation.

Butterfly Dream: Midnight Silence Haiku by David He

English Original

midnight silence ...

my wife opens the curtains

to let in moonlight

David He

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

午夜的寂靜…

我妻子打開窗簾

讓月光照進來

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

午夜的寂静…

我妻子打开窗帘

让月光照进来

Bio Sketch

David He has been working as an Advanced English teacher for 35 years in a high school in China. So far he has published  twenty short stories in English. In recent years he has published haiku and tanka in print journals and e-zines, including Acorn, The Heron’s Nest, Frogpond, Ribbons and Cattails.

Poetic Musings: Dawn Moon Haiku by Marian Olson

dawn moon

quiet mind, quiet

embers in the ash

Mann Library’s Daily Haiku, May 9, 2014

Marian Olson

Commentary: Enhanced by the midline break, the use of repetition of "quite," when juxtaposed with visually evocative and symbolically rich images of "dawn moon" and "embers in the ash," is fresh and psychologically effective, successfully conveying a sense of "contemplative calmness."

And it might be interesting to do a thematic comparison reading of my haiku below:

hazy day moon

alone, awake with the weight

of memory

PoemHunter, Feb. 17, 2013

The past is never dead. It's not even past.

― William Faulkner, "Requiem for a Nun"

A Room of My Own: A Season of Regret

snowed in

for three straight days

again, I check

the machine for the sound

of your voice

I dream 

that winter dream again ...

sadder than then

as I look out the window

at the sky, endless gray

FYI: This set could be read as a prequel to my tanka below:

It's me

I just wanted to hear

from you ...

fifteen seconds of soft voice

after ten years of silence

Gusts, 35, Spring/Summer 2022

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XV

Day and Night, Forever?

for Mark Twain who claimed, "Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."

step after step

one by one to the exit

DOGE cuts

red district town hall 

a crowd-fest 

of boos and jeers 

distant sirens

free-ranging dogs pee

on the Trump Mural

Liberation Day!

the news on mute, I change

my baby's diaper

bursts of spring snow

Tariffs are a tax cut,  a twist

to Trump's mouth

FYI: DOGE stands for the Department of Government Efficiency. And the Convicted Felon Donald Trump is set to roll out his massive tariff plan on April 2, which he has touted as "Liberation Day in America."

April 3: On Fox Business, former Republican Senator Pat Toomey warns Trump's tariffs will be “probably the largest tax increase on American consumers in the history of the country”

And Daily Beast, April 3: JD Vance Tells Paycheck-to-Paycheck Americans to Suck Up Tariffs Pain

JD Vance is telling Americans living paycheck to paycheck that the pain from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will all be worth it—at some point.

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XVI

10% tariff on goods from the manless islands near Antarctica

the fight with one man

a sea of king penguins

trumpeting

FYI: USA Today, April 6: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's tariff rollout last week when asked why two uninhabited islands were hit with the fees, saying in a new interview "whatever."

Added: Trump Empire, Inc., XVII

wecan'twaitfor 

$10, 000 made-in-USA

iPhones. iPhones now ...

flanked by a spray of flags

red-hattedTrumpistsshouting 

Added:

a dollhouse

in the rain-streaked window

of a thrift store

a girl holds her mother's hand

tight ... and tighter 

Added:

frost flowers

on my son's study room window

paper planes gather dust

Butterfly Dream: Father's Ring Haiku by H. Gene Murtha

English Original

shooting star -- 

father’s ring

slips off my finger

 The Heron’s Nest, 5:11, November, 2003

H. Gene Murtha

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

一顆流星 --

父親的戒指

從我的手指上滑落

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

一颗流星 --

父亲的戒指

从我的手指上滑落

Bio Sketch

H. Gene Murtha, a naturalist and poet, sponsored and judged the first haiku contest for the inner city children of Camden, NJ., for the Virgilio Group, of which he was a lifetime member. He was widely published for his work in haikai literature from the USA to Japan. 

One Man's Maple Moon: Caregiver Tanka by Lorraine Pester

English Original

after five years

no longer your caregiver,

nothing matters now ...

unable to live

you sleep forever

Lorraine Pester

Chinese Translation (Traditional)

五年後

不再是你的照顧者,

現在什麼都不重要了 ...

無法活下去

你永遠沉睡

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

五年后

不再是你的照顾者,

现在什么都不重要了 ...

无法活下去

你永远沉睡

Bio Sketch

Being curious and staying open to possibility is Lorraine Pester’s way of keeping her haikai fresh. She shies from no topic that presents itself. Her deliberate interactions with birds while dog walking is a frequent theme. She lives with her husband and  Abbey schnauzer in south Texas.