MITSUAKI KOJIMA

Calling her
to the window, 10th floor
fireworks in distance

This 3-D haiku carries us up 10 flights of stairs, brings us close to the writer on his balcony in Saitama, and shoots us out to the heavens. All these actions take place simultaneously in one haiku moment that encompasses a lifetime of love. Sosuke Kanda successfully focuses our view on a particular spot on the earth, embraces natural movements, and includes the concept of the whole universe. Fireworks are impressive when we arch backwards to see and hear them explode, but they become surreal when viewed silently from above at a distance. The helicopter footage of the fireworks at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics was even more fantastic, perhaps too grand to put into a haiku?

Marek Kozubek spent the summer night stargazing in Poland. Anna Akamatsu and her best friend enjoyed staying outdoors until the clock struck midnight in Kawasaki.

Starry night
across the August sky
wish after wish

Celebrating
each other's birthday
evening cool

Raj Bose may have been so busy at work that he kept postponing his vacation. Finally getting packed and out the door, he noticed that although he had beaten his neighbors down the driveway, geese overhead were already well on their way.

Vacation
earlier than neighbors
migrating geese

Charlie Smith drove across the international bridge at Niagara Falls this summer. Eric Kimura took a bus tour along a mountain road through volcanoes in Hawaii. When mists began to cover the road his fellow travelers got anxious. Kim Chamberlain also went to Hawaii for the holidays, staying in a remote cabin far from the city.

Horseshoe Falls
International
Rainbow bridge

White knuckles
and nervous laughter
as clouds close the road

Cabin door
concrete falls away
step outside

Rather than travel far from home, Mickey Nasu found a fertile patch of land in Tokyo where he could tend vegetables this summer.

A string of tomatoes
scarlet and running even
Sunday gardener's prize

Katarzyna Predota cleaned her traveling gear after returning from an active summer vacation.

Summer gone
only vacation memories
in the backpack

Want to try composing haiku ?

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