September 18, 2009

Autumn wind
leaf bookmark disappears
in the park

Autumn is a wonderful time to go for a stroll in the park, find an empty bench, wrap a shawl around one's shoulders and open a book. Jacek Margolak enjoys collecting and pressing red maple and yellow oak leaves between the pages of his book. From time to time the haikuist likely pauses to reflect on what he has read, nod to passersby or take pleasure in watching the trees color. At this opportunity, the autumn wind gently reclaims its leaves.

Having just returned to his studies at Aichi University for the fall semester, Kennosuke Makino penned the following poem about the upcoming string of holidays known as Silver Week from Sept. 19 through 23. His classmates Shintaro Takai and Tatsuya Osugi also used place names in their haiku. The three scholars take a haiku in English class led by Michael Corr.

Long holiday
meaningfully
travel Fukui

Boarding bus
Nagasaki sponge
mix, ah!

My trip, ah!
go Okumino
planning camp

The autumn wind is already pushing at the front door of the school in Sofia, Bulgaria where Kalina Trendafilova wants to enter. Deborah Finkelstein was caught up in a small whirlwind in New Mexico.

School front gate--
autumn wind opens the
school year

Autumn wind--
vibrant leaves spiral around me,
rainbow tornado

Years after graduating from school in Michigan, Beate Conrad and her classmates continue to meet in September.

Old school friends
Indian Summer glow
on the bench

Kiyoshi Fukuzawa spent a sleepless autumn night turning page after page of memories. Polish poet Andrzej Dembonczyk observes how the fall wind gently pulls up a multicolored cover over his late grandmother.

Ceaselessly
old diary leafed through
autumn night

Autumn wind
Grandma's grave cover
yellow leaves

Charlie Smith, a professor of mathematics at a university in North Carolina, raises a glass of wine and cheers this year's grape harvest.

Side by side
Jupiter and moon
wine glass frame

Want to try composing haiku ?

Back numbers

The next issues of the Asahi Haikuist Network appear Oct. 2, 16, and 30. Send haiku about wine by postcard to David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima, Sakanoue 8-34-1, Kagoshima, 891-0197, Japan, or e-mail to <mcmurray@fka.att.ne.jp>. One haiku is selected for printing in the Asahi Haikuist column in the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun on the first, third, and fifth Fridays of the month.