Book of the Week: No One Sees the Stems
Ruth Yarrow is a naturalist and activist, and her passion for her vocations can be discovered even in her earliest work, such as this small volume published by High/Coo Press in 1981.
You can read the entire book in the THF Digital Library.
All haiku in the Book of the Week Archive are selected by Tom Clausen, and are used with permission.
a marmot's whistle pierces the mountain- first starnorth wind moans through a crack in my dreamon the icy limb the hawk turns to a silhouettelate autumn sun signaling from the spider's strandchill dawn: between the child's coughs a distant crowsnow patches: thicket along the stream snags the fogwarm rain before dawn: my milk flows into her unseenspring ocean in fog: invisible waves and gull cries swelling togetherpicking the last pears yellow windows hang in the dusk
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Thank you for sharing Ruth’s lovely and poignant poetry. Since I’m new to haiku I haven’t had the chance to learn of some of the earlier work of current haiku poets– and so I additionally appreciate this.
Truly inspired and inspiring haiku. Thanks for making these available.
Though I love haiku, many of them do not “connect” for me. All of Ruth Yarrow’s haiku both make sense and speak to my heart. Many thanks.
This collection of Ruth’s work is truly beautiful. Being able to read a book like this that is close to impossible to obtain otherwise is also such a gift.
Bravo, Ruth!
Genuine, egoless and hauntingly powerful.
-Patrick
Thanks, Tom, and thanks, Jim
I seem to remember, Tom, that you wrote about Ruth Yarrow’s influence; I was just at your website to recall more. The “last pears” and “yellow windows” are so beautiful, as the light changes – have seen this with some flowers.
Ellen
beautiful haiku.
Such fine poems.