HAIKU DIALOGUE – Simply Precipitation (1)
Simply with Guest Editor Craig Kittner
Simplicity is one gateway to a balanced mind.
The world sorely needs balanced minds to mitigate all this conflict.
Haiku is uniquely suited for the cultivation and dissemination of simplicity.
In this round of Haiku Dialogue I’m seeking works that invoke the simple perfection of a moment in time.
The successful haiku will be formed out of love for what is not everlasting, but impermanent.
Below is Craig’s selection of poems on the theme of simply precipitation:
What gives haiku its ineffable spirit?
The natural answer is nature, but that word is swollen with knottiness.
Rather, let’s say, it is things of this Earth observed – unadorned and unromanticized.
What then can we say about haiku’s form and avoid getting mired in controversy?
Let us just say that haiku is grounded in juxtaposition, compression, and restraint.
Humanity tends toward gluttony when it comes to words.
Let’s engage in nourishing our spirits simply.
Laid out below are my selections for this week.
Next week there’ll be 12 more with my comments.
the days fall
on each other –
thin rainSilvia Bistocchi
Umbria, Italy
autumn rain…
the way back
to myselfSteliana Cristina Voicu
Romania
A short-lived quarrel –
the lingering scent of
summer rainCaroline Ridley-Duff
UK
open umbrella
a fish collecting rain
in its mouthLynda Flint
West Yorkshire
whispering the daughters awake spring rain
John Pappas
USA
autumn rain
using the umbrella
mother usedStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
snowflakes
in Binche lace
mandalaTsanka Shishkova
Bulgaria
sixty beats-
rain patter
on the eavesAngiola Inglese
Italy
on and off rain
a halt in the flow
of my inkJackie Chou
United States
today’s drizzle –
a touch of maple syrup
on soggy wafflesBonnie J Scherer
Palmer, Alaska USA
rain smell
in the rosehip bush
blackbird´s songMircea Moldovan
România
rain fog
she rewrites his name
on the car windowDaya Bhat
India
empty mind –
raindrop rings
on the lakemente vuota –
anelli di gocce di pioggia
sul lagoDaniela Misso
Italy
under a whitened bush
the Buddha statue smiles–
listening to the snowLorraine Schein
Queens, NYC
between storms
the sound of something other
than rainHelen Ogden
Pacific Grove, CA
waking to
slow drips of rain
eyes still closedEavonka Ettinger
Long Beach, CA
the last time
feeling the rain
on my hairless headHerb Tate
Jersey, UK
soft rain
through the fumes
birchwood teaMike Fainzilber
Rehovot, Israel
cold rain
I shoo a moth
from my blanketSharon Ferrante
Florida, USA
april
why has fuji
added snowCharles Harper
Yokohama
rainpuddle
on the Suntuf roof
sparrows splashingLynette Arden
Adelaide, Australia
summer grass
how I want to fall
like rainVandana Parashar
India
sleet on cartop
Max Roach’s
jazz drumbeatsJohn Zheng
Itta Bena, Mississippi
six lanes of traffic
at a standstill
driving rainLouise Hopewell
Australia
perfect sync
with heartbeats…
throbbing gutterLuciana Moretto
Treviso, Italy
oak treetop
from a leaf to a leaf
raindrops slidingZelyko Funda
Hrvatska
the green grass even greener spring rain
Olivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
a double heart
for your homecoming
window fogArvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
spring rain –
if only I could get winter
out of my mindAna Drobot
Romania
hailstones
the homeless man’s blanket
protecting his dogTracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK
summer’s end
rain beads on
the bramble’s thornsNick T
Frome, Somerset, England
dew on a gun
still in the hands
geese arrivingKeith Evetts
Thames Ditton, UK
the robin drinks
from a cupped leaf–
spring rainLafcadio Orlovsky
USA
hail
another round
in the tumblerRichard L. Matta
San Diego, California
late flurry
snowcapped
tulip bloomsJohn S Green
Bellingham, Washington
nimbostratus…
two raindrops balance
a spider’s webMarilyn Ward
Lincolnshire UK
absence –
the sound of rain
fills the roomDaniela Lăcrămioara Capotă
Romania
dark—
it is raining
under the streetlightsYasir Farooq
Pakistan
sudden shower
ducking
as if it will helpSusan Burch
Hagerstown, MD
mayday
a raindrop plash
upon a paper boatsimonj
UK
morning drizzle
a candle flickers out
on his tombstoneBona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
monsoon rain
the skyscrapers cut
shortJosef S.
Florida, United States
evening showerー
regretting the quick temper
under a camphor treeKeiko Izawa
Japan
empty glasses
if it weren’t for the rain
we would be silentEva Limbach
Deutschland
face to face with the stars
icy sidewalklev hart
Calgary, Canada
drizzle…
I attempt
a tap danceMarina Bellini
Italy
a single raincloud
the snail’s shell
mostly skyMark Gilbert
UK
cold drizzle
the dog who wanted out
wants back inPolona Oblak
Ljubljana, Slovenia
melting snow
in the old photo
Mt FujiKath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California
first raindrops
on a pollen windshield
crackle glazeApril Woody
Virginia
bus station
raindrops fill
my pocketsSlobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
window rain —
a thought clings to
two maple leavesRicha Sharma
India
first drops –
the fragrance
of a meadowTomislav Maretić
Zagreb, Hrvatska
clouded mind
the scent
of sweet rainRehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ
autumn fog
all of her memories
in sepiaTerri French
Everywhere, USA
light snow
smoke from our breath
lingersRichard Straw
Cary, North Carolina
midnight rain
the pitter-patter of mice
in the atticCynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
hail knocking
against the roof
all the mistakes I’ve madeRachel Smith
United States
night train through a tunnel morning snow
Rupa Anand
New Delhi, India
summer desert
the icy touch
of artificial raindropsPadmini Krishnan
United Arab Emirates
lemon drizzle
the taste of childhood
in the rain…Adele Evershed
Wilton, Connecticut
still just a child
trapped inside
sideways rainChristopher Peys
Los Angeles, CA
in the spring puddle
a snowflake
this short lifeMarianne Sahlin
Sweden
a touch
for every petal
blossom rainRuth Holzer
Herndon, VA
still tapping
on the keyboard
patter of rainMike Gallagher
Ballyduff, Ireland
soft rain
remembering
the last time I saw youMargaret Mahony
Australia
ghost town
the many graduations
on the watermarked wallsWai Mei Wong
Toronto, Canada
April sprinkles
one last pour
from the toddler’s teapotMargaret Tau
New Bern, North Carolina
just spitting—
wilted nasturtiums
on a stumpMariel Herbert
California, USA
pine forest
I match my steps
with dew dripsPadma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
summer rain
cleansing the air
our divorceNatalia Kuznetsova
Russia
dawn mist
rubbing my eyes
at the red sports carRobert Kingston
Chelmsford, United Kingdom
fevered rain
the hiss of breath
from metal cansShalini Pattabiraman
Scotland, United Kingdom
summer rainstorm …
in one color
sky and seatemporale estivo … in un unico colore cielo e mare
Lucia Cardillo
Italia
spring rain
I switch off
the car radioNeena Singh
India
April showers
continue into May…
biblicalBisshie
Switzerland
storm clouds …
young sparrows cling
to the hillsideLori Kiefer
UK
all the colors
turning white . . .
snowstormValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
kissing
her burning forehead –
light summer rainCristina Angelescu
Romania
snowmelt —
i miss another chance
of letting goMona Bedi
Delhi, India
rain clouds gathering cancelled
Baisali Chatterjee Dutt
India
persistent drizzle
every slight
unforgottenHelene Guojah
UK
waiting out
the river of rain–
another pint pouredAnn Sullivan
Massachusetts, USA
the taste
of his words
cold rainSue Courtney
Orewa, New Zealand
summer rain –
closing the umbrella…
a rainbowMihaela Iacob
Romania
our selfie
in a bluish mist
some bird’s cryIvan Gaćina
Zadar, Croatia
sudden snowfall
—scampering back in
with white eyelashesSushama Kapur
Pune, India
a haiku about snow
and plums in bloom
blooms in a dreamZrinko Šimunić
Hrvatska
clutching a pencil
and Big Chief tablet . . .
mist in her hairKathleen Trocmet
USA
spring cleaning
windows washed
by the rainMona Iordan
Bucharest, Romania
watering flowers
on the little girl’s umbrella
spring rainBarrie Levine
Massachusetts, USA
s
t
r
a
i
g
h
t
r
a
i
nonly those veggies
at lunchAmoolya Kamalnath
India
tip of a grapevine
curled up inside
a dewdropkris moon kondo
Kiyokawa, Japan
Join us next week for Craig’s commentary on additional poems, & our next prompt…
Guest Editor Craig Kittner claims a round-earther identity as an alternative to the ones the world would impose. While their feet feel the earth, their ragpicker mind works the trash heap that’s their brain, pulling out words. Origami Poems Project, Shot Glass Journal, bottle rockets, and Acorn have recently hosted his work.
Lori Zajkowski is the Post Manager for Haiku Dialogue. A novice haiku poet, she lives in New York City.
Managing Editor Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, and her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019). Find her at: kjmunro1560.wordpress.com.
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy.
Please note that all poems & images appearing in Haiku Dialogue may not be used elsewhere without express permission – copyright is retained by the creators. Please see our Copyright Policies.
This Post Has 34 Comments
Comments are closed.
I have enjoyed reading all of these haiku throughout this week. Living in a state where it is not unusual to experience all four seasons in a day, especially this time of the year as temperatures yoyo, I felt like I could relate to them all. One that struck me was Neena Singh’s turning off the radio to listen to the sound of the spring rain. It could be a soft patter or hard relentless rain, but whichever it is better than listening to the radio. The rain must sound musical, or so I hear.
Congrats to all for having your haiku chosen and precipitating such a simply fabulous week of reading.
Another path to simplicity, perhaps? Turning off the human voices to listen to the rain’s.
Thank you Craig for the great theme and for including my haiku. I loved reading all the poems.
Thank you for the selection. I thought this one captured a moment well, but is simple yet not so simple – it includes contrast and requires the observer to participate in the image.
dark—
it is raining
under the streetlights
Yasir Farooq
Pakistan
We’ll spotted, Mark.
I like the contrast in Yasir’s poem between the eye’s reality and what we know must be true.
And that the eye’s reality is what is expressed.
I am simply thankful for the selection and kind words. Congrats to all poets!
Many thanks for liking the contrast، I am glad that you got the meaning، Mark۔
I saw this on The Daily Haiku and was intrigued enough to try! As you may know, California has had a historic rainy season this year.
Rain – elemental water
Deluge of drops leave pieces
Landscape altered
Hello Cara. Glad you found us.
I hope you will submit to our next prompt, which will be posted on April 26.
You’re welcome, Margaret. Thanks for the enthusiasm!
Thank you Craig for a great prompt and for my inclusion. Congratulations to all those who made it through.
You’re welcome Robert. Thank you for participating and commenting.
Many thanks, Craig, for the wonderful prompt and inclusion. Thanks to the Haiku Dialogue team as well for all the inspiring work 🙂
Daya
You are welcome Daya. Make sure to check out the commentary next week.
Lovely, visual haiku of the natural world this week. Thanks to all. Here is one of my favorites:
window rain —
a thought clings to
two maple leaves
Richa Sharma
India
Naming the leaves, specifically, seems important here, don’t you think?
Hi- Can I submit for this week’s: impermanent? Or is it a closed forum? And how to submit – if open? Thanks.
Also, this week’s selection, comments and the picture (above) are very cool.
-North Frank
there is a new prompt every other week, with a submission form – join us next Wednesday for Craig’s commentary on additional poems, & our next prompt… cheers, kj
Thanks!
There are so many wonderful poems here but I reacted most strongly to the one from Daniela Lacramioara Capota: absence–
the sound of rain
fills the room
That ‘absence’ can stand for so many things — one there but not involved; one missing; one always alone; need, in its many forms; a house abandoned. And yet the sound of rain brings the outside in and, for a moment, fills the emptiness. This haiku certainly does fill.
Excellent observation Marie, thanks for sharing it.
Thank you Craig for including my haiku. Loved the prompt and everyone’s poems.
You’re welcome Margaret. The sweet sadness of your haiku resonated with me.
I love love love this one. I even have a photo of it!
tip of a grapevine
curled up inside
a dewdrop
kris moon kondo
Kiyokawa, Japan
Thanks Craig, for the selection, and everyone for an excellent morning of reading!
You’re welcome Sue. I’m glad we gave you an enjoyable morning!
Craig, thank you for including my haiku. I enjoyed reading this list which came from a great prompt. Here are some that stood out to me.
The first two are about rain fog/window fog and love:
rain fog
she rewrites his name
on the car window
Daya Bhat
India
a double heart
for your homecoming
window fog
Arvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
And this one with the double meaning of ‘driving’ which took me a couple of reads to recognize:
six lanes of traffic
at a standstill
driving rain
Louise Hopewell
Australia
Thank you so much for the appreciation, April! A good pastime when stuck in your car. Works like canvas 🙂 🙂
Yours is a fine one among many others I loved. I can imagine the crackle glaze pattern on a car windshield covered in pollen ( hope I got this right).
first raindrops
on a pollen windshield
crackle glaze
April Woody
Virginia
Daya,
Thank you for commenting on my poem. I am happy you saw the image I was aiming for.
You’re welcome April. We had some heavy pollen earlier this spring in coastal Carolina. Sounds like you may have had the same up there. I certainly related to your haiku.
Welcome, Craig! I am really enjoying this focus on simplicity. Thanks for selecting my poem (which happened the very day I submitted it).
I was immediately smitten by this poem:
sudden shower
ducking
as if it will help
Susan Burch
Hagerstown, MD
I can so clearly feel myself having done the same time and time again. The tone of this poem is especially divine.
Thank you Eavonka. Fresh ink! I love it. That’s just what I hope for with each prompt.
Craig, I am very pleased that you chose my haiku for publication. Thanks to you, Kathy, Lori, and the Haiku Foundation for all the efforts. Congrats to all the poets.
Yours was nostalgic for me, Valentina. We don’t really get snow storms where I’m currently living. I miss the sudden surprise of their beauty.
Thank you, Craig, for posting my haiku!! Everyone of these precipitation haiku are wonderful!