HAIKU DIALOGUE – bike

This Post Has 73 Comments

1. Thank you so much for including my haiku. I especially enjoyed Arvinder Kaur’s fireflies, so evocative and Angela Giordano’s medicinal herbs, such a story there 🙂

2. Not forgetting Freddie and his fruity flavoured bicycle song.

   https://youtu.be/_YtKFUkb7lw

3. Thank you, Kathy, for including my poem! I love the image prompts!

   —

   no moon night –
   the gardener brings home
   so many fireflies
   arvinder kaur
   Chandigarh, India
   arvinder kaur’s poem is lovely to visualize and to say out loud!

   —
   summers end
   grandma stops by
   with a flat
   Barbara Tate
   For me, Barbara Tate’s poem brings anticipation or wish that the story be continued!

   —
   trimming
   the grocery list –
   garden sale
   Debbie Scheving
   Bremerton WA
   Debbie Scheving’s poem gives a perfect picture of sharing an abundant bumper crop. Or maybe enticing a customer with a little added surprise!

   —
   leaving the gallery
   cross-hatched in shadow
   and light
   Helen Buckingham
   Helen Buckingham’s poem gives a pleasing and artistic sense of what we’d see on the inside of the “gallery”. Beautiful!

   —
   bicycle wagon
   the plants
   have my back
   Laurie Greer
   Washington DC
   Laurie Greer’s poem gives me a portrait of a small business owner with a green thumb.

   —
   widow’s yard
   a rusty old tricycle
   blooms
   Lucy Whitehead
   Essex, UK
   Lucy Whitehead’s poem is beautifully simple and apropos to the image!

   —
   slow travel
   unexpected
   growth
   Margaret Walker
   Margaret Walker’s poem is only four words, yet it describes the tricycle and its fate perfectly!

   —
   tricycle
   she takes the playground
   with her
   Marilyn Ashbaugh
   Marilyn Ashbaugh’s poem brings back a magical childhood memory!

   —
   out my window the multi-colored streak of a passing garden
   Mark Meyer
   Mark Meyer’s poem is a vivid motion picture!

   —
   behind iron lace
   he brings her
   punnets of strawberries
   nancy liddle
   broken hill, Australia
   nancy liddle’s poem is the start of a romantic novel waiting to unfold.

   —
   kitchen garden
   my tricycle
   my pride
   Radhamani sarma
   Radhamani’s poem gives me a sense of delight! Maybe the tricycle was acquired or purchased from the sale of the fruits of your carefully cultivated garden? You are beaming!

   —
   retirement bash –
   the jade sculptor’s
   rested tools
   Robert Kingston
   Robert Kingston’s poem, yes, reflects some of my thoughts!

   —
   writer’s block
   the symmetry
   in the overlook
   simonj
   UK
   simonj’s true depiction of the image. So many parts to the picture, what catches my eye first, what will I focus on, what will I leave out?!

   —
   watering
   her favorite flowerpot
   grandson’s old bicycle
   Tomislav Sjekloća
   Cetinje, Montenegro
   Tomislav Sjekloća’s poem reminds me of my grandma’s garden surrounding her back yard. My brother’s toy dump truck, perfectly oxidized and my ceramic Easter bunny pot overgrown with purslane.

   —
   courtyard
   echoes of the soft footfall
   of nostalgia
   Vandana Parashar
   Vandana Parashar’s poem is so lovely, the musicality in “echoes of the soft footfall”

   —
   morning sun peeking
   through the threshold
   forget me not
   X3+us the Whale
   X3+us, A dreamy poem nice to say out loud!

   1. Thank you Vicki, pleased it touched you.

   2. thank you for liking my poem – i think the romantic novel is already on your sleeve with your heart <3
      nancy

   3. Vicki,
      Thank you fir commenting on my poem. I’m so glad you liked it.

   4. Thank you Vicki–your comment is most appreciated.

   5. Thanks so much, Vicki – yours is among my favourites too, gorgeous imagery.

   6. Dear Vicky,
      Greetings, Thank you so much for your lovely comments on my haiku. It is this encouraging words that keep us going.
      with regards
      S.Radhamani

4. peddling into the wind
   bees hold tight
   to the flowers

   Rehn Kovacic

   an image to behold! thank you, Rehn.

   1. Your welcome!!!

5. thank you for including my poem with your picks, kj,

   however, the space is intentional….
   so it should read as follows:

   homeless
   papercup water home
   to the broken flower

   wendy c. bialek
   prescott valley, arizona usa

   1. i see the break appears to close itself….
      so then it will have to go in as:

      homeless
      papercup water… home
      to the broken flower

      wendy c. bialek
      prescott valley, arizona usa

      1. Wendy – so sorry I missed this – it was correct in the plain text version, but somehow WordPress just removes those spaces! However, thanks to Craig, I have learned how to make spaces – & I have corrected this now…
         thanks again, Craig!

         1. thanks for your joint efforts, kj and craig….perhaps you can share this fix and it could be applied when/ at the time of submission/posting to the form?

            1. oh Wendy thanks for this, but it’s a WordPress thing… some formatting has to be added back… but I appreciate the thought!

6. Thanks to everyone for kind comments and fabulous haiku, and thank to kj for these stimulating marriages of images and words. If anyone wants to read a brilliant novel that features bicycles, do try Flann O’Brien’s “The Third Policeman” – it’s an absolute classic in terms of comedic fantasy!

   1. Just requested that at my library last week. Can’t wait to read!

7. Thank you editor for publishing my haiku and I look forward to our further cooperation. Also, congratulations everybody!

8. Thank you Kathy for including my haiku this week.

9. Dear Kathy, being included in this issue of Haiku Dialogue is a great honor to me. Thank you.

10. Thanks Debbie, Alan, Helen and Laurie for you nice comments!
    My favorites this week:
    .
    basket
    of flowers for my mom
    her headstone
    Susan Bonk
    .
    Our moms deserve flowers before and after death. A basket of flowers reveals the depth of our love and caring. Nice poem, Susan.
    .
    peddling into the wind
    bees hold tight
    to the flowers
    Rehn Kovacic
    .
    I can vividly see the bees hanging on for dear life, even the grimaces on their bee faces not knowing when the “ride” will stop. Thanks for the smiles, Rehn.
    .
    old bicycle
    all my mother’s memories
    on spring
    Neni Rusliana
    .
    Prior to my mom’s dementia we would sit for hours reminiscing events. So many were happy. Earlier in life my grandmother would sit with me and review events of past summers I spent with her, picnics, parades, fairs. Past recollections bolster future expectations. Thanks for the memories, Neni.
    .
    out my window the multi-colored streak of a passing garden
    Mark Meyer
    .
    I assume this is a one sentence poem – a break in lines would weaken the image of “streak!” Anyway, a comical view that made me smile, and smile again. Thanks, Mark.
    .
    widow’s yard
    a rusty old tricycle
    blooms
    Lucy Whitehead
    .
    Overcoming the death of a loved one takes time, but here the widow has found a way to bring a touch of color back into her life. Nice image, Lucy.
    .
    new growth
    the seasons turn
    through spokes of light
    john hawkhead
    .
    I don’t want to “analyze” this poem; it’s simply a beautiful image that will stick with me all week. Thanks, John.
    .
    retired delivery bike
    spring sunlight
    through rusty spokes
    Greer Woodward
    .
    Yes, I noticed the flat tire also! We can find beauty in things and people despite gloom, apparent lack of usefulness and rust. Nice poem, Greer.
    .
    summer’s end
    grandma stops by
    with a flat
    Barbara Tate
    .
    At least she reached the end of her summer before the tire blew! And she gets to spend time with “me” due to this “unfortunate” event! I chose to see humor in this poem although one might presume a darker connotation. Thanks, Barbara.
    .
    Thanks, kj, for this second round of thoughtful pictures that stimulate our creativity!
    Ron
    .

    1. Thanks for your comment on my haiku, Ron! 🙂

    2. Thank you Ron for the comment. I too saw the humor in that flat tire.

    3. Ron,

       I’m so glad that I was able to provide you with a smile!!!!!

11. Welcome back Kathy, as usual a great selection of haiku, thank you for publishing mine. Enjoyed reading Alan Summer’s and Laurie Greer’s comments. Oh Alan, sorry to hear about the fleas 😊.

    1. Congratulations on the first place H. Gene Murtha contest!

       1. Ditto
          Congratulations on first place.
          From such a tight field too!

          1. Thank you Robert.

       2. Thank You very much Rich.

12. all day planting flowers
    filling the holes
    of depression
    .
    Ronald K. Craig
    .
    Some things just jump out at me…
    .
    planting flowers
    all day filling the holes
    of depression
    .
    I think this word order has a greater separation of joy and sadness, heightening the experience. Or, if the general dullness of senses is the desired effect, just combine the final two lines into one.
    .
    all day planting flowers
    filling the holes of depression

13. Thank-you Kathy for publishing mine.

    1. Congratulations on your senryu in the H. Gene Murtha contest!

14. Selecting one from so many quality haiku is always a challenge.
    John’s one this week created a stir. Leaving me with a feeling of freshness and renewal as we move from spring to summer.

    new growth
    the seasons turn
    through spokes of light

    john hawkhead

    1. summer
       a cartwheel
       I could never do
       .
       –bottle rockets, 21, Summer 2009

       1. laughter lines
          how winter breaks
          the sun
          .

15. behind iron lace
    he brings her
    punnets of strawberries
    .
    nancy liddle
    .
    The beautiful window grills? caught my eye when I first saw the photo, and can anyone share what the little signs say? Loved the romantic image of baskets of berries and a lacey wrought iron fence.
    .
    courtyard
    echos of the soft footfall
    of nostalgia
    .
    Vandana Parashar
    .
    This one moved me.
    .
    the sculptor’s cart in repose
    once cradled
    his alabaster stones
    .
    Vicki Miko
    .
    The history and image is a surprising contrast to the more fragile plants.
    .
    Ron Craig’s “…filling the holes….” is relatable as I use gardening as therapy. Thus the need to trim the grocery budget.

    1. Thank you, Debbie, for your thoughtful comment!
       I too noticed the filigree windows, each different, perhaps a sculptor’s showcase of work now a historical landmark. Maybe the “little signs” name and describe the sculptor’s inspiration behind each window.

    2. thanks for your appreciation – the windows caught my attention immediately too

       1. Debbie, Vicki, nancy – I believe those windows are called leak windows – this photo was taken at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden in Vancouver, a classical Chinese garden (after the Haiku Canada Weekend last May a group of us went there) – absolutely beautiful!

          1. Thanks for that info, kjmunro! It would be interesting to know the origin of the name. Chinese garden house sundrops leak in stenciled patterns.

16. thanks to all for the warm welcome back! I enjoyed my “time off”, & accomplished a lot, but it is wonderful to be reading all your poems again, & especially seeing so many familiar names, & new names too…
    thanks, as always, to Alan Summers, & to Laurie Greer, & all who have commented so far…
    I particularly like the variety of responses – how poets veer off in different directions – Lucy Whitehead’s ‘widow’s yard’ which adds a layer of meaning to the image; the possible financial implications of the flea market & the grocery list, the rusty spokes & spokes of light, depression, writer’s block, a playground, assisted living, & a headstone, among many others…
    I also thought that Barbara Tate’s ‘flat’ could refer to a flat of bedding plants…
    looking forward to next week!

    1. Dear Kathy.
       Thank you for including mine.
       I look forward to your future photo prompts.

    2. Thanks for including mine!

    3. Thanks for including and commenting on mine, Kathy. Welcome back! 🙂

    4. Yep! I saw a flat of flowers and a flat tire–both jumped right out at me… So happy you’re back

    5. thanks for including mine 😀

    6. Dear Kathy –
       Welcome back!
       I am truly honored that you included my haiku. Thank you😌
       Congratulations to all of the poets!

17. Dear Kathy,
    Profound thanks for including mine,. Reading all the wonderful writes. Here is my favorite, stemming from her keen observation, taking us all around as well.

    tricycle
    she takes the playground
    with her

    Marilyn Ashbaugh

18. Thank you so much Alan for the comment. I went over this pic with a magnifying glass–the flat tire jumped right out at me. Thank you Kathy and so happy to be back in the fold.

    1. Hi Barbara,
       .
       I love all kinds of haiku, and not just minimalist ones, but your tight composition, with bags of wonderful white space/negative space leapt out at me! 🙂
       .
       .
       summers end
       grandma stops by
       with a flat
       .
       Barbara Tate
       .
       .
       Ah, yes, photo prompts are always worth looking at by zooming in as well, and also “looking behind” the photo or frame. Kudos! 🙂

19. Thanks for the appreciation, Alan. And thanks so much, Katherine, for selecting my ku. A fine collection with which to kick-off your return!
    .
    Love Rich Schilling’s…..has a vaguely funereal feel:
    .
    retired rickshaw
    flowers in place
    of passengers
    .
    .
    Ronald K. Craig’s heartfelt:
    .
    all day planting flowers
    filling the holes
    of depression
    .
    brings to mind this of mine:
    .
    chocolate cosmos
    filling a hole
    for now
    .
    –FemkuMag, 7, December 2018
    .
    …..distraught minds dig alike!

    1. Ah yes, the holes in us and in time.
       .
       .
       As a former Bristol resident, you would have seen lots of Brittany French onion sellers crossing from Europe into Bristol and other places! 🙂
       .
       .
       two boys giggle
       as he enters the bike shop…
       the onion seller
       .
       Alan Summers
       Stepping Stones:  a way into haiku ed. Martin Lucas (British Haiku Society 2007)

    2. Thanks Helen! Now that you say it, it does sort of read like a funeral for the rickshaw.

       1. I was thinking more of its owner!

20. thanks, kj, for this richly suggestive photo–it’s always hard to know what detail to focus on. I love the range of responses: we all saw a different picture. Like too many comment on all, but here are few that jumped out–

    no moon night –
    the gardener brings home
    so many fireflies

    arvinder kaur
    Chandigarh, India

    *
    i love the firefly touch–of course! But hadn’t thought of it myself.
    *
    retired delivery bike
    spring sunlight
    through rusty spokes

    Greer Woodward
    Waimea, HI

    *
    wonderful perspective–the spokes! and nature making things new
    *
    third age –
    new horizons
    for a faithful friend

    Ingrid Baluchi
    Ohrid, Macedonia

    *
    full of warmth and a touch of poignancy–this is just beautiful, and nice reference to the three wheels with the third age. Works so well all around!
    *
    new growth
    the seasons turn
    through spokes of light

    john hawkhead

    another spokes-person! so rich in many kinds of cycles
    *
    widow’s yard
    a rusty old tricycle
    blooms

    Lucy Whitehead
    Essex, UK

    *
    always new life–love the beauty and hopefulness of this
    *
    slow travel
    unexpected
    growth

    Margaret Walker
    *
    great–we all need to slow down
    *
    tricycle
    she takes the playground
    with her

    Marilyn Ashbaugh
    *
    love this one too–and another great uses of the three wheels–“bike” wouldn’t accomplish what “tricycle” does with all its associations with childhood
    *
    out my window the multi-colored streak of a passing garden

    Mark Meyer
    *
    love the “passing garden”–here passing in several ways
    *
    assisted living
    he still brings her flowers
    each day

    Pris Campbell

    *
    flowers are one of the best assists to living!
    *
    all day planting flowers
    filling the holes
    of depression

    Ronald K. Craig
    Batavia, OH USA

    *
    here, too–flowers as healers
    *

    1. Thank you, Laurie. Appreciating all your comments – on mine as well as on other poems. I didn’t think of third age tying up with three wheels in your sense; simply an old tricycle reaching the ‘third age’ and its possible continued usefulness. Maybe I had U3A (University of the Third Age) in mind!
       It’s a wonderful learning process understanding how we each view the work chosen, and how much this broadens out the subject/photo prompt with all the variety of responses offered.
       Thank you kj for this exciting new start again, and for choosing one of mine.

    2. Thank you so much Laurie for the appreciation. Warm regards, arvinder

    3. Laurie, thank you for commenting on my “slow travel”. It is so fascinating to see the different interpretations of a single photo.

    4. Thank you, Laurie, for your insightful comments!

       Kathy, welcome back!

    5. Thanks so much for your comment on my haiku Laurie!

21. Enjoy the short film Bicycle (Jitensha) which was premiered in my part of England in a joint city Japanese arts festival that I was co-director:
    https://www.viddsee.com/video/noodle-deli/0mxdt?

    .
    .

    Also who can forget Syd Barret’s Bike song when he was still with Pink Floyd!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBCctL88dRk
    .
    .

    As per usual, a lot of excellent work on the theme of the photograph:
    .
    .

     
    no moon night –
    the gardener brings home
    so many fireflies
    .
    arvinder kaur
    Chandigarh, India
    .
    .
    Love ‘no moon’ night! And the gardener bringing home ‘so many’ fireflies’ What a gorgeous phrase to go with the first line.
    .
    .

     
    summers end
    grandma stops by
    with a flat
    .
    Barbara Tate
    .
    .
    Well spotted, it’s a flat tire! 🙂 I love that two line phrase after the opening line. Both sections of the haiku suggest so much within its negative/white space. Love it! 🙂
    .
    .
     

     
    last stop:
    a red flower before leaving
    .
    Giuliana Ravaglia
    .
    .
    It’s not as easy as it appears to accomplish a good two line haiku in English. This succeeds beautifully! 🙂 Packed with gorgeous negative space rather than defaulting to an overlong second/last line, this is quite briliant! 🙂
    .
    .

     
    leaving the gallery
    cross-hatched in shadow
    and light
    .
    Helen Buckingham
    .
    .
    Lots of light, visuals, and atmosphere! 🙂
    .
    .
     
    new growth
    the seasons turn
    through spokes of light
    .
    john hawkhead
    .
    .
    Beautiful, with a stunning last line!
    .
    .

     
    bicycle wagon
    the plants
    have my back
    .
    Laurie Greer
    Washington DC
    .
    .
    Brilliant! Those last two lines pack a punch beyond their mere count of five.
    .
    .
     
    widow’s yard
    a rusty old tricycle
    blooms
    .
    Lucy Whitehead
    Essex, UK
    .
    .
    A fresh and original opening line. I can imagine an enclave of widows looking after each other and refreshing the flowers on that bicycle.
    .
    .
     
    flea market –
    all my plans
    for the spring garden
    .
    Madhuri Pillai
    .
    .
    I remember my first flea market in a part of London. I might have even caught a few when I went into a side shop of old men’s clothes. 🙂 Lovely haiku!
    .
    .

     
    slow travel
    unexpected
    growth
    .
    Margaret Walker
    .
    .
    Works brilliantly well with the photograph! On its own I can imagine someone deciding to make a life-changing holiday, at a slow pace, not rushing each place they visit.
    .
    .

     
    tricycle
    she takes the playground
    with her
    .
    Marilyn Ashbaugh
    .
    .
    I love those last two lines! Fresh, original, affirming.
    .
    .

     
    out my window the multi-colored streak of a passing garden
    .
    Mark Meyer
    .
    .
    A successfully long monostich (aka monoku) that takes the pace of a fast bike ride, as long as you didn’t do a Chris Froome!
     .
    .

    assisted living
    he still brings her flowers
    each day
    .
    Pris Campbell
    .
    .
    I like that we are allowed to imagine a different kind of person, be it a son; a sibling; a husband; a lover; or even childhood admirer! 🙂
    .
    .

    peddling into the wind
    bees hold tight
    to the flowers
    .
    Rehn Kovacic
    .
    .
    Intriguing. I couldn’t be sure if peddling was chosen over pedaling? If it is a typo, it’s a great one, keep it! I can imagine the bees taking their goods of pollen to ‘a different place’! 🙂
    .
    .

    noun
    noun: peddling
    the activity of selling an illegal drug or stolen item.

    or
    ‘to sell things, especially by taking them to different place ‘
    .
    .
    pedalling
    noun
    noun: pedalling; noun: pedaling
    1. 
the action of working the pedals of a bicycle.
     .
    .

    retired rickshaw
    flowers in place
    of passengers
    .
    Rich Schilling
    Webster Groves, MO
    .
    .
    I love how that middle line works! It’s more than just a pivot/hinge line, as is real beauty of line placement. Brilliant! 🙂
    .
    .

    retirement bash –
    the jade sculptor’s
    rested tools
    .
    Robert Kingston
    .
    .
    I love how you have gone “behind the picture” in this!
    Brilliant!!! 🙂
    .
    .
     
    unclaimed bike –
    the pink flowers belong
    to everyone
    .
    robyn brooks
    usa
    .
    .
    Great opening line, and each line powers ahead, brilliant! Enjoy the short film above! 🙂
    .
    .
     
    all day planting flowers
    filling the holes
    of depression
    .
    Ronald K. Craig
    Batavia, OH USA
    .
    .
    Powerful work, and so apt, topic, and accurate, and a great haiku. You should also send this to a gardening or health journal.
    .
    .

     
    writer’s block
    the symmetry
    in the overlook
    .
    simonj
    UK
    .
    .
    Ah, spot on! And were you perhaps uncharacteristically starting to vacuum the room, and wash up the dishes, even next door’s dishes? 🙂
    .
    .
    Great set, wish I could comment on everyone’s!
    .
    .

    1. peddling into the wind
       bees hold tight
       to the flowers
       .
       Rehn Kovacic

       I thought of someone selling plants, so ‘peddling’ came to me first. But, as you say, Alan, both (verbs?) work well.
       Amusing thought that bees would have to hold on tightly, as if they needed to, even withstanding the speed of an old tricycle.

    2. Many great ku in the first of this series, and I enjoyed your comments too, Alan.

       May I also suggest an Italian movie “Bicycle thieves”. A must see!

       http://www.criterionchannel.com/bicycle-thieves

       1. Hi Michael,
          .
          A very famous film!
          .
          .
          A landmark of humanist filmmaking, Bicycle Thieves was a key work in the 1940s, enjoy the whole movie! 🙂
          .
          .
          Bicycle Thieves
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQc12Zy-qI

    3. Thanks Alan for appreciating and your comments that I value a lot. Best regards, arvinder

       1. My pleasure Arvinder!
          .
          .
          no moon night –
          the gardener brings home
          so many fireflies
          .
          arvinder kaur
          Chandigarh, India
          .
          .
          I love that it’s a night of the new moon, which we know is confusing, as it means ‘no moon’! 🙂
          So the gardener bringing back moonlight via fireflies is magically beautiful!

    4. Thanks for your comment on my haiku, Alan! 🙂

    5. Thank you Alan for your kind words on mine.

    6. Talking of films…
       .
       Which film has an element of writer’s block?

       1. .
          I don’t know which one you are thinking of, but there’s these famous ones:
          https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/13780/top-5-writers-block-movies

          .
          .

    7. Dear Alan –
       I sincerely appreciate your kind and generous words. Thank you😌
       And…thank you for the nudge to see the short film “Bicycle” (Jitensha)…it was very poignant and really moved me.

       1. Love that you enjoyed it! 🙂

Comments are closed.