haiku poetry - bird haiku

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Bird Haiku by Edward Weiss Copyright © 2006 by Edward Weiss All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. Published by Wisteria Press, 2560 C Street, San Diego, California 92102. www.wisteriapress.com Printed in the United States of America ISBN 1-4276-0935-7 First Edition

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Celebrate our fine feathered friends with these haiku poems by Edward Weiss

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Page 1: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Bird Haikuby Edward Weiss

Copyright © 2006 by Edward Weiss

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information

storage and retrieval system without permission

in writing from the publisher.

Published by Wisteria Press, 2560 C Street, San

Diego, California 92102.www.wisteriapress.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 1-4276-0935-7

First Edition

Page 2: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

FOREWORD

POETRY AND NATURE. Two things that naturally

go together. If you're looking for nature poems that

really get it, so to speak, look no further than haiku!

Why? Because haiku is especially suited for

describing nature. For example, take a look at these

two nature poems by the author:

Nature Poem #1

Egrets move

through the marsh...

morning clouds

Here we have "egrets" as our subject. Beautiful birds

that most people either have seen in a picture or are

familiar with. In just 7 words a picture is created.

And not just any picture but a complete scene!

First we have the phrase "egrets move through the

marsh." Nothing special in itself. But, when we

combine this with the fragment "morning clouds,"

we get a picture of place and time - a sense of

something happening. What economy and word

pruning this is!

Nature poems by western writers may contain

hundreds of words but For sheer size and power,

nothing beats the haiku!

Here's another example of a nature poem:

Nature Poem #2

Winter shoreline --

sandpipers dart

into the water

In this nature poem we have the fragment first

instead of the phrase. The fragment is like the

background of a painting…it sets the mood of

the poem. The words "winter shoreline" conjure

an image of a quiet beach perhaps. Or it could be

something else entirely.

This is the beauty of haiku. It doesn't tell you so

much as show you what is happening.

Interpretation is left to the reader's imagination.

Enjoy the book … Edward Weiss

Page 3: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Quiet spring morning

Carefully cleaning each feather

A scrub jay

Marsh grass

Surrounds the egret…

Spring rain

Gray forest --

Deep inside the cedar

A hornbill

Page 4: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Clear fall skies --

The slow steady wingbeat

Of a heron

Autumn fog --

Sitting on the porch light

A house finch

Ducks skitter

Across the lake…

Winter light

Page 5: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Sunrise --

Golden eagles soar

On the thermals

Stifling July heat --

A wren hops

From rock to rock

Quiet forest --

A piece of straw falls

Off the robins nest

Page 6: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Ducks move

Through the marsh…

Morning light

Beside an iris --

The buzz

Of hummingbird wings

Arctic sunlight -

An emperor penguin

Heads towards the sea

Page 7: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Summer evening --

Slowly opening its eyes

A heron chick

Puffins breed

Along the shore…

Northern light

Thunderclap --

Robins vanish

In the brambles

Page 8: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Southern inlet --

Pelicans scoop up

Fish

Cold drizzle --

A purple martin

Peeks from the nestbox

Deep winters cold --

Penguins huddle

On the ice

Page 9: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Misty day --

A nuthatch

Hops down the tree

Forest floor --

Patches of sunlight

Drape the grouse

Still spring morning --

The fragile white shell

Of robin's eggs

Page 10: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Quail scavenge

For bits of corn…

Early autumn

Forest mist --

Beside the redwood

Two bluejays

Cold snap --

Cardinals search

For seeds

Page 11: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Approaching rain --

Hiding seeds in the tree

A nuthatch

March wind --

Wrens peck

At a millet strip

Snowstorm --

A piece of fruit

In the robin's beak

Page 12: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

November light --

A crow crisps

A red leaf

Orioles feast

On soaked raisins…

Winter's end

Red berries

Hang over the blackbird…

Autumn light

Page 13: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Nightfall --

From the spruce tree

Robin calls

Cold April morn --

Through the mist

A pair of geese

Cloudburst --

A toucan

Opens its beak

Page 14: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Dawn

So quiet against the snow

An arctic tern

Summer showers --

Between rain-soaked leaves

A hyacinth macaw

Crows gather

Inside a balsam fir…

Winter air

Page 15: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Hot summer day --

On the thinnest of twigs

A hummingbird

Winter landscape --

By the pumpkin patch

Two ravens

Sundown --

A flock of swallows

Circle the roost

Page 16: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

So red against

The ground…

A summer tanager

Spring woodland --

Between pine branches

The bulky nest of a grackle

Misty fall day --

A northern cardinal

Whistles

Page 17: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Fall sky --

Inside the hollyhock

A hummingbird

Winter woods --

A flock of waxwings

Strip fruit off the tree

A yellow warbler

Fly's into deep brush…

Spring rain

Page 18: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Cool morning lake --

The long red legs

Of an ibis

Afternoon heat --

A kingfisher

Plunges into water

Summer forest --

A red-eyed vireo

Takes flight

Page 19: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Dead of winter --

In the frost covered oak

A crow's nest

On the ash tree

Unseen for hours…

A woodpecker

Winter silence --

Snow falls

On an oriole's nest

Page 20: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

The familiar sound

Of distant crows…

November rain

Summer storm --

Drinking from a shallow stream

Sparrows

Spring moon --

The soft song

Of newly born birds

Page 21: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Cold January night

Out of the Sitka spruce

Bird song!

Summer rain --

A blackbird sings

Sporadically

Still autumn night

Looming in the tree

A great horned owl

Page 22: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

August moonlight --

On the spruce branch

A sparrow holds tight

A pelican

Grooms its wings…

Morning stillness

Cool fall day --

A wedge of geese

Vanish behind clouds

Page 23: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Wet gray branches

Surround the robin…

Winter thaw

Frigid December --

Beside dry oak leaves

A red-winged blackbird

Afternoon silence --

Broad green leaves

Hide the finch

Page 24: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Summer showers

Inside the rose bush

Sparrows

Arctic dusk

Barely noticeable on the tree

A snowy owl

Morning light

By the honeysuckle

A ruby-throated hummingbird

Page 25: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Summer showers

Inside the rose bush

Sparrows

The deep black plumage

Of an ostrich…

Evening light

Rainy spring day

A house finch

At the feeder

Page 26: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Summer meadow --

Landing on the deer's back

A magpie

Autumn clouds

Slowly preening itself on the pine

An oriole

Fall sunrise --

The raspy call

Of a scrub jay

Page 27: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Cold gray sky --

Crows gather

Under the pine

Winter sky --

The wide ranging circles

Of a red tailed hawk

Still afternoon --

A goldfinch

Rustles in the weeds

Page 28: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Still morning --

Loons wade through

Reeds

Silent wetlands --

An avocet swings its bill

Back and forth

Autumn chill --

Grebes sunbathe

On the lake

Page 29: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Fall afternoon --

The sound of a woodpecker

Tapping

Dry forest floor --

A wood thrush

Scatters leaves

Evening stillness --

A blue grosbeak

Surveys the field

Page 30: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Drenching spring rain --

A shrike

Shakes its feathers

Dusk --

Pursuing insects for hours

A nighthawk

Nightfall --

White-throated swifts

Enter the roost

Page 31: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

January snowfall --

A cardinal moves

Up the branch

Quiet fall night --

The delicate whoosh

Of owl wings

Forest pond --

Diving in feet first

An osprey

Page 32: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Mid-morning hush

Now and then…

Birdsong

Ducks paddle

Towards the swamp…

Calm afternoon

Tepid summer breeze --

A cuckoo

Motionless on the branch

Page 33: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Sitting in the pine

Perfectly camouflaged

A barred owl

February sky --

A golden eagle

Spirals out of sight

Woodpecker taps

Echo through the trees…

Autumn woods

Page 34: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Bright autumn sun --

Tundra swans

Sleep on the lake

First light --

The faint sound

Of waking sparrows

Sunset --

A flock of snow geese

Descend on the marsh

Page 35: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Silent morning --

A great egret

Steps towards the stream

Clear April sky --

Chasing fish underwater

A cormorant

Summer drizzle --

A blue-footed booby

Comes ashore

Page 36: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

Spring breeze --

Rustling in the thicket

A wood thrush

Daybreak --

Yodeling on the lake

A common loon

Winter wind --

A crow drifts

From pine to pine

Page 37: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku

A turnstone

Flips over shore rocks…

Summer sea

December rain --

Nesting in the tree cavity

A screech owl

Midnight --

Unheard in the forest

Sleeping birds

Page 38: Haiku Poetry - Bird Haiku