Sound – Page 27 – Iron Haiku

well after midnight
christmas eve fire in the hearth
burning down to ash
–
a warm hearth-
ashes mix with
the falling snow

leaving my baggage
there’s far too much to carry
along this journey
–
the river left behind-
ewer water
darkens the road

my eyelids heavy
weighed down by lies from the past
that I can’t escape
–
dark skies-
mountain rains
flood the valley

lonely red roses
walked off from the outside by
a thicket of thorns
–
the sun
our children at play
in the back yard

running through the woods
peep frogs fall silent as I
pass by unannounced
–
frozen breath-
the sun rises
to greet me

black potbellied stove-
the evening’s load of firewood
stacked up along side
–
stars in the sand-
our fire stoked
by the ocean breeze

autumn afternoon-
driving home in the dark past
drifts of wind blown leaves
–
light snow-
a swirl of
amber leaves

whispers of thunder
dry lightning in distant hills
the rain long absent
–
autumn hills-
ashes rain
on the valley

hard rain pelts the trees-
a hummingbird takes shelter
on my windowsill
–
desert noon-
seeking shelter
beneath the sand

gauzy hardwood smoke
rises into the night air
obscuring the moon
–
drifting embers-
folding chairs
around the fire