still the spent firework's
cordite smell -
nest of serpents

in and out of the clouds
Orion -
the sound of a fox through the gale

the midnight church bells
soft then loud
gale force winds

distant tractor
each ruck in the earth
glinting its windows

Halloween disco
a witch plays air guitar
with her broom

the name
I didn't want to see -
bitter coffee

tinywords - call for submissions

As you may or may not know, I am on the editorial board of tinywords.

We invite you to contribute/submit to the next issue.

The theme for this issue will be "journeys." We’re looking for haiku, tanka and other tiny poems, short tanka prose and short haibun that take us somewhere — physical journeys, journeys of the spirit, life journeys.

We’re also interested in haiga and other art that combines very short poems with art. Surprise us with something exotic or let us see the familiar anew.

If you want to submit up to five pieces, you have until October 24.

Submissions can be made online at http://tinywords.com/submit/

turf smoke -
the shortcut
no shorter

the silence
of the house
after the airport -
I tidy away
your breakfast things

daydreamer sky
the right-angle bend
in a contrail

(a re-worked oldie)

airborne again -
the roadkill's
feathers

road trip
at the end of the argument
a patch of blue

evening's end -
the whisper
of a breeze
and my thoughts
turn to ghosts

sleepover
the smallest child
snores loudest

minimalism
the gallery
loo

[both published in Blithe Spirit 21:1]

glowering skies
the girl at the gate
beckons the horse


[published - Presence #43]

chatter of sparrows
in the midst of it
the new neighbour's wind chimes

Postcard from NYC

on the steps of St Patrick's
a cop watches over
the flock of tourists

Poem a Month

I'm going to be in New York for a few days. I may post here if I feel inspired and have the time.

In the meantime, you may be interested to know that I have guest edited the June, British Haiku Society edition of Derbyshire Libraries' Poem a Month.

The June edition will be published on June 1st and you can even subscribe to have a monthly poem delivered to your inbox.

For more information, visit the Poem a Month website

Occasionally I read through some of my old haiku that have been published and I come across one that nags at me and I have to sit down and rework it several times before I can let it settle. More often than not, I end up dissatisfied, but occasionally I end up happier with the new version. When this happens, it's like something has clicked into place...

the heather still in bloom -
we take Mum the long way
back to the hospice


(The original version was published in 3Lights)

weaving its way
through the rush hour traffic
a white butterfly