Haiku


From Morning at Mount Ring
Haiku and senryu poems by Anatoly Kudryavitsky
DOGHOUSE Books, Ireland, 2007
All rights reserved




summer night -
blossoming in the pond,
water-lilies and stars


(A prize-winning haiku at the Smurfit-Samhain International Haiku Competition 2005)



a leaflet about
behaviour on the streets -
the wind feels it all over



autumn wind...
I yearn for the place
from where it blows


After Minamoto Masakane (1079 – 1143)
(First published in ''Presence'', England)



the doors creak softly:
sleepwalking in my house,
moonlight


(First published in The SHOp, Cork)



an aspen
outside the Deutsche Bank
counting its leaves



exploring a length of breath autumn wind



bamboo stems -
their memories
of the sun


(three haiku first published in Roadrunner, February 2007)



river mist
barges transport coal
in both directions



autumn dusk
a cat rubs its shadow
against fishermen''s legs



no mushrooms today -
bringing home in my bucket
rainwater and stars



sunset in the park -
a man playing giant chess
against his shadow



icy beach
a child treads upon
broken bits of seashells


(five haiku first published in Haiku Scotland No 12)



murmuring surge
mussel shells
slightly open


(first published in Chrysanthemum No 2, Austria/Germany)



between snowfalls:
the moon through
cherry blossom petals


(honourable mention haiku at Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2007)



hazel catkins
in the mizzling rain…
a long, long dream



clouds spreading
over the evening stars…
first fireflies



raindrops in the cobweb
each fostering
a tiny sun



autumn loneliness
two dragonflies watch a distant
helicopter



autumn storm
a cormorant sits
on the throne of winds



last slices of moonshine –
silverside fish
in the mirror pool



heavy with snow,
barley bows to landing
snowflakes



mountain tarweed –
touching the flowers
smelling my fingers



evening mist…
in the mirror, the pallor
of ancient faces



outside the opera-house –
a songbird singing
Chi sono? Chi sono?



walking barefoot…
sunbeams dart from
wet acorn cups



boat race canal
pond-skaters crossing
the moon

Anatoly Kudryavitsky on haiku writing in Ireland


Q. (Olive Broderick) What is the reason for the increasing popularity of the haiku form here? If indeed you agree at all with that statement.

A. (Anatoly Kudryavitsky) The increasing popularity of haiku in Ireland reflects a similar process that has been going on in most English-speaking countries over the last few decades. Ireland in particular provides the rich diversity of species of wild flora and fauna, so our Irish haijin (haiku poets) always have something to write about.

Q. What is it that is particularly attractive to yourself (or beyond) about haiku as a genre?

A. What makes haiku writing so attractive to me is the variety of options a haiku poet has, and the possibility of saying everything in just three lines. I somehow have a feeling that William Blake was talking about haiku vision when he said 'To see a world in a grain of sand, / and a heaven in a wild flower.' Because this is always the first step in the process of creating haiku. The rest is about finding a proper wording for a particular piece.