harvest
the grape pickers' song
rings through the valley
one free afternoon . . . the wide open sky
chianti evening a bonfire of old vines
at every watering trough
the disappearing legs
of frogs
day's end
kicking the dust
from my boots
Skipping stones skim the water's surface in a moment of brilliance, propelled by a flick of the wrist, the perfect combination of the forces of man and nature. In the same way, the Skipping Stones' haiku is illuminated by the 'aha' moment, the moment that evokes an immediate response and feeling of connection in the reader. Luckily, unlike their namesakes, these haiku won't disappear below the surface, but remain online so that we can revisit them again and again.
I'd like to thank the Skipping Stones haiku group for inviting me to be guest editor for their second issue. As a member of another online workshop the 'Zazen Haiku Group' I'm well aware how valuable such workshops are. It's been a pleasure corresponding with Chad, Jason, Rob and Scott via email. I wish all Stones continued success.
I'm sure you'll enjoy this collection of haiku as much as I enjoyed selecting them. The quality speaks for itself.
Vanessa Proctor
first day of class
the English teacher
tightens her bun
CLR
new haircut the windsock shifts
JSB
kiteless
i close my eyes
SM
warming milk -
birdsong cuts through
the baby monitor
RS
a truck delivering mirrors the first cherry blossoms
SM
one of those days
then I see it
odd socks
RS
all the things
I might have done
advertisement blimp
JSB
at the height
of her youth
my grandma's bouffant
CLR
springsnowcllngingtoher
SM
house inspection day
the vacuum cleaner cord
at full stretch
RS
long wet day the buddha's shine
RS
end of spring
we may
or may not
SM
bird chatter
the days pass by
aimlessly
JSB
Buddha's birthday-
we do nothing
but sit
CLR
laughing mountain-
I throw the I-ching
JSB
the runner on first
flirting with second...
fireflies
CLR
this time the cicada follows me
JSB
summer moon-
her eyelashes touch
the telescope lens
CLR
through a hole
in the sky
rattlesnake prayers
JSB
oppressive heat
the weightlifter emerges
from a cloud of chalk
CLR
in the words
of my father...
summer wind
CLR
cloudy moon
the close fragrance
of deadheaded roses
RS
crickets
passing car
crickets
RS
home from vacation-
I push the trip button
back to zero
CLR
rice
harvester
idling
frogs
SM
wind in the tall grass...
an old blue car
almost in motion
CLR
divorce papers arrive-
a passing truck hauls
a twisted wreck
RS
A-bomb dome
all the dandelions
gone to seed
SM
high wind I collect coyote cries
JSB
our words
the weight of the sea
on the unopened clam
JSB
moss garden
her hand
in mine
SM
falling leaves
the toddler leaps
from the bottom step
CLR
autumn wind has the neighbor's flag always been there
SM
fuel gauge full-
driving dad's car
to his funeral
RS
winter moonlight-
a nail hole in the wall
above her dresser
SM
rain gives way to sun
the path to goal
sharpens
RS
low clouds-
this captive stone
has released its god
JSB
bare trees
the rattle
of possums
RS
I have
learned nothing...
of winter stars
JSB
museum
stone
god
where
did all
the little
pieces
go
SM
harvest
the grape pickers' song
rings through the valley
one free afternoon . . . the wide open sky
chianti evening a bonfire of old vines
at every watering trough
the disappearing legs
of frogs
day's end
kicking the dust
from my boots
full moon
the baby's first
kick
RS
the word for sunrise on the tip of Masako's tongue
SM
autumn evening
the clink of carnival rings
on empty bottles
CLR
I bring things unsaid
to a wake
of buzzards
JSB
The authors are grateful to the editors of the following journals in which some of the these poems first appeared.
Acorn: a journal of contemporary haiku (Rob Scott, Scott Metz)
The Heron's Nest (Chad Lee Robinson)
Frogpond: The Journal of the Haiku Society of America (Jason Sanford Brown, Chad Lee Robinson, Rob Scott)
Mainichi Daily News (Chad Lee Robinson)
Modern Haiku (Chad Lee Robinson, Scott Metz)
Paper Wasp: a Journal of Haiku (Rob Scott)
Snapshots (Chad Lee Robinson)
WISTERIA: A Journal of Haiku, Senryu & Tanka (Chad Lee Robinson)
Once again, The Skipping Stones thank you for taking the time to read our poetry. We hope something has touched you in such a way that it draws you back for rereadings and future issues (#3, hopefully, sometime before the year of the boar turns into the rat). We apologize for the gap of time between the first and second issues. This amount of time, however, has made it possible to present to you #1 and #2 in their complete forms. All of the poems Fay and Vanessa chose are there (in the case of #2, in the exact order Vanessa chose) and nothing else needs to be added to them. If possible, please take a look back at our first issue. Tanoshinde kudasai! (Enjoy!)
theskippingstones [aaatttt] gmail[dot!]com