Yerry Hill Road Haiku

A Mysterious Portal

2009-06-17T15:39:00.008-04:00

Every summer for the past twenty-three summers I have left the mountains of Woodstock and my beloved Yerry Hill Road to travel two hundred miles south to Elmer, New Jersey and Appel Farm Arts Camp where I am the head counselor and one of five theater directors. I do it again and leave Yerry Hill Road Haiku until late August. Hopefully, I will make entries in my blog, Haiku to You Too (http://haikutoyouto.blogspot.com/) although life at camp is rather consuming. To all who read this, have a wonderful summer.

Bird squeaks in a bush;
Car hums to stop at sign;
Plane, oh so far up.

Cow in the front yard
Busily munches the grass;
Beats mowing the lawn.

Above the swift stream
Clusters of white flowers hang
To look in mirror.

They are not modest
These daisies by the roadside
Thrusting faces out.

Deep in the forest
Discarded furniture sits--
Ghostly tea party.

Shadows on the leaves
Assume their own leaf like shapes
Deceiving the eye.

Old wood cellar door--
A mysterious portal,
Opens to darkness.

Puffs float through the air
As white and light as snow flakes
Carrying their seeds.

Squandering Shadows

2009-06-16T18:06:00.011-04:00

Everything's glistening;
The banister and the road.
Radio in barn.

Relaxed in shadows
The gray and white cat sits still.
Nobody disturbs it.

Drops fall on water,
Shining and rippling--
Rain pond by the road.

Little white fingers
Reaching up from the flat leaves
Shake hands with the sun.

Thick gray clouds move in;
Woods become dark and muted;
World is all moisture.

Latched onto the tree
New brown fungus has sprouted
In a day's twinkling.

Bell shaped and puckered
Small flowers wait for a kiss
Or a pop from a child.

As fast as it left
Warm sun returns to the road
Squandering shadows.

Like a Falling Leaf

2009-06-08T09:11:00.009-04:00

Near my porch lattice
Bright buttercups have sprung up.
Who invited them?

Mabel sleeps in the sun
Kids hunting wild strawberries;
Daisies raise their heads.

Small kids chattering;
Excitement is contagious;
Cause doesn't matter.

Like a falling leaf
Brown butterfly lights on grass
And melts into it.

Bulky, gray and old
Mailbox sits propped on a pole;
(It cannot stay there).

Wherever you look
There are stands of purple phlox;
Nobody planted them.

Peeking from the tree
White blooms wrap around branches--
Mutual support.

Coming from the woods
A soft hollow echoing--
A breeze or a stream.

2009-06-07T17:47:00.011-04:00

Voices in the breeze
Fade swiftly in the dim air.
Plane buzzes above.

Daisies near the pond;
Robin sits on a fence pole;
Dogs howl far away.

Under the green leaves
The sound of running water;
It's the hidden stream.

Peeking from the tree
A bushy cluster of ferns
Taking shelter there.

Grayness and sunshine
Follow each other smoothly;
Ever shifting moods.

Belle loves to play fetch
But never gives the stick back.
(She has her own rules).

A car rushed towards me
Swerving at the last second.
Random violent act?

Sparkling soft and white;
Perched gently between the leaves.
Is it fairy spit?

2009-06-06T12:43:00.011-04:00

Kids' shouts through the trees;
Little girl on tricycle
Screams down the driveway.

The sun is muted
As soft clouds blanket the sky.
White daisies tremble.

White and violet,
Hidden in a cloak of green--
Early June palette.

Orange poppies grow
Vibrant and luxuriant
Watched by a stone saint.

The sun dappled woods
Seem to extend forever
On patches of light.

Freed of its litter
The hollow welcomes shadows
And patterns of light.

The fierce monster stump
Softened by pale green leaves--
Translucent nimbus.

Whirring into shadows
Bicyclist glides down the hill
Swiftly vanishing.

A Time of Two Worlds

2009-06-02T19:24:00.011-04:00

Late afternoon sun
Lays soft shadows all about.
Whisper of evening.

In the softening light
White seed puffs become reborn
At the sun's pleasure.

Now the stream is dark;
Its whispers mysterious;
Evening grows cool.

Patches of sunshine
Light up the darkening woods.
Insistent chain saw.

Standing at the bend
Lit up in a patch of light
Woman and a dog.

Darkness descending--
Road is the first to grow dim;
Tree tops still catch sun.

For a brief instant
A fleeting shadow shocks me;
I see it is mine.

Woods are growing dark;
Still sun refuses to leave--
A time of two worlds.

Always More Shadows

2009-06-01T09:57:00.013-04:00

Crisp sun, sharp shadows;
Buttercups gleam in the light.
Cool breeze waves the grass.

Munching on the lawn
She is beyond contentment.
There's grass to be chewed.

Just around the bend
There are surely more shadows;
Always more shadows.

Me and the shadows
Placed side by side on the road.
(I have the camera).

The plane is so high
You just can hear its rumble.
Bird lands like a leaf.

Blooming in the shade--
The delicate white flowers
Get what sun they can.

Late bloom daffodils
Wave in the breezes of June;
Know no calendar.

Woodpecker and plane
Filling the air with their sounds
Don't hear each other.

2009-05-30T08:51:00.011-04:00

Bright flecks of sunlight;
Shy purple rhododendron
All in my front yard.

Clouds and sun play tag;
Buttercups shine anyway;
Hens cluck and chuckle.

Background stream music;
Patches of talk from a house;
Silent shadows fall.

Chatting with neighbor
Next to his magic moss lawn;
We are happy guests.

On the dark dirt path
Green glistening reflections:
A small mud puddle.

Serrated and green
Fern bouquet unfolds in the woods;
Slight breeze shakes the leaves.

Pastel violet blooms;
Soft unfolding mullein leaves;
Unceasing bird chirp.

Part of the tree now
Old phone book wedged in the limbs;
Wood to wood. Amen!

2009-05-22T14:37:00.008-04:00

Lawn mower humming;
Mama cow stands in barn door;
Her baby has gone.

Hanging from the fence,
A purple flower bouquet--
Garnishing of Spring.

Flowers are humming;
Bees suck the last lilac blooms
As busy as their sound.

Bend beckons again,
Marked by dark transient shadows;
Mystery ahead.

The forest is still;
Only shadows play in it,
Without a murmur.

Sweet smells in the air;
Flowers and trees spread their seed.
My nose is itching.

Deep hollow thumping--
Woodpecker on a bass drum.
He thinks it's a tree.

Solitary leaf
Emerges from the thin vine
As it climbs the tree.

Kiss of the Morning

2009-05-21T11:55:00.011-04:00

A light rippling breeze
Caresses my nose and lips--
Kiss of the morning.

Shining in the sun
A single yellow flower
Billowing brightness.

Basking in the shade,
Deep blue flowers assemble
Absorbing the dark.

Is it magic moss
Or the light play of shadows
On enchanted lawn?

They are all over
These shadows that paint the road;
Servants of the sun.

Below large green pine
Small brown seedling stands dying,
Much too close to home.

Mysterious pond
Dark, deep, filled with reflections,
Two feet off the road.

Woodpecker drills hard
His pointed beak hammers loud.
Does he wear ear plugs?

On a collision course
Butterfly heads straight towards me,
Swerves and flutters by.

Shouts in the Sunshine

2009-05-20T08:52:00.011-04:00

Shouts in the sunshine--
Kids in pre school play unseen.
From barn--radio.

The rough open barn door--
Amber glimpse of the front yard
Darkness looking out.

How fast the cars race
Whizzing past dandelion;
Deaf to the bird chirps.

Little black insects
Enjoy the shade of the trees
(And my eyes and nose.)

Dandelion bee
Crawls slowly over yellow.
Dead bunny in road.

White and yellow rule;
Little blue flowers catch up--
Nature's color war.

Many shades of green
Shift in the morning sun's rays;
Shadows through the leaves.

Somewhere a drum throbs;
Above, a plan hums loudly;
Flatbed roars to work.

2009-05-18T10:33:00.009-04:00

A gray morning chill;
Lilacs glow in the dim air;
All the birds are hushed.

Across the slate sky
Two wild geese fly honking--
Flapping silhouettes.

She doesn't do much,
Mabel--silly Basset hound;
She knows how to bark.

On the old tree trunk
Flecks of red and white paper,
A long vanished sign.

Cluster of green leaves
Billowing open and lush
Burst out overnight.

Strange indigo stalks
Springing up on the road side4
Bear fluted flowers.

Raging waterfall
Tumbles down furiously--
Roadside rivulet.

Pale violet flower
Grows by itself near the road--
Single radiance.

Watching new born goat
As it drinks from its mother:
Two sets of kids here.

2009-05-16T09:27:00.005-04:00

Lilacs grow like weeds
Appearing in new places,
A sweet purple tide.

Two wooden lawn chairs
Sitting as in communion
Reflect their owners.

It's darker than dusk;
Not a break in the thick sky.
Breeze carries sweetness.

Little white puff balls
Flowing out across the lawn:
Dandelion waves.

Eerie soft whirring--
Bicyclist whizzes past me
Whispering passage.

Flowers are humming;
Petals are shaking and trembling.
The bees are a blur.

Gone are the shadows;
Sharpness of sunlight gave way
To subdued softness.

Solitary drop
Lands, wet and cool, on my nose--
Instant refreshment.

Mirrored, Shifting, Clear

2009-05-15T11:01:00.009-04:00

Shiny water sheen
Glistens on the morning leaves.
Birds chirp and chatter.

Up on the dirt road
Black and white cat suns itself.
Nearby, hens cackle.

Three kinds of yellow
Are sprinkled across the field.
Above, lone goose honks.

Mirrored, shifting clear
Stream murmurs through lush green banks
Mumbling endlessly.

A mist of pale blue--
Small flowers suffuse the woods
Daunting the camera.

From small white petals
Tiny yellow blooms peek out--
A delicate reach.

Cluster of pale pink
Blushes in the morning sun.
There are no others.

Drops of water hang
From the tips of the lilacs.
Then the sun comes out.

A Still May Morning

2009-05-13T09:19:00.000-04:00

A still May morning;
Birds are muted, plane hums far;
Sky is endless blue.

Stopping and talking
My walk is interrupted;
My heart is lifted.

Nestled in shadows
He strides swiftly on the road--
Purposeful saunter.
\

One yellow blossom
Peeks out from the green leaves--
Small burst of sunshine.

Feathered pointed ferns
Wave gently in the forest
Bobbing in the breeze.

Soft dappled shadows
Guide the path into the woods:
Stepping stones of light.

Siren rises, falls;
Woodpecker's hollow hammer;
All is still again.

Siren rises, falls;
Woodpecker's hollow hammer;
All is still again.

2009-05-11T16:35:00.010-04:00

Purple cones, white stalks,
Delicate tiny clusters--
All this on my lawn.

Cat in barn window
Watches cyclist spinning past
Mooing at the cow.

Single white blossom
In a tree full of green leaves
Draws my attention.

Voices from the woods
Soft and conversational;
Distant rooster crows.

Christmas ornaments
Now catching the light of Spring
Tremble in the breeze.

They are all over
In the sun and in the shade
The faint blue flowers.

Just the birds speak now;
No cars, no wind, no voices;
The shadows lie mute.

Yellow is coming;
Dandelions led the way;
Sunny troops follow.

Don't the Bees Realize

2009-05-10T10:55:00.010-04:00

Rough winds are sporting;
Clouds chase the sun, lilacs bow,
Shadows come and go.

Now it's dark and cold;
Sun breaks through with warming light.
Each step--mystery.

Field of blue flowers
Ripple as if they are one.
Wind is dance master.

Now the lilacs bloom;
Small purple flowers open
To the waiting sun.

Shadows on the sign
Blur and sharpen in their turn
And then disappear.

Black ghost on a pole
Peeks out as I wander past,
Then pulls back and leaves.

Two patches of white:
Dandelion puffs are here;
New asters are there.

Just why did the bird
Cross the road, pecking, strutting,
When it could have flown?

Yellow metal bug:
Front end loader poised off road;
Waiting for its prey.

It's cloudy again;
How many times has it been
In only one hour?

Huddle of white buds
Bent as if they are talking.
Wind interrupts them.

Don't the bees realize
How sweet the purple flavor
Of lilac honey?

Dandelions Last

2009-05-08T08:48:00.011-04:00

Petals by the road:
Forsythia's days are done.
Now it's lilac's turn.

Shadows of the birds
Flash quickly across the road
Not making a sound.

Dandelions last.
While other blooms come and go,
Dandelions last.

Bright white and purple;
Shy blue against vibrant green;
Nature's spring palette.

Next to white seed puffs
New yellow dandelions--
Cycles within Spring.

Once in an ocean
This rock, as silted mud, lay still .
Does it remember?

It survived winter
Baby pine tree near the rock,
Delicate and strong.

Fluffy, it lay still
Blending right in with the road;
Animal or plant?

Blooms are Everywhere

2009-05-07T16:13:00.014-04:00

Lilacs beginning;
Purple buds swell in the sun.
Blooms are everywhere.

Darting of the sun
In and out of the thick clouds
Makes it the brighter.

Like gnarled old children
Fungi cling to the dead stump--
Borders of life.

Weren't these just buds--
White popcorn lilac blossoms?
Seed puffs float gently.

Dandelion puffs
Stream past me above the road;
Strange windy traffic.

What does the wind say
Stage whispering in the woods?
"Roll me. Roll me out."

Pink buds are pregnant;
They swell on the edge of bloom.
They're in no hurry.

Climbing up the pole--
Three leaved and shiny ivy.
Just look but don't touch!

2009-04-29T08:26:00.013-04:00

A fountain of white
Erupting on my front lawn;
A rooster crowing.

Little blue flowers
Pop up among the dead leaves--
A spray of color.

From a short distance
Fence looks like a solid wall.
Up close it is slats.

The woods are muted;
Shadows pave the bend in the road.
It's cooler today.

A car swishes past,
Out of sight, then memory.
Was it ever there?

Among the dead leaves,
Black form nestled snugly
Lifts its feline head.

Minuscule white buds
Hold tightly to their secret:
What blooms will they be?

Walking into breeze
My memories in the wind.
Dog barks interrupt.

Life in Strange Places

2009-04-27T10:27:00.019-04:00

A plane and some crows
Fill up the morning air;
(And, of course, the bugs).

Leaning against the fence
Last year's grass is this year's hay.
But it's still rooted.

By bubbling stream
Small grove of yellow flowers;
Only the stream speaks.

Sparkling on the lawn,
Kaleidoscope soccer ball;
A rainbow of kicks.

All of a sudden
White flowers burst on the trees
Nodding at the breeze.

Woodpecker hammers,
Deliberate "tap-a-tap";
Far morning dove coos.

Mouths in tree trunks,
Fish stare from the living wood;
Life in strange places.

Fat bushes rustle,
They shake and quiver dryly--
Three small birds fly out.

Talking to myself
Bug finds its way down my throat;
Yichh! Keep my mouth shut!

Tree Spirits and Bicycles

2009-04-26T12:32:00.011-04:00

Bright yellow morning;
Puff clouds float under plane sound.
Small flies are buzzing.

Two bikes take a rest
Leaning on a compost pile;
A cow moos softly.

Chattering voices--
Two kids biking with their mom.
Road is vibrating.

Insects are singing--
Voices on the edge of mind.
Road is deserted.

Woodpecker rattles;
Soft breeze comes, goes, comes again.
I walk in a dream.

With blooms, insects come,
Buzzing, getting in my eyes.
Why don't they drop dead?

Old, gray already,
Dandelion puff launches;
Ready for take off.

Rotting tree trunk stands
Next to its Siamese twin--
One dead, one alive.

Whisper on the Eyes

2009-04-25T14:26:00.012-04:00

It's a soft morning;
Buds where there were none before;
The shadows are still.

It's barely a breeze--
Just a rustle of the air;
Whisper on the eyes.

Hardy road side chives
Mark the passing of the cars,
Hide green pungency.

Dark against branches,
Still robin is hard to see;
He's part of the tree.

Purring up the road
Bikers head for the bright sun.
Dandelions watch.

In only one day
Leaves have emerged from their buds
To embrace the sun.

Strange mad tea party
Still waits in the deep forest
But nobody comes.

Three fenced in dogs bark,
Answered by mutt in pickup--
Noise in stereo.

With fur glistening
Pooch goes for a spring time swim
As good as it gets.

Bright drop of sun hangs
From dry ancient milkweed pod.
There's nothing inside.

2009-04-24T08:38:00.011-04:00

Clouds of yesterday
Have vanished in the blue sky;
Just a white streak left.

Last week in April;
Baby goat comes to greet Spring;
A wobbly welcome.

Tiny blue flowers
Dotting the wide green carpet
Whispering "spring time."

The magic moss lawn
Gently embraces the sun
With a soft green kiss.

Soft morning sunshine
Gently molds the rocks and trees,
Hinting light and dark.

Bird calls on the right
Answered by one on the left.
What do they discuss?

Silver liquid light
Trickles down from the mountain
On the stream's shoulders.

Waterfall of fern
Cascades over the rock face
Draping it in green.

The Sun Sheds Its Absence

2009-04-23T14:33:00.011-04:00

A burst of sunshine
Rolls shadows across the road,
Breaks the morning clouds.

Butting baby bull
Playfully engages mom
Who's game for the game.

Back to gloves today;
In two days will be eighty;
(That's fantasy now)

In its own green world
Knob of moss on a tree trunk,
Completely at home.

Clearest where it's not,
The sun sheds its absence
In sharp dark shadows.

Like rotting shipwrecks
Dead logs strew the forest floor;
No place left to sail.

Blown down from the hill
Bleached log rests in road side ditch
On bed of dry leaves.

It's almost earth now:
The ancient rotting tree stump
Melts into the ground.