how quickly

night falls

talk of war

*Published in the April 2018 issue of Stardust Haiku

evening yoga

too much down

in my dog

*Published in Issue #60 of Presence

the moon dips

below the horizon

my mother

fades into a world

I cannot see

*2nd place in the Tanka Time 2018 contest sponsored by Mandy's Pages
**Featured on My Haiku Pond on 4/23/18

support group

in every face

a mirror

*Published in Chrysanthemum 23 along with a German translation

date night

the over-cooked ravioli

still makes him smile

*Published in the first issue of Nourish Poetry

lonely

the road

most travelled

zazen

letting go

of the dream

Bodhi Tree

my breath

takes root

chamomile

a hint of sun

lights the earth

reborn

before I finish

this haiku

*Published in the Spring 2018 Showcase of The Zen Space

#moderation

Sometimes, I have a salad for dinner. Other times, I eat a brownie the size of my head with frosting as deep as my foot.

daylight saving 

I turn my scale back

fifteen pounds

*

Dance, Monkey

"I haven't seen a selfie from you in a while. Are you okay?"

I look at the message for a minute before sending a short but pleasant response, reassuring Random Male that in the past few months since my last selfie, I have not indeed become a leper who has misplaced my eyeballs and developed a cleft palate. 

social media

the sweet sound

of nails on chalkboard

*

The Olive Branch

I struggle with telling people I am a Christian. And, quite frankly, because I am very liberal, many people assume I am not.

crown of thorns

the sting

of labels

Even though I am not interested in converting anyone, I do hope that, at some point, each person will seek out a source higher than themselves for comfort, love, and strength - whether it is the universe, nature or maybe God. 

shadow of death

can you feel

my hand in yours?

But, how do I convey this to someone who has been kicked out of a church for coming out? Or someone who has been beaten to the tune of the Fifth Commandment? 

I don't know. 

So, I just love. 

water to wine

the first sip

belongs to you

*Published in the 2018 issue of Under the Basho (Haibun section)

magnolia bloom

he leans in

for a kiss

*Published by The Mainichi on 4/6/18
**Selected for Haiku in English: Best of 2018 (The Mainichi)

Upside Down

What if the monster in your dream is just you?

same coin

the shadow

and the self

*Published in Issue 15 of Gnarled Oak

record skip

my use

of past tense

*Published in Sonic Boom Issue Eleven
**Nominated for The Haiku Foundation’s Touchstone Individual Poem Award by the editor