One liner haiku experiment

About the middle of September, I started to experiment writing a one-liner haiku based on a lead haiku poet’s daily prompt. Altogether I wrote nine haiku up to the end of the month. The following five haiku in descending order were the ones most liked by fellow poets. With that over, I now can concentrate in compiling my poems for my second book of poetry. It will be only in two poetic forms: haiku and tanka. So if I am not posting a lot here, you know why. By the way, there's no one-liner haiku in my new book. It’s over 100 pages now.

1) SUNSET - grandpa rode the sunset heading home

2) MOUNTAIN - hardest to climb mountain of self-doubt

3) BEACH - letter in a bottle widow's beach find

4) ANIMAL - a veteran feeds a one-legged bird

5) FLOWERS - hurried steps she stops to admire the orchids

Make-believe love

her make-believe love
holds me hostage
a little bit longer
the last leaf falls
in the brisk wind

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 1, No. 4, Summer 2007

One liner haiku

Since about the middle of this month September, I have been experimenting with one liner haiku following a daily subject prompt from a haiku poet. As you will see, they consist of just one line with no punctuations. So far I have written about mountain, river, animals and beach. See if you like or can understand these ultra-minimalist poems. Here's my latest on top, No. 6 for my late wife. Today 9/24 on children is now topmost.

7) children 9/24
new children's game cyber bullying

6) autumn 9/23/11
autumn blues wife's death anniversary

1) mountain 9/16/11
hardest to climb mountain of self-doubt

2) river
slaughtered whales lifeless in blood-stained water

3)
animals
a veteran feeds a one-legged bird

4) beach
letter in a bottle widow's beach find

5) beach 2
a half-empty baby's milk bottle aground

Trilingual haiku

Here is my recent tri-lingual poems. Hope you like it.

TATLONG WIKA, ISANG KAHULUGAN
(Three tongues, One meaning)

I. KALUNGKUTAN (Tagalog)

 gabing walang bituin
 hinihintay kita sinta
 kahit sa panaginip


 SOLEDAD (Español)

 la noche sin estrellas
 esperaré por te amor
 aun en mi sueño


 LONELINESS (English)

 starless night
 I'll wait for you my love
 even in my dream


Sketchbook
Vol. 6, No. 3
May/June 2011

BLACK DAY OF SEPTEMBER

BLACK DAY OF SEPTEMBER

by Victor P. Gendrano

(Dedicated to the victims of the
September 11, 2001 tragedy)


I see many faces in New York
face of hate of the perpetrators
face of death from workers and passengers
face of fear of facing death
face of despair for unuttered love
face of panic not knowing where to hide
and what to expect

but also
face of faith calmly accepting death
face of love comforting each other
face of compassion from the public
face of caring for the wounded
face of grief of kins of those who perished

the face of death is everywhere
death of lives
death of hopes and dreams
and
death of peace

Published in my book, RUSTLE OF BAMBOO LEAVES, © 2005

In memoriam

It is sad and depressing to report that another haiku poetess, Janice M. Bostok, of Australia has also passed away the first week of this month. She is a revered poet, editor, teacher and patron of the Australian Haiku Society. I sent the following tanka in her memory. May she rest in peace…


in the haiku garden
another leaf fell
its imprints scattered
and left for those
who pass this way

In memoriam

To Svetlana,

a shooting star streaks
to its blazing glory
Eden lost to Paradise

On the recent death of fellow poet Svetlana Marisova. May she rest in peace...

New York Terrorism

NEW YORK TERRORISM
(September 9, 2001)

Victor P. Gendrano

simple math
six hijackers
to six thousands dead

innocence crumbles
among New York rubble
September rain

patriotic fervor
the red geraniums
remain in bloom

blood-stained sun
sinks in the rubble
twilight of hopes

the Vietnam vet buys
red, white and blue tulips
memorial garden


In my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves, © 2005, but first published in World Haiku Review, Vol. 1, Issue 3, November 2001.

Texting while driving

texting while driving
he wakes in the hospital
with only one leg

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 3
May/June 2011