NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW

PLEASE CLICK ON THE TITLE ABOVE: NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW to go to the ORDER SITE link.

Just in time for the holiday gift-giving for you or your friends. If the link does not work, copy and paste the URL to your browser. Merry Christmas to all!

NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

A NEW INFO:
The Epilogue of my book features Memorial and Death poems dedicated to poets Betty Kaplan, Janice Bostok, and Svetlana Marisova who passed away one by one while I was busy compiling the book. Dare I say I have also written my own?

Here is the cover of my forthcoming second book, HAIKU AND TANKA HARVEST, a slight variation of my blog's name. It has 126 pages, 6x9" size using Times Roman 12 with ISBN-13:978-1468017854. My first book, Rustle of bamboo leaves, selected haiku and other poems was published in November 2005.

Tha Haiku chapter is introduced by Susumu Takiguchi, Chairman of World Haiku Club and editor of its World Haiku Review and the Tanka chapter by haiku and tanka poet and eminent book reviewer Marjorie Buettner. The cover is designed by my artist friend, poet and long-time haiga collaborator Ashley Wood of England.

The book is a selection of my over 200 haiku and tanka poems published in various online and print journals as well as book anthologies written during the past six years, 2006-2011. There is a lenghty section of Senryu and Vanguard haiku. Included also are multilingual haiku and tanka in English, Spanish and Tagalog. Scattered all over the volume are samples of my haiga or picture poems from my sizable collection dating from 2000. More news forthcoming.

Wife's death

brisk breeze blasts
the last remaining leaf
this blustery day
his wife of many years
has gone to rest
                    For Darrell

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 2, NO. 2. Winter 2007

Thanksgiving prayer

For three years in a row now, I have been posting this Thanksgiving prayer. Here it is again and I hope you don't get bored by it. This Thanksgiving Day I will be hosting our family's traditional meal and and all members of my family and probably a few close friends will be here to celebrate with me.

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Thank you
my Lord and God
for gift of life and health
remembering our lost loved ones
once more.

Heed not
our weaknesses,
teach us how to forgive
and live in harmony with all
others.

So that
once more this world
of hate will be again
a place of love and peacefulness,
Amen.

© November 2004-2011

Disabled Veteran

wheelchair bound
the veteran feeds
a one-legged bird

World Haiku Review
Vol. 7, Issue 1, March 2009

Autumn wind

the autumn wind
scatters the dried leaves
in the family photo
her face is gradually
and slowly fading

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 2, No. 1. Autumn 2007

SENRYU AND VANGUARD HAIKU

From time to time, I will post here some of my poems in my forthcoming book, HAIKU AND TANKA HARVEST until it is published. Here is a section on Senryu and Vanguard haiku.

A senryu a day drives your shrink insane. - V. P. Gendrano's aphorism.

Following are samples of senryu I have written and published these past five years.


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

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


Facebook
the new public place
to bare yourself

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


senior power
a cup of coffee
for fifty-nine cents

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010


teacher's pet
she tutors her student
the art of love

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010


lingering heat
the girl removes her new bra
to freedom

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

Haiku and Tanka Harvest

NEW BOOK NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

My second book of poems is shaping up and now has over 100 pages already. Because the poems consists of only haiku and tanka, I tentatively titled the book HAIKU AND TANKA HARVEST, a slight variation of my blog’s name.

Included are my published articles on how I write both haiku and tanka. The poems are then arbitrarily grouped into seasonal, sequence, and multilingual. There are also several haiga (picture poems) throughout the book. The poems are all published and I have been posting them here for you my loyal readers as a kind of preview. More announcements coming.

Her absence

he dreads  
the dark demons
that inhabit his dreams
each night that passes by
in her absence

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1
Jan/Feb. 2011

Hospice visit

hospice visit
for the third time
she asks the name
of her daughter
holding her hand

Sketchbook Vol. 5, No. 2
March/April 2010

Loneliness

often
I feel alone
amidst a crowd
still hard to fill the void
you left behind

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010

Autumn wind

the autumn wind
scatters the dried leaves
in the family photo
her face is gradually
and slowly fading

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 2, No. 1. Autumn 2007

Discharged soldier

discharged soldier
he stares at his gun’s barrel
to nothingness

World Haiku Review
January .2011
1st Place, Vanguard Haiku

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

Job hunting

he picks up
a half-empty soda
left on the curb
another day
of job hunting

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1
Jan/Feb. 2011

Moving out

freeway drizzle
he helps his only daughter
move out

The Heron’s Nest
Vol. XII, No. 3, Sept 2010

Widower

the widower explains
to his visiting son
why he chopped their shade tree
twice there, he drawls
I tried to hang myself

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 3, No. 3, Spring 2009

Friendship poem

my neighbor mows
the grassy edges
of my unkempt lawn
in the shade I try to write
this friendship poem

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, No. 4,
July/August 2009

Death anniversary

my daughter and I place
her mom's favorite flowers
on her grave
this eighth anniversary
of her passing

Daughter's vacation

end of summer
our daughter’s vacation
gets shorter each year

The Heron’s Nest
Vol. XIII, No. 1
March 2011

Hiroshima day

For Betty Kaplan

end of spring
the wilted flower
in her garden

the faded echoes
of her footsteps

In memory of Betty Kaplan, a fellow haijin and poet, who passed away last month. You'll be missed!

Wings of prayer

wings of prayer
brimmed with well-wishes
stream across cyberspace
bringing Svetlana
love, hope and cheer

Children's soccer

children’s soccer
their parents fight in the stands
the game goes on

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010

For Svetlana

I join the vigil for Svetlana, a fellow poet and writer, who is due for surgery soon with these thoughts...

Lingering heat

lingering heat

the girl removes her new bra

to freedom

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

Soccer mom

late for work
she calls sick
soccer mom

World Haiku Review
Vol. 5, Issue 2, Jan. 2007

Moonlight

moonlight stroll
through her window
strains of sonata

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, Issue 2
March/April 2009

Injured Dancer

I tap my feet
to Segovia's strings
remembering
how you ruled the dance floor
before the accident

Ribbons, Vol. 3, No. 3
Autumn 2007

Layoff notice

driving home
to night drizzle
layoff notice

Mainichi Daily News
Mar. 20, 2010

War zone

war zone
the while lily inches up
too soon

Notes from the Gean
Vol. 2, Issue 4, March 2011

Obesity

obesity -
epidemic problem
in the land of plenty

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1
Jan/Feb. 2011

Homeless

barbecue scent mingles
with children’s laughter
inside their fence
outside, two homeless kids
share a burnt burger

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 3, No. 3, Spring 2009

Morning walk

morning walk
her unleashed dog pees
on the blind man's cane

In my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves,
but first published in World Haiku Review
Vol. 2, Issue 3, Nov. 2002

Veterans

wheelchair bound
the veteran feeds
a one-legged bird

World Haiku Review
Vol. 7, Issue 1, March 2009

Two rainbows

two rainbows arch
in the misty sky
this early summer
he will be home soon
to his wife and daughter

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 1, No. 3. Spring 2007

Starfish

starfish find
the child gazes
at the sky

Notes from the Gean
Vol. 2, Issue 2, Sep. 2010

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all Dads! Enjoy your day and for their children, I hope and pray that they pause even for one day to pay tribute to their fathers. Share and show your love now for tomorrow may be too late. Like I'm fond of saying - we sometimes take our loved ones for granted and only miss them when they are not around anymore. A hug, a kiss, an embrace, a smile (we fathers silently wish for them) and those are far more precious than material gifts...

In search of happiness

Like Basho with his walking stick, I roamed the rocky hills in search of inner peace which alas, my world failed to give. (That is another version of my earlier haiga in search of happiness which is somewhere in my file). Then I found an open gate to Happiness land beyond which I can see clumps of flowers inviting me to come in. Amidst the blossoms with their resident bees and butterflies, I found peace and serenity that salved a wounded soul. I stayed there as long as I can and before leaving, I took this picture to remind me that I am not dreaming...

Last farewell

I know now
why our embrace
was so tight
your last farewell
to fleeting life

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1
Jan/Feb. 2011

Hawaiian orchids

Hawaiian orchids
fit for a queen
also for my friends

Domestic quarrel

domestic quarrel again
he removes his hearing aid
and pretends sleeping

Sketchbook
Vo. 3, No. 10, October 2008

Hospice

I brush mom's gray hair 
as she chats with unseen friends 
in her hospice home 
I wonder if she knows
I'm her least-liked daughter

Notes from the Gean
Vol. 2, Issue 4, March 2011

Coming home

two rainbows arch
in the misty sky
this early summer
he will be home soon
to his wife and daughter

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 1, No. 3. Spring 2007

Spring sunshine

spring sunshine
the toothless smile
of a homeless girl

World Haiku Review
Vol. 7, Issue 1, March 2009

Friday the 13th

Friday 13th
I shoo the black cat
away

Birthday Alone

Published in my book, RUSTLE OF BAMBOO LEAVES

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms of the world!

Mom's memories

My Mom, Ines Pulgar

Each of us has favorite stories to tell about our mothers and mine are no exceptions. When I was studying in college in a university town far from ours, my Mom, may she rest in peace, used to visit me especially during final examination time. When my Mom was with me, bless her soul, she didn’t let me do anything like cooking as she did it herself. She just wanted me to concentrate all my waking hours to study. One afternoon, she was bringing me snacks but stopped, as she saw me fast asleep with an open book on my lap. I got a good-natured ribbing from her afterwards.

One day coming home, I saw a live chicken tethered on the kitchen table. When I came in, she announced with a flair that we will have chicken stew and chicken adobo for dinner, a luxury treat. All of a sudden I remembered when I was a young kid during a fiesta celebration in the village. A group of men merrily watched the cook who, with exaggerated moves, chopped a chicken’s neck into two and let the lower body go zigzagging right and left with blood gushing out of it till it became still.

I quietly told my mother that I forgot something that I was supposed to buy and I was going back to the store about two to three miles away. I did not actually enter any store but walked there back and forth biding my time. After about an hour or so, I ventured back to the house and the smell of chicken dish made me hurry to get in. I loved her cooking but I did not want to be the killer of the poor chicken.

Spring cleaning

spring cleaning
for the third year
he still can't bear
to throw away
her love letters

Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1
Jan/Feb. 2011

Rambling thoughts

rambling thoughts
one step behind
a crushed snail

Haijinx, Vol. IV, Issue 1
March 2011

Missing son

a shred of kite
flaps in the wind
their missing son

World Haiku Review
Vol. 7, Issue 2, August 2009

Easter Sunday

a morning glory
greets the early dawn
Easter Sunday

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, Issue 2
March/April 2009

Materialism

Why do
we live from day
to day in endless quest
for wealth, while we forget to tend
our soul?

In my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves,
but originally published in
World Haiku Review
Vol. 1, Issue 3, Nov. 2001

Widower's love

buds burst
in the leafless tree
this early spring
the widower’s love
reawakens

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

Spring advent

spring harbingers
two birds cavort
in my front lawn

Old age

nearing home
the sun starts to set
in my rear-view mirror

Notes from the Gean
Vol. 2, Issue 1, June 2010

Japan in the news

countless haiku
"capturing pain"
flood Asahi Daily

- Los Angeles Times
March 26, 2011

tsunami remains -
teacup, school picture
and memories

a neighbor's mom
is laid to rest

- Los Angeles Times
March 27, 2011

Bilingual Haiku and Tanka

Here are samples of my haiku and tanka in English and Tagalog, Philippine language, part of my poems just published in the latest issue of Sketchbook, Vol. 6, No. 1, January/February 2011.


HAIKU
wrong trail turn
the scent and sight
of wildflowers

Tagalog
maling daan
bango at tanawin
bulaklak na ligaw

TANKA
the silent sound
of her absence
fills their room
only the echoes
of yesterday remain

Tagalog

napuno ang kanilang silid 
ng tahimik na ugong
nang kanyang pagkawala
gunita ng kahapon
siya lang naiwan

Winter moon

The tanka poem above was published without the picture in:

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 1, No. 1, Autumn 2006

After the earthqake

Gabi, a German poet friend, who has been living in Japan for quite a while now, keeps a blog about the earthquake. When you get the time, here's the link:

AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE

Natural catastrophes such as this one truly unite the world as one as it should be, disaster or not.

I share my tears
with the Japanese people
who silently suffers
the tragic aftermath
of the earthquakes

My thoughts and prayers are with you all!

PRAYERS TO JAPAN

Ashley Wood, from England, who did the artwork, and I, from California, join the world in sending our fervent thoughts, love and prayers to Japan and its people. No estan solo! Hindi kayo nag-iisa! You are not alone!

- Victor P. Gendrano

Japan's earthquake

we join the world
in prayers and hope
for the safety and wellbeing
of the earthquake
and tsunami victims

Amen!

Our thoughts and prayers for the Japanese people affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami. We join all the world in praying for your safety. God bless you all!

Ash Wednesday

dust we are
to dust we shall return
Lenten's lesson

Moon haiga

SENRYU

A senryu a day drives your shrink insane. - V. P. Gendrano

Here are samples of senryu which I have written and published throughout the years. In my book,

RUSTLE OF BAMBOO LEAVES

I devoted no less than a whole chapter about it.

Here are some.

young mother
she scolds her son
and joins him crying

he takes viagra
and almost died in bliss
his wife's wish

chilly morning
she grabs me back to bed
a little longer

World Haiku Review
January 2011

she sneezes once
twice then three times
girl with the nose ring

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010

Teacher's pet

teacher's pet
she tutors her student
the art of love

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010

Discharged soldier

discharged soldier
he stares at his gun’s barrel
to nothingness

World Haiku Review
January 2011

First Place
Vanguard Haiku

Fantasy fling

warmth of her touch
in that snowy weekend
fantasy fling
am I ready or a fool
to fall in love again

Modern English Tanka.
Vol. 1, No. 2. Winter 2006

Happy Valentine's Day

Chilly morning

chilly morning
she grabs me back to bed
a little longer

World Haiku Review
January 2011

Honorable Mention
Neo-classical haiku

Icy winter day

icy winter day
refusing his brown hand
she slips again

World Haiku Review
January 2011
3rd Place, Shintai Haiku

Year end

Occasional Paper 2 - Auspicious New Year

This new year 2011 starts auspiciously good for me. I started a project many years ago when my grandchildren were still young, but failed to implement it at that time. Now that my grandkids are grown and growing fast (two grand-daughters, for instance, are getting married this year), I decided to resurrect it.
It is an alphabetical listing of what I call the ABC to Enlightenment, gems of thoughts I gathered along the way and generally guidelines on how to be successful in life. It is alphabetical from A to Z and I have already emailed the first two, A for Action and B for Beauty.

With the help of my daughter-in-law, we send them one at a time weekly on pdf form so everybody can download them in their computer if they want. Concurrently, I send my children a monthly email of what I call Internet Harvest, things that I think will be helpful to them in their busy lives. My first email sent last month was about New Year's Resolution.

Literary Output - My five haiku were published in the January 2011 issue of World Haiku Review. One got Haiku of Merit, one Honorable Mention, one Third Place, and two First Places! I am deeply honored and humbled that for the first time, one of my first placers garnered the highly elusive but coveted honor of being selected The Editor’s Choice!

Here’s the winning piece.

year end
thinking of what ifs
and what might have beens

California winter

Dormant seed

a sliver of light
slices through
the icy landscape
beneath the snow
a dormant seed awaits

Modern English Tanka
Vol. 3, No. 3, Spring 2009

Lovelorn

I dread
the dark demons
that chase my dream
your touch is so real
am I in love again

Sketchbook, Vol. 5, No. 4
July/August 2010

Moon vigil

In my book,
RUSTLE OF BAMBOO LEAVES

Facebook

Facebook
a new public place
to bare yourself

New Year resolutions

new year's wishes
tossed in the wind
old calendar leaves

2010, a good year

I was blessed last year when several of my poems were published in World Haiku Review, The Hornet's Nest, Notes from the Gean, Sketchbook, and Mainichi Daily News in Japan. The highlights of the year were the publication of my haiku in the 2nd Annual Basho Haiku Challenge Chapbook, one of 56 from nearly 500 world-wide submissions and the inclusion of my works in a multicultural book anthology from Romania! My goal this year is the publication of my second book of poems.

Happy New Year!

I wish everybody a peaceful and wonderful new year!

deja vu
he recycles last year's
resolution

In my book,
RUSTLE OF BAMBOO LEAVES