Haibun - Waves of Wind

Waves of Wind

Night-blooming jasmine surfs the waves of
wind. With the full moon, its creamy blossoms
open, their scent seeping through keyholes, silk
sheets and dreams, lingering faintly well into
the following day. With the sun, closed into
narrow greenish tubes, the plant seems so
innocent. But I know better.

held in the flower --
Majnun's love for Layla
waits for a starry breeze

Haibun - Beach

Beach

Held captive by the heat of the sun, we lie sprawled
on an island of electric green towels. Overcoming
my laziness, I reach into the cooler. The ice has not
melted completely and the cherries are sweet and tangy,
bursting with juice. We spit the pits in Gabriel's sand
bucket and he carries it to the shoreline with a three-
year-old's natural joy and tosses them into the sea.
High above, gulls screech against the low rumble
of waves as I feel myself drift into delicious dreams.

a cherry tree
from the ocean's depths --
blossoms swept by tides

Haibun - Bayberries

Bayberries

Climbing the bayberry cliff, Indian
clay almost crumbles beneath my bare
feet. Breathlessly, I hoist myself by
clutching the sand dunes. Above the
sea waves, I gather bayberries with my
hands.

Boiling the berries, I let them cool until
the wax hardens from dusk to dawn. Then,
from dawn to dusk, I warm the wax until it
softens. I pour it into wick-set molds.

star-shaped --
the scent of the beach
in melted wax