an afternoon of haiku

We went to the park and watched dozens of dragonflies hover and dance over the lawn, while Lucy, alert on her leash, longed to be set free to run after squirrels. A single monarch butterfly drifted by motionless high overhead and caught the late light, perfectly detailed and glowing like a flame against the blue. Tim laid on his back and read, one arm shading his face, and I also read silently from a book of haiku ~ here are some of my favorites ~

here is the dark tree

denuded now

of leafage...

but a million stars

~ shiki

in lantern-light

my yellow

chrysanthemums

lost all their color

~ buson

after moon-viewing

my companionable

shadow

walked along with me

~ sodo