Pete's haiku blog 2007

You're the final guest

2007-12-31T16:43:00.000Z

You're the final guest
who won't let the party end,
lingering blue dusk.

I dream of drummers

2007-12-30T10:20:00.000Z

I dream of drummers,
girls, and university;
wake up to Sunday.

Sunshine on wet roads

2007-12-29T10:33:00.000Z

Sunshine on wet roads
and the perfect danger of
driving blind with you.

Cumbria becomes

2007-12-28T16:19:00.000Z

Cumbria becomes
Yorkshire, as you sleep, on the
train from day to night.

Pouring down all day

2007-12-27T15:41:00.000Z

Pouring down all day,
sandwiches in a car park –
absurdly it's fine.

Some window opens

2007-12-26T14:44:00.000Z

Some window opens,
signal returns: a flood of
voicemail and texts.

All boots and greetings

2007-12-25T13:20:00.000Z

All boots and greetings,
gathered in the village square:
four hiking magi.

Here's a huge basket

2007-12-24T23:36:00.000Z

Here's a huge basket
where the logs were, and here's a
tiny pile of ash.

This magenta sky

2007-12-23T16:39:00.000Z

This magenta sky,
this enormous marble moon,
this gorgeous, bright girl.

A freezing platform

2007-12-22T11:18:00.000Z

A freezing platform:
trains heave out to London and
our breaths turn to steam.

Veiling the city

2007-12-21T15:07:00.000Z

Veiling the city,
some obscure grey filter, with
no mist and no rain.

Sleepy post office

2007-12-20T10:23:00.000Z

Sleepy post office,
unchanged since the 70s,
takes my gifts and stress.

Music, love letters

2007-12-19T21:19:00.000Z

Music, love letters,
work and football scores – in the
blinking modem lights.

Working in silence

2007-12-18T17:32:00.000Z

Working in silence
at home all day, it feels like
Christmas is elsewhere.

In the dark kitchen

2007-12-17T23:15:00.000Z

In the dark kitchen,
bedtime suddenly delayed
by a scuttling mouse.

While the pub watches

2007-12-16T18:37:00.000Z

While the pub watches
football, I look outside and
watch everything freeze.

Their trajectories

2007-12-15T19:23:00.000Z

Their trajectories
lead off like firework sparks,
these blank Christmas cards.

At least this dreary

2007-12-14T10:47:00.000Z

"At least this dreary
chatter can't get worse," I think,
then the train breaks down.

Drizzle and the dusk

2007-12-13T15:53:00.001Z

Drizzle and the dusk
make the cityscape suggest
roses drenched in milk.

A long wait tonight

2007-12-12T23:59:00.000Z

A long wait tonight,
wondering which will come first:
curry or Thursday.

Your ironic yawn

2007-12-11T22:16:00.000Z

Your ironic yawn
mocks my toil all day long,
o my lazy cat!

As the last stall is

2007-12-10T17:13:00.000Z

As the last stall is
packed up into a white van,
I reach the market.

White sky, bare black trees

2007-12-09T11:52:00.000Z

White sky, bare black trees:
the eye, as much as the tongue,
hungers for cherries.

Let down your snow to

2007-12-08T18:31:00.000Z

Let down your snow to
decorate humming Soho,
humbug evening sky!

Sky, hills, wind and night

2007-12-07T15:13:00.000Z

Sky, hills, wind and night
all clamouring for roles in
these last few haiku.

Heavy rotation

2007-12-06T15:01:00.000Z

Heavy rotation
for the music of hours:
pip, pip, pip, pip, pip.

Darkened with orange

2007-12-05T14:06:00.000Z

Darkened with orange,
this glowing, laden sky is
just dying to snow.

Four-nil home defeat

2007-12-04T22:27:00.000Z

Four-nil home defeat,
then beauty in the curves of
light and traffic cones.

After its mood swings

2007-12-03T14:34:00.000Z

After its mood swings
the sky self-harms, this vivid
rainbow its fresh scar.

Throwing bottles in

2007-12-02T14:00:00.000Z

Throwing bottles in
the recycling bins: the best
substitute for war.

Either you are from

2007-12-01T19:49:00.000Z

Either you are from
another planet, or else
this world's not so bad.

Hectic dusk, with your

2007-11-30T16:23:00.000Z

Hectic dusk, with your
squeaking brakes and gusts – you wish
you were Christmas Eve!

Between the dark sky

2007-11-29T18:23:00.000Z

Between the dark sky
and ground, the city unwinds
a ribbon of light.

Cutting through this grey

2007-11-28T15:03:00.000Z

Cutting through this grey,
wet and murky afternoon:
bright new guitar strings!

A boy throws the ball

2007-11-27T21:23:00.000Z

A boy throws the ball
back on for a throw-in, then
turns, grins, and says "heh!"

The cat springs from the

2007-11-26T17:18:00.000Z

The cat springs from the
windowsill, bolts for the door,
telling me you're home.

Watercolour sky

2007-11-25T16:08:00.000Z

Watercolour sky:
just another case of life
imitating art.

My guitar strap breaks

2007-11-24T21:43:00.000Z

My guitar strap breaks
on stage, but like always, stuff
just holds together.

Working hard all day

2007-11-23T18:53:00.000Z

Working hard all day
while I sit and, next to me,
the cat sleeps all day.

Filthy rain and dark

2007-11-22T16:40:00.000Z

Filthy rain and dark,
then my desk photo of us
knee-deep in bluebells.

Lines of white houses

2007-11-21T10:06:00.000Z

Lines of white houses
stand out from the hillside like
chalk marks on a wall.

The northbound train leaves

2007-11-20T15:07:00.000Z

The northbound train leaves
Derbyshire behind; the land
flattens like a wave.

Overworked, tired

2007-11-19T22:14:00.000Z

Overworked, tired,
sounding old and worn – that's me
and these guitar strings.

Christmas shopping, and

2007-11-18T15:44:00.000Z

Christmas shopping, and
the sweetest carol is this
empty, silent pub.

Driving home at night

2007-11-17T17:51:00.000Z

Driving home at night,
we match a train's speed and both
become motionless.

A silent suburb

2007-11-16T18:18:00.000Z

A silent suburb:
whirling in a bay window,
two ballerinas.

Earlier today

2007-11-15T19:55:00.000Z

Earlier today
God upturned a jewellery box
to make this city.

Smoke in the cold air

2007-11-14T16:35:00.000Z

Smoke in the cold air,
streetlights like cranberry juice
and the dusk is white.

Outside, the cats jink

2007-11-13T10:25:00.000Z

Outside, the cats jink;
window cleaners dribble suds.
Middle of morning.

Winter is looming

2007-11-12T16:46:00.000Z

Winter is looming:
I look up from my work and
suddenly it's night.

Ambiguous hats

2007-11-11T15:25:00.000Z

Ambiguous hats
signify both winter and
arthouse festival.

This rainbow is mine

2007-11-10T09:06:00.000Z

This rainbow is mine;
nobody else has seen it...
That rainbow was mine.

Bright and cold day: the

2007-11-09T12:20:00.000Z

Bright and cold day: the
clarity of the far peaks
hits me like a thought.

We crowd together

2007-11-08T15:23:00.000Z

We crowd together,
defeat in our eyes. This is
Birmingham New Street.

The sound of childhood

2007-11-07T22:37:00.000Z

The sound of childhood
paddling in the sea – I am
knee-high in dead leaves.

Riding on the wind

2007-11-06T11:39:00.000Z

Riding on the wind,
fluttering at my window,
a bird – no, a leaf.

The man on the train

2007-11-05T20:47:00.000Z

The man on the train
scaring us by punching seats –
his dad had just died.

While the poets read

2007-11-04T20:54:00.000Z

While the poets read,
fireworks go off outside;
rhythms interweave.

Disco neons will

2007-11-03T18:58:00.000Z

Disco neons will
light your grown-up face. Tonight
fireworks are fine.

My pint to my mouth

2007-11-02T14:55:00.000Z

My pint to my mouth;
the whirl of the quayside's gulls –
parabolic bliss.

Look at the state of

2007-11-01T11:33:00.000Z

Look at the state of
the trees – tarted up all posh
just for my haiku.

At Glasgow Central

2007-10-31T11:46:00.000Z

At Glasgow Central,
hungover, a whole hour
passes in a blink.

Man on a ladder

2007-10-30T14:43:00.000Z

Man on a ladder
looks round from his window frame
to my passing train.

In this gloomy dusk

2007-10-29T17:24:00.000Z

In this gloomy dusk
those dogs and dull humming trains
could be anywhere.

There is more than glass

2007-10-28T21:34:00.000Z

There is more than glass
between the pouring rain and
the sweet purple lights.

This house without you

2007-10-27T19:37:00.000Z

This house without you:
as devoid of purpose as
autumn without leaves.

Honey pie, I wish

2007-10-26T23:35:00.000Z

Honey pie, I wish
I could catch you when you fall
asleep in the pub.

After breakfast he

2007-10-25T09:40:00.000Z

After breakfast he
walks outside to meditate –
my cat, Zen master.

One combs my back yard

2007-10-24T10:28:00.001Z

One combs my back yard,
one the neighbour's; uniformed,
a magpie patrol.

As the lamp goes off

2007-10-23T23:03:00.000Z

As the lamp goes off,
the Windows shutdown theme plays;
bedtime, honey pie.

We curve and the moon

2007-10-22T22:58:00.000Z

We curve and the moon
is suddenly released and
silvering our path.

Another couple

2007-10-21T18:37:00.000Z

Another couple,
forty years our seniors,
through the autumn leaves.

Tonight's cold air has

2007-10-20T18:48:00.000Z

Tonight's cold air has
escaped from the vowel sounds
of 'brittle' and 'crisp'.

The clocks will go back

2007-10-19T16:12:00.001Z

The clocks will go back;
for now the streetlight shines through
your wet morning hair.

A timber lorry

2007-10-18T16:19:00.001Z

A timber lorry
passes by: in its honour,
the autumn leaves dance.

Traffic on this blog?

2007-10-17T20:11:00.000Z

Traffic on this blog?
Ask for the top 40 place
of the nightingale!

Mute, accusingly

2007-10-16T21:23:00.000Z

Mute, accusingly,
and blackening in the rain,
the tree stumps stare back.

Stories held by the

2007-10-15T23:58:00.000Z

Stories held by the
twinkly lights behind the trees –
held, and never told.

This misty coach ride

2007-10-14T14:57:00.000Z

This misty coach ride
offers up, in runny inks,
London's silhouette.

See these autumn leaves?

2007-10-13T15:04:00.000Z

See these autumn leaves?
Just exult that something can
die so gorgeously.

Kid at the football

2007-10-12T20:02:00.000Z

Kid at the football
turns around to fix me with
the world's widest eyes.

Past a studio

2007-10-11T20:37:00.000Z

Past a studio,
as band noise floods the street, a
solo singer walks.

Even the squirrel

2007-10-10T20:28:00.000Z

Even the squirrel,
carrying a horse chestnut,
knows of tomorrow.

Just as the rain stops

2007-10-09T14:06:00.000Z

Just as the rain stops,
a gust starts a new shower –
of brown and gold leaves.

The calendar's turn

2007-10-08T21:25:00.000Z

The calendar's turn
put into the shade by the
sputtering gas fire.

The town boundary

2007-10-07T13:53:00.000Z

The town boundary:
bold and high on a lamppost,
a crow stands sentry.

Autumn tree keeps hold

2007-10-06T09:38:00.000Z

Autumn tree keeps hold
of sprays of scarlet leaves: a
firework, frozen.

As I down my pint

2007-10-05T22:01:00.000Z

As I down my pint,
white lines round the glass suggest
plane trails, tree rings, waves.

Day after a gig

2007-10-04T11:02:00.000Z

Day after a gig,
the guitar sounds as dull and
tired as I feel.

Below the guitar

2007-10-03T12:46:00.000Z

Below the guitar,
the soft hiss and crackle of
potatoes baking.

A cat accosts me

2007-10-02T16:53:00.000Z

A cat accosts me
for a stroke. Her owner says:
"She thinks you'll feed her."

The leaves on the ground

2007-10-01T16:13:00.000Z

The leaves on the ground,
the same orangey-brown as
the cat on this wall.

Leaving Hathersage

2007-09-30T12:44:00.000Z

Leaving Hathersage,
turning back to see again
the land fall away.

Walking down the beach

2007-09-29T14:40:00.000Z

Walking down the beach
to football: the floodlights peep
over the sea wall.

In tonight's thick fog

2007-09-28T19:16:00.000Z

In tonight's thick fog,
driving through an empty space,
a 'for sale' sign looms.

Your penis will make

2007-09-27T13:10:00.001Z

"Your penis will make
more shadow than a tree." Now
spam reads like haiku.

We open the door

2007-09-26T08:12:00.000Z

We open the door,
gasp at the cold. Autumn has
jumped us like a thug.

Eerie quietness

2007-09-25T20:33:00.000Z

Eerie quietness
pervades the whole street today
without car alarms.

From a moving train

2007-09-24T16:43:00.000Z

From a moving train
far inland, I watch the waves
made by power lines.

Patient sleeplessness

2007-09-23T08:00:00.000Z

Patient sleeplessness
leaves me mad, unfocused, and
unfazed by late trains.