Copyright © 2006 by Edward Weiss

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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storage and retrieval system without permission
in writing from the publisher.

Published by Wisteria Press, 2560 C Street, San

Diego, California 92102.
www.wisteriapress.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 1-4276-0935-7

First Edition

Bird Haiku
by Edward Weiss
FOREWORD
POETRY AND NATURE. Two things that naturally
go together. If you're looking for nature poems that
really get it, so to speak, look no further than haiku!
Why? Because haiku is especially suited for
describing nature. For example, take a look at these
two nature poems by the author:
Nature Poem #1
Egrets move
through the marsh...
morning clouds
Here we have "egrets" as our subject. Beautiful birds
that most people either have seen in a picture or are
familiar with. In just 7 words a picture is created.
And not just any picture but a complete scene!
First we have the phrase "egrets move through the
marsh." Nothing special in itself. But, when we
combine this with the fragment "morning clouds,"
we get a picture of place and time - a sense of
something happening. What economy and word
pruning this is!
Nature poems by western writers may contain
hundreds of words but For sheer size and power,
nothing beats the haiku!
Here's another example of a nature poem:
Nature Poem #2
Winter shoreline --
sandpipers dart
into the water
In this nature poem we have the fragment first
instead of the phrase. The fragment is like the
background of a painting…it sets the mood of
the poem. The words "winter shoreline" conjure
an image of a quiet beach perhaps. Or it could be
something else entirely.
This is the beauty of haiku. It doesn't tell you so
much as show you what is happening.
Interpretation is left to the reader's imagination.
Enjoy the book … Edward Weiss
Quiet spring morning
Carefully cleaning each feather
A scrub jay

Gray forest --
Deep inside the cedar
A hornbill

Marsh grass
Surrounds the egret…
Spring rain
 Autumn fog --
Sitting on the porch light
A house finch

Clear fall skies --

The slow steady wingbeat
Of a heron

Ducks skitter
Across the lake…
Winter light
Sunrise --
Golden eagles soar
On the thermals

Quiet forest --
A piece of straw falls
Off the robins nest

Stifling July heat --

A wren hops
From rock to rock
 Beside an iris --
The buzz
Of hummingbird wings

Ducks move
Through the marsh…
Morning light

Arctic sunlight -
An emperor penguin
Heads towards the sea
Summer evening --
Slowly opening its eyes
A heron chick

Thunderclap --
Robins vanish
In the brambles

Puffins breed
Along the shore…
Northern light
 Cold drizzle --
A purple martin
Peeks from the nestbox

Southern inlet --
Pelicans scoop up
Fish

Deep winters cold --

Penguins huddle
On the ice
Misty day --
A nuthatch
Hops down the tree

Still spring morning --

The fragile white shell
Of robin's eggs

Forest floor --
Patches of sunlight
Drape the grouse
 Forest mist --
Beside the redwood
Two bluejays

Quail scavenge
For bits of corn…
Early autumn

Cold snap --
Cardinals search
For seeds
Approaching rain --
Hiding seeds in the tree
A nuthatch

Snowstorm --
A piece of fruit
In the robin's beak

March wind --
Wrens peck
At a millet strip
 Orioles feast
On soaked raisins…
Winter's end

November light --
A crow crisps
A red leaf

Red berries
Hang over the blackbird…
Autumn light
Nightfall --
From the spruce tree
Robin calls

Cloudburst --
A toucan
Opens its beak

Cold April morn --

Through the mist
A pair of geese
 Summer showers --
Between rain-soaked leaves
A hyacinth macaw

Dawn
So quiet against the snow
An arctic tern

Crows gather
Inside a balsam fir…
Winter air
Hot summer day --
On the thinnest of twigs
A hummingbird

Sundown --
A flock of swallows
Circle the roost

Winter landscape --
By the pumpkin patch
Two ravens
 Spring woodland --
Between pine branches
The bulky nest of a grackle

So red against
The ground…
A summer tanager

Misty fall day --

A northern cardinal
Whistles
Fall sky --
Inside the hollyhock
A hummingbird

A yellow warbler
Fly's into deep brush…
Spring rain

Winter woods --
A flock of waxwings
Strip fruit off the tree
 Afternoon heat --
A kingfisher
Plunges into water

Cool morning lake --

The long red legs
Of an ibis

Summer forest --
A red-eyed vireo
Takes flight
Dead of winter --
In the frost covered oak
A crow's nest

Winter silence --
Snow falls
On an oriole's nest

On the ash tree

Unseen for hours…
A woodpecker
 Summer storm --
Drinking from a shallow stream
Sparrows

The familiar sound

Of distant crows…
November rain

Spring moon --
The soft song
Of newly born birds
Cold January night
Out of the Sitka spruce
Bird song!

Still autumn night

Looming in the tree
A great horned owl

Summer rain --
A blackbird sings
Sporadically
 A pelican
Grooms its wings…
Morning stillness

August moonlight --
On the spruce branch
A sparrow holds tight

Cool fall day --

A wedge of geese
Vanish behind clouds
Wet gray branches
Surround the robin…
Winter thaw

Afternoon silence --
Broad green leaves
Hide the finch

Frigid December --
Beside dry oak leaves
A red-winged blackbird
 Arctic dusk
Barely noticeable on the tree
A snowy owl

Summer showers
Inside the rose bush
Sparrows

Morning light
By the honeysuckle
A ruby-throated hummingbird
Summer showers
Inside the rose bush
Sparrows

Rainy spring day

A house finch
At the feeder

The deep black plumage

Of an ostrich…
Evening light
 Autumn clouds
Slowly preening itself on the pine
An oriole

Summer meadow --
Landing on the deer's back
A magpie

Fall sunrise --
The raspy call
Of a scrub jay
Cold gray sky --
Crows gather
Under the pine

Still afternoon --
A goldfinch
Rustles in the weeds

Winter sky --
The wide ranging circles
Of a red tailed hawk
 Silent wetlands --
An avocet swings its bill
Back and forth

Still morning --
Loons wade through
Reeds

Autumn chill --
Grebes sunbathe
On the lake
Fall afternoon --
The sound of a woodpecker
Tapping

Evening stillness --
A blue grosbeak
Surveys the field

Dry forest floor --

A wood thrush
Scatters leaves
 Dusk --
Pursuing insects for hours
A nighthawk

Drenching spring rain --

A shrike
Shakes its feathers

Nightfall --
White-throated swifts
Enter the roost
January snowfall --
A cardinal moves
Up the branch

Forest pond --
Diving in feet first
An osprey

Quiet fall night --

The delicate whoosh
Of owl wings
 Ducks paddle
Towards the swamp…
Calm afternoon

Mid-morning hush
Now and then…
Birdsong

Tepid summer breeze --

A cuckoo
Motionless on the branch
Sitting in the pine
Perfectly camouflaged
A barred owl

Woodpecker taps
Echo through the trees…
Autumn woods

February sky --
A golden eagle
Spirals out of sight
 First light --
The faint sound
Of waking sparrows

Bright autumn sun --

Tundra swans
Sleep on the lake

Sunset --
A flock of snow geese
Descend on the marsh
Silent morning --
A great egret
Steps towards the stream

Summer drizzle --
A blue-footed booby
Comes ashore

Clear April sky --

Chasing fish underwater
A cormorant
 Daybreak --
Yodeling on the lake
A common loon

Spring breeze --
Rustling in the thicket
A wood thrush

Winter wind --
A crow drifts
From pine to pine
A turnstone
Flips over shore rocks…
Summer sea

Midnight --
Unheard in the forest
Sleeping birds

December rain --
Nesting in the tree cavity
A screech owl