Betty by the Bay

This is Betty Arnold on one of those days 

when we went to a Haiku Poets of Northern California meeting

by the glorious San Francisco Bay.

welcome home surprise—

all along the driveway

forget-me-nots

Betty Arnold

Editor's apology: we just had a two-day pause and may get another, 

due to a visit from our son's family with his four children, ages 9-4.

Wow!

Kitty Time

A delightful store display (from the land of Hello Kitty!) found on

the group trip to Japan in 1997.

A world of trials,

and if the cherry blossoms,

it simply blossoms

  

Issa

The Pocket Haiku

Sam Hamill, Shambala, 2014, page 88.

The raised hand of the Buddha

                          One of the highlights of the trip to Japan in 1997,               jhhymas

was an excursion to Nara to see Todaiji, the Great Buddha Hall.

It is a magnificent huge wooden building, truly awe-inspiring.

A butterfly, 

in the cold: it flies in pursuit

of its own soul

Takahama Kyoshi

(1874-1959)

Modern Japanese Haiku; an anthology, by Makota Ueda, University of Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo, 1974, page 56.

Where Shiki Dwelt

Betty Arnold and Tei Matsushita Scott seen through the shoji at Shiki's memorial,

on the trip to Japan in 2007.

Shiki's narrow sickbed (so close to the floor!) is reconstructed nearby.

beneath the trellis

old women sit patiently--

wisteria buds

  

Betty Arnold

the tree cut,
dawn breaks early
at my little window
  
Shiki

Softly

Some of us cannot tear ourselves away at the end of a YT Haiku Retreat at Asilomar.

So we clear out of our rooms and spend some time in the afternoon 

reading and discussing our haiku 

in one of the open outdoor spaces near the Administration Building. 

This is Ann Bendixen, several years ago--
with the sun-bright cobbles of one of the historic buildings behind her.

a sandy shell

curves softly in my hand

hazy moon

Ann Bendixen

From the land of kimono

This is Ellen Brooks. She is a dancer and actress based in San Francisco.

She studied kyogen and movement for manu years 

with Yuriko Doi of the Theatre of Yugen in San Francisco.

Ellen has given dance performances at several of our Asilomar Haiku Retreats.

This one was, as I recall, the first one.

In the background, Carol Steele's embroidered orange kimono, 

which often lends its beauty to our special events.

White tail doe

calmly considers

--the chrysanthemums

Ellen Brooks

Mouthful of cherries

                running down her chin

                              she flings on the swing

Ellen Brooks

You are the sky

                                                                                                          jhhymas
We often travel to San Francisco to join with the Haiku Poets of Northern California at their meetings in San Francisco's Fort Mason, perched right on San Francisco Bay, Here, Past YT president Jerry Ball and current president Alison Woolpert enjoy the beautiful bay light during one of these outings..

surrounded by fog

the sound of muffled footsteps

becomes a person

     

Jerry Ball

tiny reflection

you are the sky and the clouds

mountain butterfly

    

Alison Woolpert

YT Member's Anthology 2001

Grandchildren of the founders

It was a wonderful surprise to discover at a celebration of the Fortieth Year

of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society that the Tokutomi's grandchildren were formerly

pupils of one of our stalwart members, Eleanor Carolan.

Here she is shown standing between Jason and Nicholette Northon.

peach blossoms

the bucket of rain

overflowing

  

Eleanor Carolan

hearing silence --

arms of the redwoods

decorated with stars

  

Eleanor Carolan

both haiku from Scattered Acorns;

YT Member's Anthology 2014

Assemble for Group Photograph!

At Haiku North America 2112, Asilomar, we are summoned for the group photograph.

Assembling, left to right: Alison Wolpert, Deborah Kolodji, black baseball cap person, 

Joseph Robello, blue shirt person, Nardin Gottfried, Fay Aoyagi, Carolyn Hall.

This is a lot of haiku talent to cram into one snapshot!

windfall apples

what I think about

when I think

Carolyn Hall

war news

the underbelly of a moth

pressed to my window

Carolyn Hall

reprinted in

Haiku 21; an anthology of contemporary 

English language haiku.

Modern Haiku Press, Lincoln, Illinois, 2011, pages 86-87.

Meeting in Japanese Gardens

                                                                                    jhhymas

Kiyoko Tokutomi is writing haiku in the Japanese garden in Golden Gate Park. 

Ed Thompson was there, too. It seems a long time ago now. 

The local members have been lucky to have had ginko in so many gardens and parks, 

which we are fortunate to have nearby in this part of California.

But any little strip of garden, woods, lawn or moor 

will surely turn out to have haiku gifts if we but look for them.

Touched by a fine rain

it closes itself up early

the mimosa

   

Kiyoko Tokutomi

The little stream's murmuring

is louder--new sprouts

of iris

  

Kiyoko Tokutomi

Kiyoko's Sky, Brooks Books, 2002, pages 20 and 26.

A Bounty of Blossoms

Last year, our group had a ginko and a picnic at the Tilden Botanical Garden 

in the East Bay Regional Parks District near Berkeley in northern California. 

We had a great time; some wonderful haiku were written and shared. 

The native plant gardens are spectacular and very interesting!

This year, we are going to do it again on June 13, 2015.

Details are in the current Geppo. It's blooming again now!

Go if you possibly can!

humming to myself--

a hovering dragonfly

ruffles the air

Wally Swist

The Silence Between Us;

selected haiku, Brooks Books, 2005,

page 101.

(Note: I recently was able to find a copy of 

the selected haiku of longtime Massachusetts haiku practitioner 

Wally Swist, where I found this haiku.)

Sky in the Water

On a blue day at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose.
Something about the sky, I think.
We were there for a haiku walk and a reading.

Shadow of willow

softly touches a carp’s fin

summer afternoon

Kiyoshi Tokutomi

from youngleaves.org

Poet's Pages

On the boardwalk at Asilomar

This is Zinovy Vayman, smiling!  I met him for the first time at Haiku North America in 2012,

but we had been having written discussions about our YT publications for much, much longer.

Yom Kippur Eve

by the church-turned-mosque

an ice cream truck's tune

Zinovy Vayman

Haiku in English; the first hundred years,

W. W. Norton, 2013, page 282.

Three Smiles

At Haiku North America, 2012, Ann Bendixen, a dear and faithful member,

is flanked by Mr. Noma and the irrepressible Mrs. Minako Noma 

from Matsuyama, Japan.

waiting for the moon--

through hanging paper lanterns in a line

breeze at the beach

Noma Minako

 

first laugh!

a kookaburra perching

on an old gum tree

Ann Bendixen

from Autumn Deepens; 

thirty-fifth commemorative member's anthology, 

2010, page 4.

Kiyoko's Sister

This is Mitsuyo Shibata Tao, Kiyoko Tokutomi's sister, 

during one of the commemorative events recently held 

in celebration of the 40 Anniversary 

of the founding of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society.

Kiyoko was not without family during her adult life in California.

Two of her sisters lived nearby, with their families.

as well as other member's of Kiyoshi's family,

who were from this area. (Photo by Patricia Machmiller.)

Nobody visits

and here I am wishing to share

this crushed ice

   

Kiyoko Tokutomi

with its redwoods

springing to their full heights

the mountain laughs

  

Kiyoko Tokutomi

From Kiyoko's Sky, 

Brooks Books, 2002,pages 105 and 88.

Donna Beaver & Alan Pizzarelli

In the bright afternoon sun at Asilomar during Haiku North America 2012, 

Donna Beaver and Al Pizzarelli, creators of  Haiku Chronicles; the podcasts,

smile for the photographer!

twilight

staples rust

in the telephone pole

light rain

on the young tree

a strip of burlap ... flaps

Alan Pizzarelli

Perusing Old Files

On one of our last outings with Kiyoko, we went out to lunch.

Afterwards, we paused in the parking lot for this portrait of Kiyoko and Patricia.

So lightly it goes

and so lightly it comes back

--the swallowtail

Kiyoko Tokutomi

from Kiyoko's Sky, Brooks Books, 2002. 
translated by Fay Aoyagi and Patricia Machmiller

perusing old files

dusty thoughts rise and settle--

the spinning spider

Patricia Machmiller

from Blush of Winter Moon

Geisha; going away

As they passed us, we pretended not to stare!

They must have been coming from or going to a photography session.

It was cherry blossom time in Japan!

(From the group visit to Japan in 2007.)

falling petals

the afternoon starts

with applause

Jane Reichhold

from A Dictionary of Haiku; 

second edition, AHA Books, 2013, page 31.

San Jose Japanese Friendship Garden

If you could see past the left edge of this picture, you would be able 

to see the Teahouse in the Japanese Friendship Garden, where yesterday, 

the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society held a reading by the past presidents of the group.

Friends came from near and far and Deborah Kolodji drove 

from far Southern climes to take photographs.

This is one of them, stolen from Facebook.

the traffic clears

on both sides of the road

wild mustard

Deborah P. Kolodji

Scattered Acorns

YTHS Membership Anthology 2014

page 25

YT 25th Anniversary; after the reading

15 years ago we celebrated the 25th anniversary 

of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society

with a reading by the past presidents.

They are all in this photo, except for Mr. Tokutomi,

and Edwin Falkowski, who were no longer with us,

Now the two on the edges of this photo are also gone:

Mr. Yamagata, who died this year and Mrs. Tokutomi,

who has been gone a long time.

The rest of these people read today at the Teahouse 

in the Japanese Friendship Garden, but neither

Dave Wright (white beard) nor June Hymas (green blouse)

was able to attend. Other long-time members read for them.

And Deborah Kolodji put the photos on Facebook as the reading

progressed. I hope to get these photos from her for use here.

Also reading today were president Alison Woolpert and

past-president Carol Steele.

And so we go on!

each new grain of rice

seems to stand with the others

in the straw bag

Teruo Yamagata

   

Scattered Acorns; YTHS Member's Anthology 2014, page 46.

Flute Music

This is Patrick Gallegher, who has been invaluable to Yuki Teikei

in so many ways, as webmaster, Pagemaker expert, photographer

and just generally sensible person and thoughtful, incisive poet.. 

flute music

from the temple

we cannot enter

Patrick Gallagher

An Inch

Asilomar Beach at Dawn, September, 2012. The distant figure is Anil, 

who came all the way from Uttar Pradesh to attend this haiku conference.

in the twilight of dawn

a whitefish, with an inch

of whiteness

Buson
translated by Haruo Shirane

Statue of Kobo Daishi

I am thinking this was a statue of Kobo Daishi (774-835)

that we saw on the trip to Japan, but my journal is stored elsewhere;

perhaps it could be another holy traveler with a staff.

wisteria in bloom--

voices of pilgrims

voices of birds

Issa

translated by David Lanoue

flitting butterfly--

after dinner, a temple

pilgrimage

Issa

translated by David Lanoue

riding piggy-back

a butterfly too is a pilgrim...

Zenko Temple

Issa

translated by David Lanoue

A Sheltered Spot

                                                                              jhhymas

If I remember correctly, this place is called China Cove; it is at Point Lobos and has recently been closed to people because sea lions have colonized this beach. Jim Arnold, known to us as Ouzel, 

his haiku name, was a docent at Point Lobos, and brought us here.in 2006.
I think I see him in a blue shirt leaning toward Mariko in pink to explain something.
That is Janis Lukstein going down the stairs,

It was a memorable, beautiful day. 
(Fisheye lens causes distortion.)

the wide winter sea –
my little problems
ebb on the tide

     

~Ed Grossmith

In Alum Rock Park

Fay Aoyagi gets closer to a spring wildflower on our ginko

in Alum Rock Park.

Fay is an expert on haiku, here as well as in Japan;

here is a link to her web presence.

She also posts a translated modern haiku from Japan every day.

spring mud

I find a comb

left by a nymph

  

Fay Aoyagi

   

Beyond the Reach of My Chopsticks, 

Blue Willow Press, 2011, page 30.

One Line Haiku

Here is Deborah Kolodji at the special reading at the Tea House 

and our visit to the convalescent koi in 2010. Since she sprang onto the haiku scene, 

she has made herself irreplaceable, promoting haiku and very frequent haiku events

in a variety of ways. She's another member from the Southern California Haiku Study Group.

(Addendum: Debbie just emailed me that these were three line haiku and posted the wrong way
on my source. I'll try to clean this up and redo this post soon. Editor.)

migrating birds 
the line of planes 
at rush hour

Deborah Kolodji

thistles in bloom
 grandmother’s needle threaded 
with purple

Deborah Kolodji

I found these one-line haiku in an interview with Debbie at this link.

If you haven't tried writing haiku in one line of 17 syllables or less,

try to fit the attempt into your busy life. You know who you are . . .

Scented Breeze

This is Naia at the Annual Yuki Teikei Reading in the Teahouse on May 6, 2010.
Naia means nymph. She is another of our Southern California members,
and a really terrific writer and friendly person!

songbird . . .

even the crow in the next tree

listens

   

Naia

  

BASHO Festival Anthology, 2001 (Japan)

   

scented breeze . . .

the whir of a hummingbird

somewhere

   

Naia

   

Modern Haiku Vol XXXIII Nr 2 (Summer 2002)

This is a link to the source of these haiku by Naia.

And here she is on the same day writing haiku in the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose.

Calling the names

This is Mrs. Minako Noma seeing us off at the station 

when a group of us visited Japan in 1997.

And that's a blonde sliver of Alice Benedict, I  think,

Mrs. Noma has been so helpful to us during our two trips to Japan;

Her smiling volubility during this first visit made a deep impression on me. jhh

feeding goldfish

children call the names

of each

Minako Noma