Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands stands contently in the grass among dandelions gone to seed with sun shining on him.

Smiling under sun
among the dandelions
at the forest’s edge.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands stands contently in the grass of a backyard garden with sun shining on him.

In the summer grass,
you stand in early-day sun,
soft-eyed and content.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands out ahead on a leash at the edge of a forest looking at the person who loves him most holding the leash.

Your forest, meadow,
you loved the world till the end,
and you were loved more.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands out ahead on a leash in a fall forest with the person who loves him most holding the leash.

For a year a stray,
then loved and always at home,
me, here, just behind.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands near a fence, looking happily at the person who loves him most.

These things sustained us —
out looking — before sunrise,
or under spring stars.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog lays happily on the lap of the person who loves him most.

Those long afternoons —
I’m still there looking at you,
I’ll never stand up.

Haiku-a-day
The sky at sunrise with wispy clouds and a flock of four blackbirds flying through.

Four blackbirds fly through
another day without you —
grief has collapsed me.

Haiku-a-day
A woman's hand on a handsome black and white dog looking back at her with love.

It’s strange without you —
the quiet days together,
there was only love.

Haiku-a-day
A woman's hand on a handsome black and white dog looking back at her drowsily.

Grief is a third thing,
hovering every morning,
your lost form, still lost.

Haiku-a-day
A bleak field of black dried flower stalks against snow in winter.

Without you trotting
out ahead of me, sniffing,
there’s only absence.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog basking in a clump of goldenrod on a sunny day.

Contained in your joy,
goldenrod to be walked through —
sun on eyelashes.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog and a woman together in a deep forest.

Under many skies,
we knew that we were lucky —
our eyes on the world.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog starting out along a snowy path in a deep forest.

We stepped through them soft,
every thicket and forest,
mysteries each time.

Haiku-a-day
The silhouetee of a man holding the leash of a black and white dog sniffing a branch along the path in a deep forest.

Eyes always open,
sensing the hidden things, nose
up and catching scents.

Haiku-a-day

Frost on the cold earth —
at home under the spring moon,
you fell to the ground.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog walks under a large clump of wild daisy fleabane on a sunny day.

Ears scented with earth,
you came out of the tall grass,
lived your life with us.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog looks happily over his shoulder at the camera on a sunny day among dried milkweed.

Earlier this month
you stood among the milkweed,
smiled and walked and walked.

For Mack

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog looks happily over his shoulder in the snowy woods on a sunny day.

Towards our deep forest,
sixteen degrees and we ran,
owls hooted, sun shone.