Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog in the spring forest with the person who loves him most.

I’ve had to rebuild
to keep getting up each day,
to still see beauty.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog seen in profile in early days of spring among wood violets with the person who loves him most.

With all tender life,
our days of soft communion —
now comes good sailing.

for Mack (and Thoreau)

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog seen in profile close-in in the presence of the person who loves him most.

It’s how I’m alive,
looking at the morning sky,
writing about you.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog stands in a forest budding out in spring sun with the person who loves him most.

The sudden greening
this spring happens without you —
where you walked and ran.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog sniffing the ground next to tall grasses on a summer morning with the person who loves him most.

Early and awake,
we were out in the wet grass,
finches lit with song.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog walking in summer with the person who loves him most.

The distance growing,
you’re getting farther away —
birds singing at dawn.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog sniffing the ground and thicket underneath a blooming wild carrot with the person who loves him most.

Under the tall wild carrot
you found the understory’s
free, green galaxy.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog at the edge of a forest sniffing the air in summer with the person who loves him most.

There’s grief in those trees —
without you, my mind is there,
sinking into them.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog sniffs grasses at the edge of a forest with the person who loves him most.

The ecstatic sun,
we sniffed, basked, lolled, ran, and walked —
we leaned towards it.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog exploring the smells of the forest with his nose to the ground on a sparse path with the person who loves him most.

The endless beauty —
we found it every day,
paths led in and out.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog exploring the smells of tall grasses and wildflowers with the person who loves him most.

Your nose off the path
in the cow vetch and grasses —
endless, proper work.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog happily exploring the spring forest with the person who loves him most.

You’ve been gone four months,
I still see you out ahead
looking back at me.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog sleeping soundly on a couch in the presence of the person who loves him most.

Happily sleeping —
contentment with what had been,
your dreaming was sound.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog out in a yard sniffing the earth first thing in the morning in the presence of the person who loves him most.

The cold morning earth,
you went out to discover
all the night’s secrets.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog sitting by a tree in sunshine with the person who loves him most.

Spring shadows climbing
across fields and up trees —
your eyes like chestnuts.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog looking over a a half frozen pond with the person who loves him most.

Spring comes without you,
all of our ponds will crack, thaw,
I see you there, here.

Haiku-a-day
A black and white dog looking over a decaying log in a snowy forest with the person who loves him most.

The hope doesn’t go —
thinking of my life with you,
in these cold, hard days.