(k29)

coach journey
missing the scenery
by reading haiku

© Gerald England

Composed: between Manchester & Liverpool, 22nd December 2001

Publication

2003 Time Haiku (UK)

(k28)

December morning
though we shiver with frost
the low sun blinds

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 15th December 2001

Publication

2002 ROMANIAN CONTEMPORARY ASTROPOETRY 2002 (Bucharest, SARM)

*****
decembrie dimineata
desi tremuram de ger
soarele palid orbeste

Gerald England
(in romaneste de Andrei Dorian Gheorghe)

Publication

2001 Sarm Newsletter (Romania)

The Labyrinth

THE LABYRINTH

On the far side of Hope
ears pop;
my head spins.

Queuing for water
from the town well,
winds from up the dale
blow in one ear,
exit less coolly.

At the top of Long Hill
we rest;
views of the valley
are but a misty panorama.

I feed on a bacon butty,
drink hot black unsweetened tea.

The journey home
will be fraught with uncertainty;
not all traffic lights
turn green on approach.

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 23rd November 2001

Publication

2004 Aesthetica (UK)

October Forecast

OCTOBER FORECAST

“Bright with sunny periods
some cloud, occasional showers”
says the local TV forecast.

It has been persistently precipitating
for more than twelve hours.

On the doorstep
a soggy mass of pulp
is all that is left
of my note to the milkman.

The dog wags her tail
in a desperate message;
I open the back door,
she steps out,
stops,
looks round,
then dashes for the nearest
patch of green,
does that she has to do.

Back inside,
the hearthrug
doubles as a towel.

Only an incoming aircraft
breaks the greyness
of the birdless sky.

Outside my window,
the sodden rosebush
drips.

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 26th October 2001

Publications

2002 Curlew (UK)
2007 Famous Poets and Poems (Internet)

Passing On

PASSING ON

(for Gail and her mother)

"grandma has no pulse"

the boy hugs his mother
tears flood
forming a river
that crosses
continents and oceans

strength passes
between young and old

a mother's passion
nurtures
a daughter's spirit
nourishes
a faint heart

waves of pure hope
clean the beaches
the island heaves
with fire

beyond red sunsets
memories live
in the eyes of children
who will forge
their own future

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 23rd October 2001

Publication

2001 Zimmerzine (Internet)

(k25)

days after
uncountable candles
light the world

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 17th September 2001

Publication

2001 World Haiku Wall (Internet)

(k24)

downpour
before venturing out
the dog thinks twice

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 5th September 2001

Unpublished

(k23)

from his sick-bed
watching the rain pour
and not caring

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 5th September 2001

Unpublished

Stargazing in New Zealand

STARGAZING IN NEW ZEALAND

Collected in a transit van
the Japanese astronomer
takes us out of the village
and across two rutted fields
to his tiny observatory.

It is a clear, cold evening;
the heavens are looking beautiful;
we are shown the stars
as they appear before our naked eyes.

He points out the constellations
and the planets, Jupiter and Saturn;
deep inside the milky way
helps us to clearly see
the position of the Southern Cross.

Whilst observing the sky
we catch site of the Mir spaceship
one week before it is due to
splash down somewhere in the sea
between here and Chile.

Inside the observatory
a large telescope is trained on Jupiter.
Through it we can plainly view
swirling gas clouds and four moons
one to the norwest;
three almost in a so'west line.

Outside in the field
smaller telescopes are set up.
we behold Saturn,
its magnificent rings resplendent.
All I can say is
"Wow!"

We also look closely
at the Jewel-box constellation
and the Orion nebulae.

Reluctantly
we return to the warmth
of our lakeside lodge
dreaming of uncountable stars.

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 3rd August 2001

Publications

2002 ROMANIAN CONTEMPORARY ASTROPOETRY 2002 (Bucharest, SARM)
2006 NHI (Internet)
2006 Curlew (UK)

*****
PRIVIND LA STELE IN NOUA ZEELANDA

Suntem culesi intr-un camion de tranzit.
Astronomul japonez ne poarta in afara satului
si ne traverseaza doua campuri imperechiate
catre micul sau observator.

Este o seara senina si rece;
cerul arata frumos;
suntem expusi stelelor,
cum si ele apar inaintea ochilor nostri nuzi.

Astronomul puncteaza constelatiile
si planetele, Jupiter si Saturn;
adanc inauntrul Caii Lactee
ne ajuta sa vedem clar
pozitia Crucii Sudului.

In timp ce observam cerul,
prindem si site-ul statiei Mir
cu o saptamana inainte de cuvenita-i
prabusire in mare
intre aici si Chile.

Inauntrul observatorului,
un telescop mare este fixat pe Jupiter.
Prin el putem vedea deschis
nori de gaz invartejati si patru luni,
una spre nord-vest
si trei aproape de linia sud-vestului.

In afara campului
sunt fixate telescoape mai mici.
Observam Saturnul
si magnificele-i inele stralucitoare.
Tot ce pot spune este
"Wow!"

Privim de asemenea indeaproape
constelatia Cutia cu Diamante
si nebuloasa lui Orion.

Fara convingere
ne intoarcem la caldura
casutei noastre de langa lac,
visand stele nenumarate.

GERALD ENGLAND

(versiunea romaneasca de Andrei Dorian Gheorghe)

Publications

2001 SARM-news (Romania)
2006 NHI (Internet)

(k18)

RAF jet --
thunder attacks our eardrums
there it was - gone

© Gerald England

Composed: Crainlarich, 26th July 2001

Unpublished

(k17)

fogbound viewpoint -
we cannot see the island
but know it is there

© Gerald England

Composed: Arnisdale, 25th July 2001

Unpublished

(k16)

Knoydart -
somewhere in the greyness
sea and sky meet

© Gerald England

Composed: Arnisdale, 25th July 2001

Unpublished

(k15)

below the ring
of cloud-topped mountains
still waters

© Gerald England

Composed: Arnisdale, 25th July 2001

Unublished

(k14)

scampering uphill
out of the rhododendrons
a young deer

© Gerald England

Composed: Loch Quoich, 25th July 2001

Unpublished

(k12)

waiting for our boat
the incoming tide
climbs three steps

Composed: Inner Farne, 23rd July 2001

Unpublished

(k11)

yellow clumps
of scarce fiddleneck
between the thistles

Composed: Inner Farne, 23rd July 2001

Unpublished

(k10)

a pied wagtail
darts between picnickers
by the lighthouse

© Gerald England

Composed: Inner Farne, 23rd July 2001

Publication

2007 Ginyu (Japan)

(k9)

on Inner Farne
the incessant screams
of arctic terns

© Gerald England

Composed: Inner Farne, 23rd July 2001

Unpublished

(k8)

the rat-tap flap
of puffins flying
from their burrows

© Gerald England

Composed: Staple Island, 23rd July 2001

Unpublished

(k7)

between two rocks
an abandoned shag's egg
fallen from the nest

© Gerald England

Composed: Staple Island, 23rd July 2001

Unpublished