f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

Don’t forget: Our holiday gifts to you: Two 12-page, printable 2008 calendars, the kitschy f/k/a Haiga Memories Calendar and the artsy Giacalone Haiga Calendar 2008, which feature a photo and linked poem for each month. Read more here.

Thanks to a thoughtful haijin friend, one present under dagosan’s Christmas Tree was “Lanterns: a firefly anthology” (Edited by Stanford M. Forrester, Bottle Rockets Press, 2007). Stan Forrester has collected 77 firefly haiku by “53 of the haiku community’s top poets” in this 5 x 6.5-inch perfectbound anthology.

I’ve always loved fireflies — whether it’s a lone male signalling for a mate in late spring, or a multitude creating a spectacular lightshow on a steamy August night — and have written quite a few haiku on the subject. Naturally, I was honored when Stan choose one of them for this collection.

cloud-covered night–
no moon, no fireflies,
no goodnight kiss

……………………… by david giacalone, Lanterns (2007)

As with all my haiku reading (as opposed to my ice cream consumption), I’m more likely to dip briefly into this lovely little book for a quick snack of firefly poems, rather than binge on the full buffet in one sitting. No matter how you approach it, though, there are bright delights to be found throughout Lanterns.

Nine of the 53 poets featured in Lanterns are f/k/a Honored Guest Poets: in alphabetical order, Roberta Beary, Randy Brooks, Yu Chang, Gary Hotham, Jim Kacian, Peggy Willis Lyles, Ed Markowski, Tom Painting, and George Swede. Here are the dozen poems that they contributed to this first-of-a-kind Firefly Anthology:

as far as the light goes —
my daughter goes
after the firefly

among the fireflies —
the children playing past
their bedtime

………………. Gary Hotham
“among the fireflies –” – Bare Feet
“as far as the light goes –” – Windchimes #26

firefly lifts off
from her open palm
another rain drop

……………….. Randy Brooks

dawn breeze —
it flickers, then goes out
the firefly

…………….. George Swede

lights out
. . . the firefly
inside

…………….. Peggy Willis Lyles
HSA Henderson Award 1980 Hon. Men.

memorial day
he turns his back
to the fireflies

late innings
the shortstop backpedals
into fireflies

………………… ed markowski
“late innings” – Baseball Haiku (2007)

on my finger
the firefly
puts out its light

so much silence
on a path
lit by fireflies

…………….. Roberta Beary
“on my finger” – Shiki Internet Kukai

broken lamp
through the briar bush
fireflies

………………. Yu Chang – from Reflections 2

paint flaking
from the porch rail
firefliess

…………. Tom Painting

closing my eyes —
a firefly
still there

……….. Jim Kacian