31 December 2017

Just as one year ends,
Another begins.  And our
Journey continues.

31 December 2017

Tomorrow, another beginning, as The Haiku Project 2018 gets underway.  You can follow along here.

29 December 2017

Nearly midnight, and
The dog's  prancing in the yard,
Making the snow fly.

29 December 2017

28 December 2017

Sitting at my desk,
Reading, not for the first time,
A Christmas poem.

28 December 2017
http://wordsmusic-doc.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-christmas-poem.html

27 January 2017

A good day to stay
At home, inside, safe and warm,
Watching the pond freeze.

27 December 2017

25 December 2017

A cold, snowy day.
Sunlight's reflection blinding
In late afternoon.

25 December 2017

21 December 2017

We live, day by day,
Quietly, without drama...
Then the world explodes.

21 December 2017

20 December 2017

Anticipating
The arbitrary onset
Of a "new year."  Why?

20 December 2017

19 December 2017

A cardinal pecks
At something on the sidewalk...
But what could it be?

19 December 2017

(Taken about noon today)

16 December 2017

Trying to avoid
Attachment to this world and
Rejection of it.

16 December 2017

15 December 2017

Bare trees, their branches
Black lines against the sunset.
And I stare at them.

15 December 2017

13 December 2017

Sitting in the dark,
Listening to the wind, and
Wishing I could sleep.

13 December 2017

10 December 2017

Even bright sunshine
Fails to warm our sun room.  One
More sign of winter.

10 December 2017

9 December 2017

Walking cautiously.
Trying not to slip and fall
With snow underfoot.

9 December 2017

8 December 2017

Snowflakes drifting down
To cover the fallen leaves
For a day or two.

8 December 2017

7 December 2017

Cold winds and dark clouds
Weeks-early signs of winter...
I'm too old for this.

7 December 2017

4 December 2017

Looking like winter...
Grey skies, cold rain, the last few
Leaves at last falling.

4 December 2017

30 November 2017

Spring might mean rebirth,
But fall colors remind me
The whole year's beauty.

30 November 2017
(Taken today, about 5 PM)

28 November 2017

Watching clouds drift past
The moon tonight, I'd like to
Drift along with them.

28 November 2017

26 November 2017

Just before sunset,
Only a glimmer of light
Remains to be seen.

26 November 2017
(25 November 2017)

23 November 2017

A difficult time
To feel thankful. Or hopeful.
But, still, I do hope.

23 November 2017

22 November 2017

And where were you then,
Fifty-four years ago, what
Do you remember?

22 November 2017
(22 November 1963)

20 November 2017

Anticipation...
Time with people too rarely
Seen brings us great joy.

20 November 2017

19 November 2017

About growing old...
Some days everything aches...knees,
Shoulders, back, feet, neck...

19 November 2017

18 November 2017

Day-long thunder storms.
The dog is trying to hide;
I'm trying to sleep.

18  November 2017

17 November 2017 (B)

And the rain begins,
Drumming softly on the roof,
And rustling the leaves.

17 November 2017 (B)

17 November 2017

The leaves are falling
From the Japanese maple.
Soon it will be bare.

17 November 2017

12 November 2017

A long, lazy day,
Watching rain soak the lawn and
Dozing in my chair,

12 November 2017

11 November 2017

One hundred years gone
Since the guns fell silent.  Not,
I fear, forever.

11 November 2017

9 November 2017

In the parking lot,
A crane--made of steel--lifting
Its load to the sky.

9 November 2017
(Just this morning.)

6 November 2017

A quiet day--reading,
Napping, and petting the dog.
And now, off to sleep.

6 November 2017

4 November 2017

Waiting for a while,
Hoping to sleep well tonight.
Not expecting to.

4 November 2017

3 November 2017

The leaves in autumn
Beneath the crabapple tree
Are nature's carpet.

3 November 2017
(From November 2015)

2 November 2017

A hawk on the fence,
Looking, waiting, but seeing
Nothing edible.

2 November 2017
I wanted to go get a camera, but knew
any movement by me would cause
the hawk to take off.  About 9 AM.

1 November 2017

And even with the mist,
The colors of autumn lit
An early morning

1 November 2017
(Photo from November 2015)

28 October 2017

Flowers that brighten
Our lives by day and by night,
But all too soon gone.

28 October 2017

27 October 2017

A dull, dreary day.
But when I rub the dog's ears
Everything is good.

27 October 2017

26 October 2017

Summer evening.
Clouds in the west are back-lit
By the setting sun

26 October 2017
(Taken 2 months ago.)

24 October 2017

Cold grey skies, harsh winds
And I know autumn is here
And winter's coming.

24 October 2017

22 October 2017

Surrounded by books.
Hard to decide which to read...
Pick one at random.

22 October 2017

19 October 2017

The house is silent,
Only I am still awake.
But not much longer.

19 October 2017

18 October 2017

Leaves turn red and gold,
Then fall, covering the grass...
And slowly fading...

18 October 2017

17 October 2017

Someone once told me
"We must live in this world...or
Act now to change it."

17 October 2017

15 October 2017

Hearing the rain
Blowing against the windows
And waiting for dawn.

15 October 2017

8 October 2017

All day, a cold rain.
Leaves falling from the trees.
Wind chilling my bones.

8 October 2017

7 October 2017

Since autumn began,
Summer heat continues, and
Leaves still change color.

7 October 2017

4 October 2017

Waking this morning...
Soft sound of rain on the grass.
Dog sleeps next to me.

4 October 2017

2 October 2017

Sometimes, words fail us.
Sometimes, even rage and tears
Fail us...As tonight...

2 October 2017
(Las Vegas shooting)

1 October 2017

Dragonfly resting,
Waiting for a breeze to take
It somewhere better.

1 October 2017
(Taken 9/25/2017)

30 September 2017

Mist shrouding the fields,
Trees ghostly shapes on the hills,
Early this morning.

30 September 2017

18 September 2017

Just before sunset,
Watching clouds drift to the south,
Rain scenting the air.

18 September 2017

16 September 2017

Old, tired, achy...
Not complaints, just reporting...
Just the way things are.

16 September 2017

14 September 2017

A simple pleasure...
Lemon-poppyseed muffins
Just after dinner.

14 September 2017

13 September 2017

A cold, rainy day.
The aftermath of Irma,
Many miles away.

13 September 2017

9 September 2017

An old neighborhood
Changing...old houses gone and
New ones being built.

9 September 2017
(The Near North neighborhood
in Indianapolis

7 September 2017

The end of the world
Is at hand--floods to the south,
And fire to the west.

7 September 2017

6 September 2016

I want some good news...
No more deportations, please.
No more hurricanes.

6 September 2017

4 September 2017 (Labor Day)

Decades of struggle,
Enormous sacrifices...
Remembered today.

4 September 2017 (Labor Day)

2 September 2017

Watching clouds drift past
The moon, at first hiding and
Then revealing it.

2 September 2017
(Taken tonight, about 8:30)

 

 

1 September 2017

It's a strange feeling...
After forty-seven years,
Not going to work.

1 September 2017

30 August 2017

Watching the night sky...
Clouds changing as the sun sets,
Moon drifting behind.

30 August 2017

25 August 2017

Growing old, thinking
Of people who shaped my life...
How much I owe them.

27 August 2017
(One  of those people)

 

23 August 2017

Along the canal,
Drifting past farms, villages...
Dozing in the sun

23 August 2017
(France, May 2000)



21 August 2017

During the eclipse,
Clouds obscured our view; at least
The dog didn't care.

21 August 2017

18 August 2017

This week, dropping out
Seemed like a plan...but tonight
Seems like desertion.

18 August 2017

17 August 2017

Outside the window,
A hollyhock is blooming...
The first time ever.

17 August 2017
(Taken 13 August 2017)

 

14 August 2017

A wise man only makes
Decisions when his passions
Are under control.

14 August 2017

13 August 2017

Seven decades ago,
Our fathers fought the darkness.
And now it returns.

13 August 2017
(Taken May 2000)



8 August 2017

A good chair, and light,
And a  book to read, and I
Am set for the night.

8 August 2017

7 August 2017

As the books pile up,
 Choosing what to read is hard.
What will it be now?

7 August 2017

4 August 2017

Part of growing old
Is not sleeping as much...or
So it seems to me.

4 August 2017

3 August 2017

The crabapple tree
Continues to drop its crop
All over the walk..

3 August 2017

2 August 2017

Too tired to think,
So I'll see if I can sleep.
The dog will join me.

2 August 2017

31 July 2017

Bunny in the yard
Runs away when I approach
But I meant no harm

31 July 2017
(Photo taken about 6:30 PM today)

 



28 July 2017

Waiting for critters,
Under the crabapple tree,
Delicious treats.

28 July 2017
(Photo taken 27 July 2017,
about 9 PM)

 

 



27 July 2017

Just after midnight
The storm begins. And the dog
Hides in the bathroom.

27 July 2017

26 July 2017

Robins in the yard,
Pecking for food in the grass,
Fleeing when I pass.

26 July 2017

23 July 2017

A simple pleasure--
Taking the dog for a ride
For the fun of it.


23 July 2017

22 July 2017

Weighted down with fruit,
The crabapple's branches hit
My head in passing.

22 July 2017

21 July 2017

Waking this morning...
Rolling thunder, sheets of rain,
And one upset dog.

21 July 2017

(Hiding in the bathroom)

 

 



19 July 2017

Half-eaten apples
Beneath the crabapple tree...
Our picky eaters.

19 July 2017

16 July 2017

Late afternoon heat
With thunderclouds billowing,
And threatening storms.

16 July 2017
(Taken this evening, about 6:30)

 



15 July 2014

The dog's in the yard,
Guarding her home from strangers,
And ready to bark.

15 July 2017

13 July 2017

The ducks and geese hide
From the afternoon downpour...
A strange day indeed.

13 July 2017

12 July 2017

From under a bush,
Two rabbits running away
When I got too close.

12 July 2017

10 July 2017

The crabapple tree
Has begun to shed its fruit...
Critters will come soon.

10 July 2017

8 July 2017

A full moon tonight
Yellow against the black sky
Above the flagpole.

8 July 2017

7 July 2017

Late afternoon storms.
My windshield wipers can't cope.
I stop for a while.

7 July 2017

6 July 2017

Morning showers:  Rain
Drips from the crabapple tree
Onto my glasses.

6 July 2017

5 July 2017

Listening to old,
Obscure songs...Who remembers
"The Home of the Brave?"

5 July 2017
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJzk2yeFUTg)

3 July 2017

A little gray bird
Sits in the crabapple tree,
Shrieks as I walk past.

3 July 2017

2 July 2017

A parade of ducks,
Through the rain and through our yard,
Ending in the pond.

2 July 2017

29 June 2017

Sitting in twilight,
Watching the clouds changing shapes
In the western sky

29 June 2017
(Photo taken about 8:30 PM tonight)



25 June 2017

As I leave the house,
Sudden outburst of barking--
Dog saying "Don't leave."

25 June 2017
(I was just getting the mail.)

24 June 2017

Someone's music is
Loud enough to wake the dead
Long past my  bedtime.

24 June 2017

22 June 2017

A threatening sky
Captured by my camera,
Just before sunset

22 June 2017
(Taken at 8:30 today)



21 June 2017

From	Donald Coffin doncoffin@aol.comhide details
To	Donald Coffin doncoffin@aol.com
Cc
Bcc
show image slideshow

 

The frogs continue
Their all-night concerto
And I try to sleep.

21 June 2017

17 June 2017

Early this morning,
Under the crabapple tree,
A small brown bunny.

17 June 2017

16 June 2017

Outside our window,
A young tree losing its leaves
And slowly dying.

15 June 2017

14 June 2017

Rain falling in sheets,
Thunder in the distance, and
One very scared dog.

14 June 2017

13 June 2017

Lounging in the sun,
I see a splash of color,
Grab my camera.

13 June 2017
(Taken 8 June 2017)



10 June 2017

Nearly 50 years...
Remembering my first love,
Some things don't end well.

10 June 2017

9 June 2017

A dove on the roof
Cooing its song, waiting for
A dove to answer.

9 June 2017

6 June 2017

Feeling old tonight,
Aching, unable to sleep.
But, then, I am old.

6 June 2017

4 June 2017

Watching the sun set,
Seeing the sky change from gray
To this blaze of light.

4 June 2017
(Photo tonight at about 8:30)



3 June 2017

Time moves slowly, day
By day.  And yet the years go
So very swiftly.

3 June 2017

1 June 2017

Three turtles resting
At the pond's edge dive in when
A squirrel gets close.

1 June 2017

31 May 2017

Stretching and yawning...
Time to join my wife, to sleep,
To wake at sunrise.

31 May 2017

30 May 2017

On a winding road,
Destination uncertain,
I drive warily.

30 May 2017

28 May 2017

More storms today, and
Years ago, I would have danced
In the pouring rain.

28 May 2017

24 May 2017

A song from my past
Plays in my mental jukebox--
"Tangled up in blue."

24 May 2017

23 May 2017

Two ducks in the yard,
Chasing each other around
The pond, wings flapping.

23 May 2017

21 May 2017

If I close my eyes
And shut my ears, I can hope
The world will survive.

21 May 2017

20 May 2017

Waiting in my car,
I'm listening to the rain's
Insistent rhythm.

20 May 2017

19 May 2017

After last night's storms,
A sunny, windy day and
Ducks in the front yard.

19 May 2017

 



14 May 2017

Basho's frog splashed in
The pond and was gone.  Mine
Croaks throughout the night.

14 May 2017
(Basho's haiku:
The old pond;
A frog jumps in —
The sound of the water.

Translated by R.H. Blyth)

12 May 2017

A robin splashing
In a puddle, flies away
Singing as it goes.

12 May 2017

10 May 2017

No rain for a while,
And the birds are singing when
I walk through the yard.

10 May 2017

4 May 2017

A lifetime ago,
Walking home, learning of four
Dead in Ohio.

4 May 2017

3 May 2017

Time to let things go,
To withdraw into our home,
To try to find peace.

3 May 2017

2 May 2017

On a narrow street
Growing against a gray wall
A few  pink roses.

2 May 2017
(The photo was taken in France, in 2000)



30 April 2017

Gray skies and thunder
And the dog looks for shelter
Hiding near my feet.

30 April 2017

27 April 2017

And I remember
A flower in a hedgerow
Years ago, in France.

27 April 2017
(Taken in May 2000)

 



26 April 2017

Early this morning,
Listening to doves calling,
I slowly wake up.

26 April 2017

25 April 2017

The bullfrog returns,
Keeping me awake with his
Insistent croaking.

25 April 2017

20 April 2017

Roadside, there's a goose
Eating dandelion greens
As I'm driving by.

20 April 2017

18 April 2017

Just days ago--bare
Branches.  Now, leaves whisper
When a breeze moves them.

18 April 2017

17 April 2017

Listen to the words...
Let their meaning change your life...
"The Sounds of Silence."

17 April 2017

http://www.lifeaspire.com/6960/simon-garfunkel-reunite-and-perform-the-sound-of-silence/

12 April 2017

Feeling old tonight...
Aching knees, aching shoulder,
Unable to sleep.

12 April 2017
(Somehow this didn't
get published.)

16 April 2017

Late night memories...
Where I was and how I felt
And who was with me.

16 April 2017

14 April 2017

The sun's still shining
As a sudden storm rattles
Our windows today.

14 April 2014

8 April 2017

A sparrow in flight,
Singing as it passes, and
I want to sing, too.

8 April 2017

5 April 2017

The storm grows nearer.
The dog trembles, tries to hide,
Lying at my feet.

5 April 2017

4 April 2017

Just a year ago,
Watching the sky and waiting
For the coming storm.

4 April 2017
(Photo from 1 April 2016)

 

 

 

 

1 April 2017

Growing old, my friends
No longer near, wishing for
Past intimacies.

1 April 2017

31 March 2017

It's nearly midnight;
The rain has ended at last,
But I'm still awake.

31 March 2017

29 March 2017

Listening to Getz
Playing Gillespie with soul
And I feel at peace.

29 March 2017
("Con Alma," from the album Sweet Rain."
"Con alma" is "with soul," in Spanish)

28 March 2017

Just a year ago,
Caught in the evening light,
An orchid in bloom.

28 March 2017

 



27 March 2017

Seeing the dog sleep,
Across the room, tightly curled--
And I'm off to bed.

27 March 2017

26 March 2017

Stacks of books in reach,
Too worn out even to care...
And so the stacks grow.

26 March 2017

20 March 2017

Quiet afternoon,
Then an explosive outburst...
A sudden hailstorm.

20 March 2017
(Photo taken today, about 4:30 PM)

 



19 March 2017

I remember them,
From years past, as they were then.
And now, they're dying.

19 March 2017

17 March 2017

Can I remember
Who I was then, what I felt?
Sometimes...sometimes, not.

17 March 2017

15 March 2017

Just moving around
Has become more difficult
As I've grown older.

15 March 2017

14 March 2017

And winter returns...
A bit of snow, bitter cold...
Glad to stay inside.

14 March 2017

13 March 2017

Waking this morning
With snow in the air, falling
On the budding trees.

13 March 2017

12 March 2017

Looking at pictures
From years past, remembering
Those times and places.

12 March 2017

11 March 2017

Squirrels leaping from
Ground to tree, from branch to branch,
Playing in the sun.

11 March 2017

8 March 2017

The forsythia
Have just begun to blossom...
Harbingers of spring.

8 March 2017

7 March 2017

The gray morning--gone.
Sunshine, and white clouds drifting,
Slowly, overhead.

7 March 2017

5 March 2017

Reading newspapers,
Watching  the Sunday talk shows--
The world's gone crazy.

5 March 2017

4 March 2017

Trying not to wonder
What comes next, but to find peace
In our private life.

4 March 2017

2 March 2017

Walking carefully,
Each step an adventure now,
As my knees protest.

2 March 2017

27 February 2017

Reading late into
The night, waking too early...
And now, dozing off...

27 February 2017

23 February 2017

Walking to my car,
A dove somewhere nearby  calls,
Waits, and calls again.

23 February 2017

22 February 2017

A single flower,
Caught in the sun, long ago,
And I know not where.

22 February 2017

21 February 2017

Remembering Rome...
A flower cart in a street
Near the Spanish Steps.

21 February 2017

 



19 February 2017

A dove on the roof
Rouses me from sleep, softly
Cooing this morning.

19 February 2017

17 February 2017

Sunshine, gentle breeze--
A lovely spring day--except
It's February,

17 February 2017

16 February 2017

Outside our window,
Cardinal hops branch to branch,
And then flies away.

16 February 2017

14 February 2017

On Valentine's Day,
At home with my wife and dog,
Nothing can go wrong.

14 February 2017

13 February 2017

I am growing old;
I look to the past more, now,
Than to the future.

13 February 2017

11 February 2017

A squadron of geese
Overhead, flying about
And squawking loudly.

11 February 2017

6 February 2017

It seems a dream now...
Long ago and far away...
I still remember.

6 February 2017

5 February 2017

Watching the sun set...
A blaze of red in the west,
Then, sudden darkness.

5 February 2017

4 February 2017

Sixty-nine years gone...
Beyond all expectations,
I keep on ticking.

4 February 2017

3 February 2017

Sitting at my desk,
The world at my fingertips...
And I turn away...

3 February 2017

31 January 2017

Ducks on the canal
Floating almost aimlessly
Seem not to be cold

31 January 2017

29 January 2017

We are refugees,
All of us without a home,
Until something changes.

29 January 2017

28 January 2017

Walls are not always
Physical.  Often, they are
Built around our hearts.

28 January 2017

27 January 2017

A cold wind blowing
From behind--making me run
For the nearest door.

27 January 2017
 

25 January 2017

Everyone shouts
And no one listens. In these times,
Do we know what's true?

25 January 2017

21 January 2017

Tired and short of sleep...
A bad combination for
The whole family.

21 January 2017

19 January 2017

Late at night, trying
To sleep, but remembering
Her hand on my cheek.

19 January 2017

18 January 2017

Pictures from the past,
My memories awakened.
And emotions, too

18 January 2017
(Rome, 2002)

15 January 2017

Around the table,
Our family together,
And telling stories.

15 January 2017

14 January 2017

Watching the sunset
At the end of the old year.
And waiting for dawn

14 January 2017
(Taken 31 December 2016, at sunset)



11 January 2017

At home, listening
To the rain and to the wind.
Glad to be inside.

11 January 2017

9 January 2017

Napping in my chair,
Waking with stiff knees and neck,
When the dog wants out.

9 January 2017

8 January 2017

Just yesterday?  No,
More than fourteen years ago...
An Italian day,

8 January 2017

7 January 2017

Our dog goes out, and
Dances in the snow. Or so
It appears to us.

7 January 2017

6 January 2017

So cold that the air's
Like a knife when I inhale--
Each breath's a stab wound.

6 January 2017

4 January 2017

Half-moon high above,
Shrouded by thin, wispy clouds,
On a dark canvas.

4 January 2017

3 January 2017

Briefly, the clouds part
And the sun brightens the day.
Then the rain returns.

3 January 2017

1 January 2017

Thinking of my past,
Reminded of one I loved,
And remembering...

1 January 2017