Three Haiku

Every now and then I slip off into Japanese literature, in particular re-reading Basho's "Narrow Road to the Deep North." Any one who wants to write, especially poets or songwriters, would do very well to study haiku. There is a stern discipline in writing haiku that, when done well, does not appear when reading it. I may start trying to do one a day. I'd eventually like to come up with some Amercicanized version of haibun. Here are a few old haiku in need to put somewhere.

lightning flashes—
          an old wild dog

          bristles and moans

wood smolders

in the old iron stove

          bare footsteps over the dry wood floor

young boys howl like wolves—

          hiding behind an oak tree

          a little girl smiles