First of all, I would like to introduce a haiku friend of mine, William Sorlien, in Minnesota, USA.
Here is a photo of Mississippi ginko walk, downtown St. Paul, September 2009
William Sorlien (Willie) is a construction tradesman residing in Minnesota, USA, which adjoins the cold northern border with Canada, near the center of the continent. His hometown, Saint Paul, is the northernmost port of the Mississippi River.
He began the practice of haiku only three years ago, yet hopes to continue the journey as long as he can hold a pen.
Willie also enjoys writing tanka, and haibun, and has been writing renku with other international writers for over a year now.
He considers each word he writes to be a learning experience and a method of self improvement through haiku friendship with authors throughout the world.
He has three blogs as follows:
http://haikubanditsociety.blogspot.com
http://greenteaandbirdsong.blogspot.com
http://renga-haikubanditsociety.blogspot.com
He kindly contributed his haiku and three photos to our Haiku festival.
Here is a photo of autumn sunset at Phalen Lake, 2009
I present some of his haiku with my Japanese interpretations.
a hazy moon
floats in the cup
white sake
濁り酒酒杯に浮かぶ朧月
Nigorizake shuhai ni ukabu oborozuki
brick by brick
these walls we build
passing spring
れんが積み壁を作れり春過ぎる
Renga tsumi kabe o tsukureri haru sugiru
evening rain
under the porchlight
dad calls us all in
夕立やポーチの下の父の声
Yudachi ya pouchi no shita no chichi no koe
a fine garden
in the traffic circle
once more around (first published in World Haiku Review)
ロータリー素敵な庭やまた廻る
Routarii sutekina niwa ya mata mawaru
spring melancholy
the green glass tortoise
in morning dew
春愁やガラスの緑亀朝の露
Shunshu ya garasu no ryoku ki asa no tsuyu
without regret
hanging up her beret
she slips into autumn
悔い持たずベレーを掛けて秋に入る
Kui mota zu beree o kakete aki ni iru
green dampness
through the open window
prickly milk thistle
開いた窓緑の湿気にノゲシかな
Aita mado midori no shikki ni nogeshi kana
slipping through
the rusty gates
wild gardens
さびた門そっと通り抜ける荒れた庭
Sabita mon sotto toorinukeru areta niwa
second harvest
in the tea tree’s grove
frog’s serenade
二毛作茶畑の中蛙鳴く
Nimousaku chabatake no naka kawzu naku
tender dreams
of my old black hat
snow on tea leaves
私の古い黒帽子の優しい夢
お茶の葉に雪
first strong gusts
the hawk as still life
gliding, soaring
最初の強い突風
タカは静かな生を
滑るように高く舞う
the wasp
trapped between panes of glass
spring light
スズメバチ
ガラスの窓枠にとらわれる
春光
Here is a photo of the path around Lake Phalen in winter, 2010
The next posting ‘Haiku by Aju Mukhopadhyay for Int’l Haiku Spring Festival 2010’ appears tomorrow on May 19.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 