On September 21, 2013, Neal Whitman, kindly presented his haiku book BLYTH’S SPIRIT to me, which was reprinted as a gift-only edition, saying “A gift, like a beauty, is in the eyes of the holder. I hope one haiku – maybe more than one – brings you an a-ha moment.”
Neal Whitman is also one of the authors who kindly and delightedly sent his nice haiku to the World Haiku Series 2019.
Firstly, let me show you a few pages of his book, with Japanese translations of haiku put here.
first dream of New Year
five ships at rest on cradles
came ashore last night
初夢
船架に停止している5隻の船
昨夜岸に来ました
covering the coast
mist and sun and showers
rainbow bridges
海岸を覆う
霧と太陽とにわか雨
虹の橋
summer’s arrival
the door bell rings
and no one is there
夏の到来
ドアベルが鳴る
そこには誰もいない
short day winter walk –
fog settles across the bay
cutting trees in half
短い日の冬の散歩–
霧が湾を横切って落ち着く
木を半分に切りながら
sundown –
tobacco ash stamped
into the sand
日没
たばこの灰が踏みつぶされた
砂に
cold day at the beach
a man casts his line
only twice
浜辺の寒い日
男は釣り糸を投げ入れる
2回だけ
glazed deck –
the redwood bench
hung with icicles
光沢のあるデッキ
セコイアのベンチ
氷柱が垂れ下がっている
streaking snow
sick at heart
I pick up Issa
縞模様の雪
気が滅入る
一茶を手に取る
torn snapshot
like a leaf in my gutter
fluttering
裂けたスナップ写真
樋の葉のように
舞っている
a quiet time
as the afternoon fades
reaching for a match
静かな時間
午後が進むにつれて
マッチに手を伸ばす
— Translated by Hidenori Hiruta
Secondly, World Haiku Series 2019 (134) : Haiku by Neal Whitman appeared on the website below.
https://akitahaiku.com/2020/06/11/
Lastly, let me add a piece of information on his latest haiku book as below.
In India, Karunesh Kumar Agrawal early in 2020 published on Cyberwit, where he is an editor, a book of my haiku: FROM THIS MOMENT ON. That information is below. In the U.S. and in U.K., it also is for sale on Amazon.
The haiku reveal elegance, good taste and clarity of thought. All haiku show strong inspiration and create a lyricism of striking appeal and power.
— Edited by Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 