Simply Haiku: An E-Journal

Simply Haiku: An E-Journal of Haiku and Related Forms
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The Weight of Snow
by Ray Rasmussen

Snow has finally come, powder that reaches up to my knees. Gypsy, my Border Collie, senses that I am dressing for a walk, stretches, pushes her nose against my calf. She's herding me toward the door.

We take the pathway that follows a meandering creek. Yesterday's wreckage of dead leaves, bare twigs and fallen trees is transformed into pillowy contours.

We walk for several hours, then climb from the creek to our neighborhood.

Traffic! Like caterpillars, the cars inch along, yellow fumes enshrouding them.

George W. Bush's recent statement that "the Kyoto agreement on the environment is dead," comes to mind.

Billboard

World Wrestling Match
Battle of the Century!
Corporate George versus Planet Earth
5:00 p.m. on your local roadway

I pass a church, hear singing, pause to enjoy the hymn.

political orthodoxy-
spruce bows sag under the weight
of pure white snow

Gypsy nudges me again, toward home, her food bowl waiting.

Ray Rasmussen became interested in haiku poetry after photographing the Kurimoto Japanese Garden near his home in Edmonton, Canada. He searched for Asian poetry to supplement his images and was taken by the simplicity and beauty of haiku.

Ray finds the haiga and haibun forms of expression most personally compelling. His publications are found in Tiny Words, The World Haiku Review, Simply Haiku, haigaonline.

Ray's web site, Haibun Journal, contains more of his own haibun as well as the work of other writers in the genre.

He has served as the Editor of the World Haiku Review's Multimedia section and has crafted several of the special sections of the World Haiku Review. He also served as the moderator of the WHC's Multimedia e-forum and he remains an active participant. He participates in World Haiku Association's Haiga Section. He is currently the Haiga Editor and Web Master for Simply Haiku.