Monday 14 December 2009

XXXV

Haiku-Sonnet XXXV

war in love and hate
clouds stain moon and sun
- canker in sweetest bud

XXXIV

Haiku-Sonnet XXXIV

such a beauteous day
thy tears are pearl
rain on my storm-beaten face

XXXIII

Haiku-Sonnet XXXIII

glorious morning
but one hour mine
the clouds to ride

XXXII

Haiku-Sonnet XXXII

churl death with dust
my bones shall cover
- these poor lines survive

XXXI

Haiku-Sonnet XXXI

hung with trophies
all those friends
which I thought buried

Tuesday 1 December 2009

XXX

Haiku-Sonnet XXX

sessions of sweet thought
remembrance of things past
an eye, unused to flow

XXIX

Haiku-Sonnet XXIX

sweet love remembered
such wealth brings
lark at break of day arising

XXVIII

Haiku-Sonnet XXVIII

how far I toil
still farther off from thee
clouds do blot the heaven

XXVII

Haiku-Sonnet XXVII

a journey in my head
to sightless view
limbs with travel tired

XXVI

Haiku-Sonnet XXVI

wanting words to show it
show me the star
that guides my moving

Tuesday 7 April 2009

XXV

Haiku-Sonnet XXV

in favour with stars
the marigold the sun's eye
all the rest forgot

XXIV

Haiku-Sonnet XXIV

body is the frame
the eyes draw but what they see
they know not the heart

XXIII

Haiku-Sonnet XXIII

unperfect actor
some fierce thing replete with rage
dumb for fear of trust

Monday 30 March 2009

XXII

Haiku-Sonnet XXII

raiment of my heart
my glass shall not persuade me
furrows I behold

XXI

Haiku-Sonnet XXI

a painted beauty
with April's first-born flowers
fixed in heaven's air

XX

Haiku-Sonnet XX

gilding the object
a woman's face with nature's
shifting change and eye

Wednesday 25 March 2009

XIX

Haiku-Sonnet XIX

O my love's fair brow
draw no lines with antique pen
blunt the lion's paws

XVIII

Haiku-Sonnet XVIII

eternal summer
too hot the eye of heaven
his gold complexion

XVII

Haiku-Sonnet XVII

verse in time to come
papers yellowed with their age
say this poet lies

XVI

Haiku-Sonnet XVI

of happy hours
maiden gardens yet unset
give away your self

XV

Haiku-Sonnet XV

all in war with time
stars in secret influence
cheered and checked

XIV

Haiku-Sonnet XIV

thunder rain and wind
fortune to brief minutes tell
if it shall go well

XIII

Haiku-Sonnet XIII

house fall to decay
stormy gusts of winter's day
determination

XII

Haiku-Sonnet XII

sunk in hideous night
count the clock that tells the time
white and bristly beard

XI

Haiku-Sonnet XI

age and cold decay
best endowed she gave the more
herein lives wisdom

X

Haiku-Sonnet X

for shame deny that
gentle love may change my mind
shall hate be fairer

IX

Haiku-Sonnet IX

the world enjoys it
what an unthrift in the world
wet a widow's eye

VIII

Haiku-Sonnet VIII

pleasing note do sing
being many seeming one
and happy mother

VII

Haiku-Sonnet VII

when the gracious light
lifts his burning head
adore his beauty

VI

Haiku-Sonnet VI

with beauty's treasure
living in posterity
winter's ragged hand

Tuesday 24 March 2009

V

Haiku-Sonnet V

pent in walls of glass
never-resting time leads on
to hideous winter

IV

Haiku-Sonnet IV

nature's bequest gives
so great a sum of sums yet
being frank she lends

III

Haiku-Sonnet III

where is she so fair
calls back the lovely April
despite of wrinkles

II

Haiku-Sonnet II

proving his beauty
tattered weed of small worth held
where all beauty lies

I

Haiku-Sonnet I

with self-substantial fuel
beauty's rose might never die
world's fresh ornament

LXIV

Haiku-Sonnet LXIV

outworn buried age
hungry ocean ruminate
interchange of state

THE BARD EXPLAINS

Interviewer: Mr Shakespeare, what's all this about haiku?

WS: Indeed, I confess it's true. I have left a legacy of haiku poetry in various of my works including my comedies, tragedies and sonnets. I had of course anticipated the day when time and fashion would perchance catch-up with me; with my haiku ideas I mean.

Interviewer: Then Mr Shakespeare without any more haiku ado be pleased to lend yourself to the task in hand.

WS: To The Sonnets then!

And so the well-wishing eternal adventurer sets forth,-