HAIKU
BY
THEO TAMMES
1990-2008
They were written between 1990 and 2008, and are translated partially from Dutch.
I am to blame for any mistakes.
A Haiku is a short poem, where the poet has to try to include the season of the year as well as the message, something strange, remarkable, touching.
You are allowed a line of five syllables, then a line of seven, finishing with a line of five.
Since my haiku are sometimes translated, it was not always possible to adhere strictly to that rule.
What counts most of all is the short, capturing moment of an extra-ordinairy event or impression.
©
Copyright by
Theo Tammes
Casa Azul
Porto do Paul
Pernes
2000-500
Portugal
email theotammes @gmail.com
website http://theotammes.yolasite.com
Last memories of Holland
1990
The Hague
All those
walkerson the freezing beach- how I
suddenly missed my dog!
The canal lies frozen-
the ducks are watching all that
ice very suspicious!
The beached ship did land
again on the beach, broken-
water won the battle!
Quietly the clouds
passed the full moon, who seemed
to be counting them...
.....Poems from the Hearth,
Howmore
Isle of South Uist
Scotland
2005
Big flocks of seagulls
following the tractor, cleaning
the Autumn fields!
Lapwings! Lapwings! All
gleaning the freshly reaped fields.
-Sure sign of Autumn!
One single crow, on the
empty Autumn beach- A bath
and a snack, perhaps?
All those big black
bales- like droppings of a giant
monster machine!
That scarecrow waved
at me, before returning
to work- amazing!
The tide was in such
a hurry this morning; I thought:
it’s just like us!
Look at our swallows!
They don’t fly, they dance through
the air, heavenly dancers!
All those starlings
on the church roof this morning
-nearer to God?
On the mown meadows
more peeweets than ever,
this summer morning.
What a splash! The last
salmon to go upriver
-in this cold year.
We share a greenhouse,
the cat and I; said the
cheeky blackbird!
Winter journey to Portugal
2005
The stray dog took our
bag of charcoal, did she
want to warm herself?
Four hawks and a lizard
and three thousand
crickets!
To see twenty-eight
storks on a bright wintermorning
what a present!
Swimming with fishes
and frogs, hawks circling,
and olive-blossom!
The mist rises from
the valley-floor, smothering
the stars!
Circling the hills,
circling my hearth, those
beautiful storks!
Little lizard came
visiting at lunch-time,
how appropriate!
The full moon was cut
in slices by the rows of
poplars- this autumn night!
Here, take this slice of
the moon! Cut by the poplars,
enough for everybody!
All those storks, so
tall, so elegant, such marvellous
flyers- Amazing!
The street-lights in the
trees are normally called:
stars!
Listen stupid! The
streetlights in the trees are
normally called stars!
An enormous red
sun rises over the wintry
hille- but look!
Early morning heron
flapping his great wings_ and fast
hawks, hunting low!
The meltwater of
the mountains arrives
much later, river high!
yesterday’s snow is
now flowing past our campsite
-the river so wide!