Behind Weeping Birch
rosy clouds
- Happy New Year

blue tits
defer to sparrows
a thrush ignores the dogs

water droplets
suspended in a lattice of dreams
the mist draws back

difficult...
deep-snow-walking--I pause,
to write this
---------------
---------------
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled, spirit Ram;
reaching into the poet's heart
---------------

midnight fog
turns streetlights into haloes
hungry fox darts past

tilting at the world
the late morning finds
a smaller snowman 

Blithe Spirit 
vol 20 no. 4 issn 1353-3320 (2010) 

.

bleary solar orb
 still gummy with last night's mists
barely sees the day

'Cross the Winter sky 
 Sirius hounds Orion 
 big screen , slow motion

heavy rain thunders
into dark, silent streets
willow trembles

hear the reports
of lights in the sky
- another year drawn to its close

flurries of snow
shroud the path, the trees
the rubbish bins

the sun behind clouds
lights them like magma
frost hardens

fairy lights
on a christmas tree
a present unwrapped

first christmas

your warm smile recalled
won't release this hard ground
entombed by snow

Christmas truce -
a small spider
crosses the kitchen

***

trêve de Noël -
une petite araignée
traverse la cuisine

a magpie darts
its's wings a Chinese fan
dislodging snow

snow turns to ice
a blackbird squeezes
under the bird table

A reminder
have to meet my wife
under the mistletoe

pink and lilac
sweep through the morning sky
a flock of sparrows

all day sun
a crooked snowman drops
his M&M smile

we run to the store
to look for the present
the full moon over us

my frozen tree
holds nets of seeds
small birds fly in to view

fresh snowfall
cloaks the garden in white
blackbirds

condensation
on the windows
Jack Frost paintings

sparrow gather
on the buddleia branches
dried flower husks

day length
five hours ten minutes
feels like falling

* * *

päivän pituus
reilut viisi tuntia
kuin putoaisin

thick frost
covering the bird table
sparrows and blue tits

cannoli
dusted with powdered sugar -
white Christmas

blackbirds peck
at old, frozen apples
fish, encased in ice

fresh snow -
footprints
leave home

***

neige fraîche -
des traces de pas
quittent la maison

a dusting of snow
under a layer of ice
winter-fluffed sparrows

tapping the old wood of desire --
under darkness river folds to ice

afternoon commute
singing "slip slidin' away"
as I crawl home...

slow day -
the Christmas tree salesman
plays solitaire

forecast snow
but the sky cries cold tears
the last snow melts

no matter what
there will always be light

no matter what
there will always be hope

no matter what
there will always be something

green

at the wake
a single white rose petal
falls to the gound

sweeping the snow
in old boots -
my cramped feet

***

balayant la neige
en vieilles bottines -
mes pieds à l'étroit

grey skies
leach colour from the world
I plant alliums

rain patters
cleaning away old snow
squirrel on the bird table

shoals of snowflakes
the call of the ground
unheard

Ashes to ashes
dust to dust... all this beauty
of winter sadness

is nothing more than a nest
of poems and romances

grey clouds
squat like toads on houses
bare-leafed willow

today,
I offer you a snowstorm
O heart of mine
I will glove you too--we'll have
to be strong, until she claims you
-----------------------
-----------------------
..circa Dec. 12, 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony;
reaching into the poet's heart
----------------------------

brittle now
the rope of poison ivy
--white winds

viburnum
dotted with red berries
snow clouds gather

coal tits
check the bird table
scolded by crows

in the hollows
a pond cradled
in snow and ice

like a slow motion film
the world becomes green again
thaw

Snow
on your skin like
silence

* * *

Lumi
ihollasi kuin
hiljaisuus

white clouds
sail across a blue sky
sunshine on snow

fourth watch stroll
bronzed canna leaves
sparkle in the moonlight

Christmas lights -
on the aerial
a gull screams

yellow flowers
appear on the mahonia
coal tits chatter

our black cat,
tail flicking on white snow
a blackbird , feeding

over the snow
a glitter of frost crystals
robin red-breast

melting snow
reveals the birdhouse
blue tits flitting

cars crawl
along compacted snow
sparrows return

black windows
where the old man lived -
ice on my cheek

morning spark
along with the sky
a girl is blushing

listening
to the sonorous silence
of snow piling up


.

icicles hang
from above the window
Morning Star

morning-
above the still world
colors crawl

icicles
hang like knives from the roof
old man crow, crying

The Holy Spirit

Through the rear-view mirror
revelation
yellow stained glass



Through clouds
As light of a far star
Dreams of spring

Shades draws
The sun on a coverlet of winter -
Impressionism

the tree
planted long ago
grows slowly
beneath soil and roots
she lies
sweet Queenie the cat.

Winter

cool sun
shadowless pathway

winter

darkened path
on the way
to market

Cold Winds

cold winds i lean forward
the weight of this coat

a new haiga -
my footprints follow
the crows

cold night
my visible breath
quietly vanishes

deep winter dark

light of Venus rising fills

an inner world

across a valley of

new fallen snow

heron's graceful wings

winter timetable-
the late train leaves behind
half a school trip

1) 4seasons anthology: Winter Chapter (2010)
2) Blithe Spirit  vol 17 no. 1 March 2007

High in sky
silvery white flowers
swinging clouds.

**********
Smiles from west
twilight celebration
birds return to nest.

**********
Tiny kids
birthday party
rainbow on the wall.

**********

stream of water
in a vertical jump
music of waterfall.

**********
Watching birds
time rewinds memories
in waiting hall.

**********
Unfold in silence
stream whispers to the banks
rhymes of flow.

**********

The tall tree
love sublimes
imprints on the bark.

**********
Early dawn hour
a small gap in the milky way
first tooth fall.

**********
Desert land
measuring sand dune height
a lone lizard.

**********

Poetry of dance
wind translates the speed
kite whispers.

**********

Valley of silence
pebbles roll down the slope
loud cry of sudden fall.

**********
Pearls of water
cradle over the leaves
rain comes to halt.

**********

Pearls of Word:Haiku by P K Padhy

Winter clouds
all squeeze closely
warmth of coffee cup.

**********
The magic of colour
twilight veils the sky
evening smiles.

**********
Clouds climb down
winter blankets the sun
foggy around.

**********

thin ice slab
drifting with the swans --

defying the odds

Winter is doing it again
teasing me
I had such hopes of spring

evening infusion -
the flame of the match
wakes shadows up


***

infusion du soir -
la flamme de l'allumette
réveille les ombres

.
Clapham Junction
the gleam of its tracks
off my apple juice can
.

By slightly tilted head
clouds glide
of the birch
side by side
snow change into water

Late Snowflakes

late snowflakes
blossoms for spring's arrival
glisten
before melting
you're wishing them back, it shows
** **

..circa 2010..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..mostly channeled; spirit Harmony
-----------------------------------------

morning commute
pile of grey snow
smaller by the day

a ribbon
of silver river -
sky mirror

white, all white
my tears are frozen
he left at first snow

the mad hatter of march
teases with scents of snowdrops
winter laughs

she weeps
with
her melting snowman

the coffee mug
with our pictures on it
I ordered a while back
remains unused
in the cupboard

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, No. 6
November/December 2009

melting snow -
the stream slowly
climbs the heron's legs


(winner Sketchbook kukai: melting snow)

stark winds whip barn side
weathered boards moan
winters grip unrelenting

Among the white
green islands emerge
snowdrop

Winter Haiku

frigid black frost clings
frozen snow bent trees
give bow to winter

another frost
the clattering of dustbins
at seven AM

stone Buddha -
in the neighbour's garden
weeds from last year

crunching spikes
of frost-hardened grass
frozen dog-poo

in the apple tree
two blackbirds in courtship
compost worms dance

I failed to see you
trapped beneath the breaking bough -
snow blindness

driving home
ravens gather
in the tall trees,
their rasping cries echoing
from the shadows of winter woods

thin snow drizzle --
winter's afterthought?

Tired

Crocuses in snow,
tired of writhing in the cold—
still your hearts are gold.

sometimes
before the snow settles
falling in love
with my wife
again and again

the wind stiffens
vortices of dry leaves
sweep across the path

Flower beds
purple pulsatilla
winter's end

melting snow -
a blackbird pecks
old crumbs

***

neige fondante -
un merle picore
des miettes anciennes

a new white dusting
freshens the filthy mounds -
hope

still, damp and cold
a shiny red motorbike
on the roadside

blustery morning
wind rattling the windows
snow dusting on the streets

on sunken fields
grey water
white gulls radiant

corrugated roof
creaks and groans in the wind
rain paints the pond

Transition

Water drips
off my roof
songs of new spring

morning mist
hides the street lights
dew beads on snow drops

another storm watch
armed with shovels and ice melt
everyone holds their breath

tired from waiting

the snow, the fallen leaves hug

an eager snowdrop

morning mist
a smattering of snow
on the dustbins

weekend plans-
Philadelphia Flower Show*
and brunch with old friends







* Biggest Flower show in the east coast- this year we are experiencing gardens from around the world....two city blocks worth of all kinds of exotic plants and a city block of gardening supplies.
I can't wait

kick the can
once a child's game --
now bits of frozen detritus

disguised as a cloud

the moon gulps down day-warmth,

the sun is gracious

catkins at the boating pond
a puddling of mallards
dipping for food

Pearls

As quiet as snow
I’ll be
in your dream

As light as snow
I leave no footprint
in your front yard

As sure as snow
this will pass
Snowdrops already showing

As snow melt
at my breath
breaking the ice between us

As snow is white
so is spring green
will you come?

melting snow
bent evergreen stretches
back toward the sky

the ground is getting

drunk with sweet maple tears-

the healing begins

.
virgin snow
the fox making prints
for the morning

Icebox, Japan

mallards courting
my snowman suffers
a second death

Under snow
all are equal
a struggle
where no struggle is needed
hard to accept for relative
-

Equal under snow
for relative hard struggle
where no struggle is needed
-
Cemetary in my hometown, this section is the one without actually gravestone, but gravestone as an art of cover stone marking the spot where the urn is buried.

howling --
me or the wind?

dogs snowplough
through the deep white drifts
the cat's tail, twitching

daffodils--
the wait becomes
bearable

cold creeps in
like a furtive spray-can artist
arum leaves glisten

a germinated onion
in the pantry -
spring on the way


***

un oignon germé
dans le garde-manger -
le printemps en chemin

snow cover
after snow cover
after snow

still raining hard -
I’m caught in a soggy
old fishing net

snow prickles
at un-gloved fingers
sunburst sky

Their Approach

heartache's trombone
blares its glacial outrage
through nondescript umbrage
welcome not
surrender's snowflakes near
** **
..circa 2010..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram; reaching into the poet's heart
-----------------------------------------------

I am not amused.....

evening surprise-
ten foot drift of grey snow
piled up on my lawn




snow removal crews put all the snow from the street my house sits on on my lawn instead of carting it away

my longing
for a distant land
forgiveness

under my feet
a black sludge
of dead leaves

first
daffodil spears
advance

nasturtium seedlings
poke above the compost
I prune the buddleia

cabin fever
this winter cold
unrelenting

afternoon drive-
ski jump shaped frozen run off
hangs off empty house

winter drips -
a puddle in my brain

Ash Wednesday

dust we are
to dust we shall return
the irrefutable law of nature

crocus shoots
above the mossy lawn
children's voices

February
in the jewel blue sky
a flood light sun

Ash Wednesday
light rain
from the cloud-smudged sky

.

winter pub quiz
one of the hotter countries
has the best answer
.

a dusting of frost
leaves dogprints in frozen mud
clouds of car exhaust

mid morning break
talk of igloo construction
in a city park

falling snow...this time
enough to whiten the world
and no palpitations

a trickle of run-off
from the waterlogged field
salmon-streaked sky

Wintry Sludge

its wintry sludge
washed off, my newfound
lucky dime shines on
** **
..circa 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

-------------------------------------

morning phone call
long term friend in a coma
he loved the snow

after the snow
new crop of rim killers*
surface in the streets


*rim killers - large potholes

a grey canopy
connects the horizons
dead leaves rattle

The iron fist of winter
hit again and again
no wonder
I’m dreaming
of spring

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL! - Vic Gendrano
More love poems in my blog: Haiku Harvest

.
Valentine's Day–
my wife reads up
on Henry VIII
.

bright sunshine
and skies of flawless topaz
naked Roman boys

melon haze
snow man leans
into the rising sun


Any suggestions?

after eight days
pulling my car into the street
the joy of errands

raindrops bead
on the surface of parked cars
the postman whistles

school's shouts
seem to be nearer
this snowy morning

***

plus proches
les cris de l'école
ce matin de neige

Globe outcry
and glacier crack
steel coagulate

first light
shining on the snow drifts
crow greets the new day

delicate ice sheet
shatters, the thaw has begun
ducks dipping again

FLOWER

Around falling leaves
a lone dreaming flower--
mid-February


--R.K.SINGH

rain puddles
on poured concrete patio
wet dogs on clean floors

suddenly I'm sinking
up to my thighs
in yesterday's blizzard

emptying itself
into frozen puddles -
icicle

thawing
only to freeze again -
this fragile heart

the wind moans
a mockingbird circles
mounds and mounds of white


(I think I need help with the last line!)

Milkweed seeds have flown
Leaving the dry empty husks
And long dark shadows.

snow-capped roofs
reflect morning sunshine
a single snowdrop

Originally published in World Haiku Review, Vol. 2, Issue 2, July 2002. Included in my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves.

above black branches
caught on the wind
the clouds


thanks Rachel

Snow Blowing In The Wind.........

snow...snow...snow
will it ever stop
gusts of wind blow
snow pills higher and higher
time for a long winters nap

dark shrouds billow northward
the house holding its breath
we wait --

a hint of blue
cottontails among the wolves
finger shaped ivy

Tacit

Ridged branches

snows firm grip tighten
the garden moan

so many times
we have walked in the park
with our dogs
parakeets greet us
in every weather

Listen

Where old women talk
down by the frozen river—
come, let us listen.

walls glitter
as the number 12 goes past
reflected sunlight

Super Bowl Champions

who dat?
from the ruins of Katrina
to Super Bowl champions
New Orleans' Saints
harbingers of hope

showers of snow
the motorway rumbles
behind the hill

the wind howling
rain batters the windows
my hat, tied on

Strange deafness
hanging in the crisp air
curled up leaves

New Year's Eve

the romance
of new year's eve
is missing
this time too
I may as well report it
** **
..circa 2008..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
-------------------------------------------

Bloomier

instinctively,
the polar bear forays through
with bloomier eyes
** **
..circa 2010..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

-----------------------------------------------

suspense in grey
as the damp suffuses all --
next door's dog poop

Patiently waiting

to serve me again
my favorite bench

.
sometimes you lose...
the light goes out on another
crisp afternoon
.

Not Yet Spring

a snarling dog waits
crouching on the horizon
the cold bite of frost

zen garden
covered with snow:
zen garden

(Mainichi Daily News)

sullen clouds
leave the streets grey and wet
crisp packet colour

February begins -
where did I put the list
of my resolutions ?


***

début de février -
où ai-je rangé la liste
de mes résolutions ?

Also posted on www.randomnoodling.com.

the stillness of white
ruffled by birdsong --

spring cannot be far

The Hunter.

brown-white wings beating
a barn owl hunting above
Orion looks on

morning rain
to wash away the snow
cold pizza breakfast

The Gossip

it rains, it plummets
the sheets of ice one confesses
one's frailties to
have already learned your sins--
the waning moon, the gossip
** **
..circa 2010..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
-------------------------------------------

big snow prep
big pot of chili, cocoa
and a few good books

from grey moody skies
seagulls shriek, no fish today
on the council tip

visibility reduced
to flakes of whirling snow
blue tits fighting

Martini

Icicles hang low

Obstructing the frosted view

Snap off, add to gin

winter chill-
your warm whispers
tickle my ear

listening
as snow lands on snow-
I melt

Winter Fading

beneath his window
the droppings of winter fading
turn chance glances
into unanswered kisses
and boots to be put away
** **
..circa 2007..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
--------------------------------------

multilingual haiku
posted on some parking signs
in West Hollywood

The haiku were written in either Russian, Spanish, or English. This came from the evening news a night or so ago.Check this link: Haiku parking signs
I found another site showing pictures of the signs here: Rebecca Lowry's Pictures

cleaning the car
snow glistens in the moonlight
almost warm to the touch

early commute-
weeping cherry tree
clothed in powdered snow

on the avenue
feathery snow robes gnarled tree
and the broken steps

for Beatrice

I'm startled by the
iron chimes of church bells
echoing off the moon

cold rain rippling
across the slow
brown river

fresh snow
ices Viburnum leaves
schoolgirls in pink hats

winter sun

between fog and cloud
thumbprint glows

another snowfall -
the robin's tiny glow
warms

dry nasturtiums
make for excellent kindling
Imbolc fire

Vengefully

more vengefully now
the snowballers volley through
a car alarm haze
** **
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

---------------------------------

breathe in the night
grass-through-the-snow clarity
articulates thought

dirigible moon
unfastened by dark fingers
my head rises

night snow
undoes a greener dream
sown in the day

.

frost on the lines
my train's back-up mini bus
takes the scenic hills route

.

frosty grass gleams -
beside the goalpost
squats a brown dog

night in the country,
startled by the sound of
white silence
I lie next to the full moon
after bell ringing session
.

winter sky
so pale it's almost white
apple prunings

"love is patient
love is kind,"
best if shared around

The theme of this Sunday's morning service is love. I thought of adding another line to form a haiku.

vermont highway...
on the snowy ridge
a coyote watches

caught in a snare
of black bare branches
sunset



Photo Dawn by EnKayTee

white limned rooftops
untouched yet by jagged
fingers of sunlight

the weightless presence
of accumulated stillness -
night snow

Orion and me
the night clear and cold before us
dogs at our feet

Photo Orion by Danny McL

ice
ice
binds my heart
you are gone
the sheets grow cold

shafts of sunshine
under the viburnum
next door's cat

a few steps
in the icy night -
the haze of my words

***

quelques pas
dans la nuit glacée -
la vapeur de mes mots

Mittenless

mittenless morning
we invite a chillier crisp
for our dormant legs
suddenly, we both start running
simply for feet
** **
..circa 2006..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
---------------------------------------

The higher the mountain

the deeper the snow
there’s no rocky in Denmark

warm ocean breezes
turn into artic blasts
as I face the day

thick skin of ice
full wolf moon --

I feel a howl rising

Superbowl

Game XXXXIV

Saints vs Colts
padded gladiators

cicada's songs of love
stilled by winters freeze
buried deep, they wait
the earth warms

pre dawn dark fox
disturbs the thin skin
of frost

frozen pond
dark shapes shift below
goldfish caught

coal lorry down the road
a low rumble on the breeze
the dog growling

It's Baaaack

fourth watch-
moon sparkles through
ice rimmed windows

dreaming of summer
lush blossoms lazy heat
my face warm in the sun
only to awake in the cold of my room
snow on my window pane again

frost
white washed woods
diluted vague pale

Photo Iced Grasses by sbisson

hints of bright sky
and the promise of sun
hyacinth bulbs

late commute
snow swirling under street light
in seconds its gone

Buddha, serene
blue eucalyptus dances
in the breeze

winter dreaming
snow slips through my fingers
all the roses are dead

in winter
the dead wait
spring thaw

Hearing
her silence:
cold of the bed

After midnight
he sits up wheezing, now
breathlessness echoes

Winter night chill--
without the warmth of her breath
even quilt is cold

swaying branches
of a bare laburnum
two thrushes courting

Nickel-sized hailstones
scours away Man's detritus
cleansing the earth's face

endlessly patient
raindrops gnaw at mountainsides
dreaming of canyons

into the sunset
I toss my thirst for color
golden plums return

buffeted by winter winds --
no way to shove back

weekend afternoon
driving rain washes away
last of the dirty snow

Richmond Park

twilight woods
pierced with rain
the cries of birds

Photo Richmond Park by pixelhut

Wellensittiche
zwitschern im kalten Nebel
die Zwerge lachen

***

budgerigars
twitter in the cold mist
the gnomes are laughing

barely light
outside the bedroom window
a starling chirps

New Year's Wish

To love
and to be loved,
that's all I need in life,
not transient fame or wealth, but yes
true love.

Haiku Harvest blog

the surf has washed
away our footprints
and with them
the only proof
we loved once

.
winter bus
a man brings a beer crate
full of puppies
.

grey skies
lit from behind
dog walkers strolling

Two Weeks Ago

tires hit puddle -
flying
ice

sipping
heat -
warm apple cider

Los Angeles storm

headline today
storm leaves LA
with a bang
unconcerned with
its damage behind

To and Fro

this to and fro,
from chair to frosty window,
will not do
either I count one hundred snowflakes
or I sit and write a poem
** **

..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
-------------------------------------

winter nights
made in love
born of hope
filled with laughter
my three sons
a legacy

storm past
the plow-kissed mailbox
lies in a drift


morning sun...
a bucket of kitty litter
to hold up the mailbox


winter afternoon
neighborhood cats
bewildered

.

my mum's local road
gathering afternoon fog
the dog fox and me

.

a beam of sunlight
breaks past the houses
worms in the compost

city center pavement -
the Christmas tree without thorns
hopes nothing from dawn


***

trottoir du centre ville -
le sapin sans épines
n'espère rien de l'aube

deep winter
pale sunlight
my soul, weary

end of the week treat
container of soup and bread
from Whole Food's hot bar

warm radiators
beat away the biting wind
spiky tulip shoots

season's cracking-
bud on overwintered plant
flower show invite in the mail

on barren heath
winters dun colors hold sway
spring, a dream to come

branches stretch out
green tips
touch the breeze

Turning

winter is turning
snowmen are rare
should a snowstorm
bewilder us with resilience,
we'll stubbornly wait it out
** **
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
--------------------------------------

birdsong
the dawn chorus voluble
after the rain

longing for leaves,
missing the color of green-
winter wind

still the dark snow lingers
unmoved by the sun's
cool gaze

morning break-
new grass poking through melted snow

.
fireside stories
the boy gets a piggyback
through the pub
.

.
steady downfall
the different speeds
of cars and snow
.

a shiver of wind
on the snowmelt roadside
a Verbena blooms

thaw
buildings throw back my voice
a hard and sharp return

after a warm week
scraping the ice from my car
at 5 AM

.
all fresh clean windows
the spreadsheet of city lights
on my train journey
.

.

BSL renga
the idea of a walk
without any snow

.

fog obscures the street
smoking a cigarette
next door's taxi waits

turning seasons
frost melts
cold recedes
new life

startled awake
by the sound of a snowplow
--again?

reminiscence --
antidote for despair

altocumulus
drifting in winter-blue skies
seagulls cry

Foreclosed house

foreclosed house
their backyard swing
stops swinging

ancient oaks
parakeets flutter
on a stark branch

the rain stops
streets are strewn with rubbish
hidden by snow

after it snows

when the snow lets up
and after my porridge,
will that man
tearing through lanes be me
will I not sing her name
** **
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram

-----------------------------------

earthquake aftermath
the child found alive
the child found dead

.

late night rain
the morning after has left
a smaller snowman
.

torrential rain
wipes away the last snow
drenched postman

lift mirror -
some snowflakes
on my hair


***

miroir de l'ascenseur -
quelques flocons de neige
sur mes cheveux

Pulled from the rubble
a newborn's limbs with dead mom--
earthquake in Haiti

morning commute
kids skate on frozen puddle
on the sidewalk

in the park
the grey remains of snowmen
slowly dissolving

rain streaks down
eating away at old ice
snow men tumble

Haiti nightmare
hundreds of thousands dead
and many more homeless
battered by non-discriminating
deadly earthquake

We offer our fervent prayers for the earthquake victims and their kins! The world mourns with and for you.

.
Sally in the Woods
a ghost mist hangs bumper
to bumper


ghostly weblinks:
Spooky Sally in the Woods weblinks
Another Spooky link if you dare!
.

just before waking
a dream skitters to the side
like a playful child

alley on trash day
no feasting crows to be found
as the wind howls through

daydreaming I watch
as snows pile deeper
drifts block old barn doors

chilly morning
she grabs me back to bed
a bit longer

ice: smothers the sun
invades orifices
hardens hearts

gray sky's above me
drab brown earth below
winters grip

the postman -
the cold
letter

.
hazy sky
the snowman
snowed under
.

bushes painted white
fog obscures the houses
a silent world

Ice trees

in the shadows

sun-shy

winter fun
after the snow ball fight
hot, hot chocolate

first break
moon gleams in frozen puddles
behind the welding room

.
revisiting Narnia
the lamp that's just outside
my own snowboundness
.

roads choked with snow-
dissolves dirt grey
under exhaust fumes

a crow cries
high in the bare branches
melting snow patters.

pale white moon
through naked branches-
whispers in the dark

That trembling moment
before the snow slides down-
holding my breath

Help is where you find it

icy sidewalk
disdaining my helping hand
she falls again

pre-shift chat
"what's the wind chill at your house"
empty coffee pots

thin ice

they found the boy
and the Ski-Doo; they're still
diving, for the father
** **
..circa 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
----------------------------------

a muffled music
buried deep --

memories of first love

horses in the snow 
looking for edible grass 
a lone pine tree

the snow wraps the familiar
makes it strange
then returns it to us anew -
a late Christmas gift

birds clamour -
patches of green
through the snow

Brampton Old Church
bells heard through snow flurries
dog collars jingle

morning shock
coming out of tropical dreams
feet hit the cold floor

.

thick snow
fox prints come
into their own

Thanks David! ;-)
.

must wonder transform
into a chore?
dust on the creche scene

not enough snow
to keep the kids off school
busses zip past

vortex

the skunk disappears
into the building's bowels
there, the snow tracks end!
** **

..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

-------------------------------------

Winter moon

ice-encrusted tracks
my footprints --
now I can see where I have been

Spring

Dark branches
with glittering white
a restraining gage
Winters prisoner
longing for freedom

snowflakes
eddy over treetops
sparrows chatter

Epiphany -
my shadow with small strides
on the icy canal

***

Epiphanie -
mon ombre à petites foulées
sur la glace du canal

my boots have shrunken
down to the time when
puddles were for crackling

Winter riverland
drained of color, rimmed with ice-
shivering with light

cat leaps
birds take flight
across winters darkened sky

streets sown with snow
now a harvest of ice

London dawn
shrouded in a gauze
of mist - pierced
with red reflected light
from high city windows

.
five redwings
the chief poses
eye to eye



Just outside the kitchen!

weblink: RSPB Redwing webpage
.

The squirrel landed above
a rascals face appeared
I emerge under powder snow

snow flurries dance
another blanket laid
reading in bed

cold toes
in warm sand-
cerulean waves
crash onto the shore
of my winter daydream

white muffled mountain
I remember your bird songs
now whispers its call

curbside Christmas tree
beneath a soft white blanket
sleeps in heavenly peace

snow continues...
      a flock of robins
            draws me out

new snow --
white silk layered over black ice

after the snow
driving slowly not to miss
its wonder

snow is falling
a sparrow swoops and hides
in a hawthorn bush
then he is absent
from the black branches

5 AM drive
low moon glittering
in the new fallen snow

little white dog
lost in the snow
...following a yellow trail

grey skies
threaten more snow
sparrows scour the lawn

pale sherbet sunset -
holiday indigestion
deftly calmed

silent new layer
holds the home and family
within its stillness

cold thick white makeup -
my street sports a new face
I drive right by

major snowstorm

the major snowstorm
is a welcome sight to the poet
because his friend
is more lazy and will not call
to meet as planned
** **

..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
----------------------------------

mid winter blahs-
stopping at grocery store
for some fresh flowers

frozen fingers

frozen fingers
stretch for want of warmth
a new decade

gerald england

...

snow covered
branches shining amber
in dawn light

winter -
a
long icicle

a clump of snow
slips from its treetop mooring
the dog runs

Second love

warmth of her touch
in that snowy weekend
fantasy fling
am I ready or a fool
to fall in love again

Modern English Tanka
Volume 1, Number 2. Winter 2006

the joint of a twig
snowman's wry smile

in the fourth watch
the wind howls through the windows
chilling the pillow

winter vacation
her laptop hibernates

hawthorn in the snow -
a maze of white
against the white sky

.
shorter
than the others
the shadow
in twilight
of a snowman
.

alone in the dark woods
the snow swallows our footsteps
and laughter

Photo The Snowy Evening by Storm Crypt

.

snow fight!
the snowman wins
by a head
.

trees are silent
under a covering of snow
bulbs quest for light

snowmen

snow will soon
cover the streets
and children
will make snowmen
with noses larger than the moon
** **

..from: Magnapoets issue 5, January 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
-------------------------------------------

Through the night
snow is falling silently
across the lake
and ancient oaks
in the old deer park

frigid morning
record time to the car
driving with gloves

.

new snow
gammon, egg and chips
by the pub window

Nice fresh snowfall in Bradford on Avon today, returning it to chocolate box perfection again. ;-)

.

the old plum tree
bears black and empty branches
the duck-egg sky -
is it a promise
or an illusion?

winterscape -
on a white canvas
ink-black trees

.
hard frost
my wife expects me to beep
like a car
.

steadily falling snow
a child hunched over
in winter woollies

icy sidewalk

the sidewalk was
covered with ice but I made it
to the corner store
this time, I was happy
to pay convenience prices
** **

..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
--------------------------------

Love song

dining alone
the piped-in music plays
our love song

Notes from the Gean:
A Journal of Japanese Short Forms
Vol. 1, Issue 3, December 2009

new year's day
paw-prints across the snow -
year of the tiger

red apple temptation

Google's choice of logo today

-- the new year sins?

White Tree

frosted winter tree
a fragile white blossom

Photo White Tree by Jos Van Wunnik

hearts electrify

across telephone wires

winter static

frozen commute
icicles forming
at end of wiper swish

Frozen cherry trees
even the crow was crying
during forty nights

biting the peel
a burst of orange mist
firelight

we take refuge

from the winter wind

the fly and I

snow and bitter wind--

rush inside, remove coat--

and note the fly

the clear night conjures
iced white washed fields

the dog growling
children creep past to school
mothers slip on ice

finally

finally, I decided
not to negotiate the ice clefts
but to lounge
chez moi and occasionally
look out the window
**** ****
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

------------------------------------

new year's eve
no cicadas fill the night
but oh, the fireworks

buddleia flowers
outlined in fresh snow
muffled footsteps

New Year's night -
the full moon above
a bus stop


***

nuit de l'An -
la pleine lune au-dessus
d'un arrêt de bus

New Year Resolution

.

Blue Moon
I’m too much in love to have
a one-sided conversation

.

misted in white
the sky bleeds into the ground
a wagtail sings

(photo copyright © Jason Wright http://jasestu.deviantart.com)

the sound of deep winter no sound

the frost still gleams
on a red Nissan
bare twigs of broom

moon swollen river
swallows field, footpath and
crust of blue frost

Photo River Flit by Moonlight by ellukrm

A decade begins
with a bang
and a silent morning

WITH MY BEST WISHES FOR 2010