MUSHROOMS – a haiga renga by Alexis Rotella & Denis Garrison
Everywhere kanji,
even in
the mushroom slices.
puffball
on this cloudless day
a cloud of life
In monochrome
walking through
these winter woods.
maple litter
strangely comforting
the fragrant rot
After they fall
sound
of hickory nuts.
in my cuff
some of the forest
has come with me
Pine needles
on his pillow…
how I love his morning face.
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• Alexis Rotella is an award winning poet and author of more than 40 books. Her latest offerings are EAVESDROPPING (Haiku), OUCH (Senryu that Bite) and LIP PRINTS (400+ tanka) all available from Modern English Tanka Press or through Amazon.com She has edited three haiku journals including Frogpond, Brussels Sprout and Persimmon Tree and served as president of the Haiku Society of America in l984. Alexis is a acupuncturist/herbalist in Arnold, Maryland.
• Denis M. Garrison is the editor of Modern English Tanka and before that edited the journal Haiku Harvest. A resident of Baltimore, Maryland, Garrison has two published books of haiku: Eight Shades of Blue and Hidden River. His poetry website is www.flyingfishes.net