Haiku-A-Day

untitled haiku (27 november 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:55:35 +0000

clear pacific night:

crescent moon and evening star

over oil rigs’ glow

early winter montana (25 november 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:52:33 +0000

Magpie preens on the

fencepost; golden sunlight on

distant snow-capped peaks

untitled haiku (14 november 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:19:20 +0000

White pillows of cloud
roll across the mountain tops–
late afternoon glow

untitled haiku (1 november 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:52:15 +0000

hard tension and
awkward, pregnant silences–
shadowed moon tonight

“indian summer” (15 october 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:50:09 +0000

crows cawing on the

roof as the temperature rises and

dry leaves skitter

“centering” (2 september 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:00:11 +0000

eyes closed, breathing deep

in… out… in… out…. allow the

thunder to pass

“harvest season” (1 september 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:39:40 +0000

like dry leaves

blown underfoot,

new words swirl on the

cool autumn breezes

untitled haiku (30 august 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:31:13 +0000

said the wrong thing –

tension over stupid shit

spoils a good day

meditation (24 august 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:15:42 +0000

seated, thoughts flow around

the mental block: a gentle

nudge, and the world clears

untitled morning haiku (8 june 2011)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:00:03 +0000

grey mist obscures the
mountain tops — tiny rain drops
spatter the windshield

ennui of spam

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:05:45 +0000

wading through nonsense

ads, confidence games, and dross

– commentary wasteland

The inevitable apology post…

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:07:36 +0000

Right, so… as is so often the case, the project seemed to trail off a bit toward the end. Definitely didn’t reach the number of poems I had hoped for. Ah, well… That said, I’m still writing and creating, just doing some different stuff. I hope some time to pick it back up. It was much fun, but perhaps I need to set even more manageable goals like a haiku a day for 1 month or 3 months. We shall see. For now, happy holidays!

untitled (16 march 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:17:26 +0000

tromping up the bluffs,

a tell-tale frond, flash of steel:

hunting wild fennel

untitled (3 march 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:44:28 +0000

sitting in climate

controlled courtyard under twelve-story

skylight, watching koi

at moonrise

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:49:28 +0000

a great orange globe

surmounts the hills, threatening

to swallow the night

untitled (24 february 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:43:14 +0000

wandering past the

t-shirts — huh, they still carry

guns at K-mart?…

closing early at the farmers market

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:01:06 +0000

rows of spinach,

carrots and beets go back into boxes –

smells like fresh rain

after a kiss

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:02:47 +0000

“you taste a little

like technology,” she says

with a quizzical look

untitled (15 february 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:07:43 +0000

awake before sunrise

to birds chirping and a brisk breeze;

hints of spring

birthday haiku

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:56:42 +0000

thinking of a

birthday haiku, love needs more

than three lines

at my parents’ house

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:33:53 +0000

three ravens in

the pine tree; catching up

on the latest news

riding the thermals

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:59:33 +0000

minute muscle

contractions adjust each feather;

jealousy and awe

untitled (2 february 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:21:38 +0000

acrid hint of

charring carbon wakes me,

no sirens… back to sleep

neon pandas

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:19:52 +0000

paper plates, plastic

forks, orange chicken; chatting under

neon panda gaze

untitled (31 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:40:45 +0000

my eyes squint, trying

to decipher the white glow –

time to walk away

untitled (30 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:37:21 +0000

that buildup of cha(n/r)ge

as the sky goes dark: i love

just before it rains

untitled (29 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:14:58 +0000

great black-and-grey

silhouettes cruise the coastal skies –

rain in the mountains

“the male gaze”

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:12:56 +0000

new zoom lens

adds new meaning to

“the male gaze”

untitled (27 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:08:11 +0000

bookshelves sag under

the weight of millions of words –

a few more can’t hurt.

photography research

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:35:38 +0000

browsing through

photos of naked people,

looking for good poses

untitled (25 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:04:27 +0000

dusk: haloed

moon peeks through

cypress boughs

untitled (24 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:02:04 +0000

moonlight catches an

ivory curve; should be asleep

but can’t help gazing

untitled (23 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:59:10 +0000

white marble l.a.

sun and scene — little kids in

paper masks run by

cloudburst

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:33:52 +0000

tree branches suddenly

thrash about as sideways rain

pummels the windows

tempest

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:33:57 +0000

blazing white — a swift
drum strike reverberates
through chest and spirit

after a storm

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:38:35 +0000

untitled (19 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:36:41 +0000

the windows rattle
buffeted by water and wind:
monsoon morning

untitled (18 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:04:53 +0000

grey clouds break;
yellow warmth pushes its way
into afternoon

untitled (17 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:01:09 +0000

rainwater tumbles

down the spouts, rushing like

a waterfall

rain haiku

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:07:34 +0000

rain sounds fill the
silence, pinging like lentils
in a metal bowl

untitled (15 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:10:07 +0000

cold, wet wind, dark sky:
forgetting i’m in southern
california

steel and stone haiku

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:11:39 +0000

back and forth across
the stone, gently coaxing the
blade spirit to shine

untitled (13 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:32:22 +0000

black rustling: old man

raccoon rummages for scraps

behind the dumpster.

untitled (12 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:31:47 +0000

drifting to sleep –

the soothing staccato

of sudden rain

untitled (11 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:43:00 +0000

the world outside gets

indistinct — across the water,

the fog horn bellows

untitled (10 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:40:07 +0000

driving home from the

beach — a tiny hawk perched on

a no-parking sign

untitled (9 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:38:40 +0000

lying in bed, eyes

shut, daggers in my temples…

bargaining for sunset…

untitled (8 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:36:52 +0000

rumble of passing

cars soothes like irregular

crashing waves

just after sunset

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:35:31 +0000

cool winds shift inland,

bringing sweet hints of fennel

and eucalyptus

quiet night

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:31:36 +0000

midnight, no wind; just

the tiny pops of bursting beech

fruit under orion

untitled (5 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:25:01 +0000

sunlight slips

between drawn drapes, briefly piercing

my afternoon gloom

walking at the waterline

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:30:16 +0000

i skirt the edge with

the plovers: poking in the sand,

looking for jujus

January in SoCal

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:30:15 +0000

in pairs or alone,

the sun worshippers lie prostrate

on sandy towels

untitled (2 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:31:10 +0000

seated on the grass

above the sand, drawing

on my ankles

untitled (1 january 2010)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:29:18 +0000

driving down the high-

way: to the right, two turkeys

by the railroad tracks

untitled (31 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:27:27 +0000

clear blue sky

above, and your head dozing

on my shoulder

untitled (30 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:25:56 +0000

through the mists, across

the water, the islands sit, a scribble

on the horizon

late afternoon moonrise

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:50:19 +0000

great white orb in the

bright blue sky, rising over terraced,

palm-topped hills

winter light

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:48:50 +0000

the breeze rustles

through the pine boughs bathed in

silver-blue moonlight

untitled (27 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:47:15 +0000

gazing up:

a maelstrom of grey flecks

on a white background

reading together

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:45:29 +0000

blanket-wrapped, we

sit side-by-side — snow builds up

on the window sill

untitled (25 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:42:57 +0000

a baby with

tissue paper: pure, unrefined

contentment

untitled (24 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:39:48 +0000

seated at the big

table, surrounded by laughter

and sugar cookies

after the ice storm

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:34:45 +0000

the trees groan in the

wind, branches encapsulated

in frozen time

untitled (22 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:36:12 +0000

black ice underfoot –

treading gingerly

up the driveway

winter solstice

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:37:15 +0000

flying east to

Chicago — shortest day

of the year

21st century yule

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:41:33 +0000

electric candles

burn between wire/plastic branches,

welcoming the sun

untitled (19 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:53:38 +0000

I chuckle warmly

as someone’s dog frolics

in the white powder

winter music

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:54:58 +0000

snowflakes contine

to fall in time with recorded

piano flurries

untitled (17 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:56:09 +0000

a scraping snowplow

shatters the snow-damp

silence

untitled (16 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:57:11 +0000

wrapped up tight,

as the world outside

turns white and grey

untitled (15 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:58:28 +0000

hunched against the

cold, and old, red hawk eyes

the white for movement

untitled (14 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:59:40 +0000

an icy damp chill

steals through the cracks in the

sliding glass door

untitled winter haiku

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:52:14 +0000

overstuffed recliner,

book in hand — cold radiates

from frosted windows

untitled (12 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:03:31 +0000

rain patters on the

rooftop — hard to keep my

eyes open

untitled (11 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:05:13 +0000

standing under a

streetlight, red leaves flare

beneath the black sky

untitled (10 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:06:50 +0000

i drift off

to the gentle sound of

your breath next to me

untitled (9 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:07:50 +0000

finger tapping and

pen scratching: two word weavers

creating worlds by hand

untitled (8 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:00:47 +0000

scent of chicken and

spices wafts from the kitchen –

smells like home

untitled (7 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:32:48 +0000

temperature drops ten

degrees — above, black cloud banks

crest the mountain tops

untitled (6 december 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:37:18 +0000

walking home, the air

is thick with smells of

respite, home, and beans

pacific shoreline haiku

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:01:05 +0000

late afternoon:

a cold, yellow mist rises

from the sands

untitled beach haiku

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:59:00 +0000

under the cloudless

blue sky — thundercrash

and a salty spray

untitled (30 november 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:13:06 +0000

the lone poet taps

haiku on his phone — nearby,

Storke Tower chimes eight

untitled (29 november 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:11:39 +0000

the pregnant full moon

casts silvery anti-shadows

on leaf-strewn pavement

untitled (28 november 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:01:04 +0000

with the first raindrop

the gathered throngs

scurry for cover

a holiday at my parents’ house

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:02:34 +0000

a full house:

everywhere toes to be stepped on

and shoulders to hug

Turkey Day (taking the day off)

Matthew Bendert — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:07:52 +0000

Happy Turkey Day! I’m taking the day off to hang out with my family. More haiku to come tomorrow.

Winter Moon

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:09:54 +0000

gazing up, a great

white orb and halo dominate

the indigo sky

late fall morning

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:03:50 +0000

early morning and

the world smells richly of

wet leaves and coffee

3 AM – Santa Ana Night

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:57:27 +0000

lying awake,

parched throat, coyotes chattering

outside the window

untitled (22 november 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:45:18 +0000

just above the
horizon, the moon floats like a
yellow banana

the photo shoot

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:43:48 +0000

staring through the
camera lens — drowning in
kaleidoscope eyes

untitled autumn haiku

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:34 +0000

days grow shorter as
crisp, new piles of red and brown
clutter the walkway

stars in the country sky

Matthew Bendert — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:28 +0000

the stars glisten like
a million white pinpricks in
an obsidian sky

legba speaks at midnight

Matthew Bendert — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:03:05 +0000

in the blackest night,

wind gusts in the quiet

of the crossroads

untitled (17 november 2009)

Matthew Bendert — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:01 +0000

standing in line at

the grocery store — overhead,

The Doors’ “People Are Strange”

Making: haiku #4

Matthew Bendert — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:37 +0000

final adjustments

made — enjoying the satisfying

glow of completion

Making: haiku #3

Matthew Bendert — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:33:29 +0000

concentric twisting

bold and nut. Tight — just

a quarter turn more

Making: haiku #2

Matthew Bendert — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:20 +0000

riffling through a

box of sockets: talismans

of precision