Pauper wedding haiku

she tightens her corset a pauper wedding

dia kencangkan lilitan setagennya kere kawinan

Newborn baby haiku

the first cry of our newborn baby a lotus blooms

tangis pertama bayi kami sekuntum teratai rekah

Nightmare and the rain haiku

exactly in between
my nightmare and the rain
a door open

tepat di antara
hujan dan mimpi burukku
pintu terbuka

Pillow fight haiku

pillow fight
over the dos and don’ts
a marriage after all

pertengkaran di tempat tidur
tentang yang harus dan dilarang
betapapun ini pernikahan

Afterimage haiku

lightning strikes
i hold my breath for
the afterimage

petir menyambar
aku menahan nafas
silau sesaat*

*Better Indonesian translation needed.

Bamboo rustle haiku

lightning strike
a bamboo grove rustles
as i blink

sambaran petir
gemerisik rumpun bambu
saat berkedip

Season shift haiku

season shift
searching what’s been missed
in my haiku

pergantian musim
mencari yang terlewat
dalam haikuku

Faint heart haiga

Baked eggplant haiga

The way I see you haiku

full moon
the way i see you thru'
my window

bulan purnama
caraku memandangmu
lewat jendela

Weeping bamboo haiku

weeping bamboos
i start showing my children
how to haiku

rintihan bambu
nak, lihat bagaimana
haiku ditulis

Painful guitar tanka

I wrote this tanka shortly after I played Santana on my player. Easily it seized me, and I just could not resist the temptation to write this.

windy evening
i rehearse new song
on my guitar
the pain you left lately
stiffens my fingers

petang berangin
kulatih lagu baru
pada gitarku
pedih yang kau tinggalkan
bekukan jemariku

Cowbell and stove haiga

Table manners haibun

Table manners

I was probably the clumsiest among others in my family at holding the spoon and fork. Unlike Mom, Dad, my sisters and brothers, I held the cutlery like holding a knife, instead of the way I took a grip on a pen. We didn't use a knife to savour a dish.

"Use your bare hands," my Mom said almost each and every evening when we had dinner with the whole family. "Wash them first before you start," my Mom added and moved a ceramic bowl of water towards me for hand washing.

family dinner
chinese dancer dances
in the bowl


Adab di meja makan

Dibanding anak-anak lainnya dalam keluarga kami, mungkin aku yang paling canggung menggunakan sendok dan garpu. Selalu saja aku memegang sepasang alat itu dengan cara yang aneh. Aku yang memegang sendok dan garpu seperti aku memegang pisau, bukan pena.

“Gunakan saja kedua tanganmu, tapi jangan lupa cuci dulu,” kata ibu.

makan malam
penari china menari
di kobokan

*Thanks to Alan Summers for his grammatical suggestion..

Fancy dinner haiku

The first haiku altered into two different versions. Don't know which one is the best.

i/
fancy dinner
bought for a long lost friend
how much?
the change i keep for myself
since our last encounter

ii/
buy a dinner
with long lost friend
too much
the change i keep
only for myself

iii/
treat a friend
to a fancy dinner
is it too much?
the change i keep for myself
since our last encounter

Children's laughter haiga

Significant other haiga

Bridge the river haiku

sunny afternoon
shadow of a palm tree
bridges the river

petang yang terang
bayangan batang palma
melintas sungai

Jumping goat haiku

roadside trench
a goat jumps into
it's own shadow

got tepi jalan
anak domba melompat
ke bayangannya

Hometown river haiku

hometown river
somewhere under the current
my reflection hiding

sungai kampungku
bayanganku sembunyi
di bawah arus

Mehta haibun

Time passes by, the wind swings gently the lightbulb hanging on the ceiling. Tomorrow will be a long journey, my eyes wide awake. My monitor dims to safe the battery. I can't decide; stay awake for nothing, get some sleep or get back to my work.

crickets and gekko
a cowbell and whispering wind
where's Mehta?

Malam merayap, angin mengayun bola lampu yang tergantung di langit-langit. Perjalanan besok akan panjang, mataku tak mau memejam. Layar komputerku meredup untuk menghemat baterai. Fikiranku terpental-pental; sekadar begadang, mencoba tidur atau menyelesaikan pekerjaan sisa tadi siang.

jengkerik dan tokek
kelonongan sapi dan angin lalu
di mana Mehta?

Night make up haiku

silent pond
night make up on her face
the orion

kolam diam
riasan malam di wajahnya
bintang belantik*

Harry's haiku*

troubled life
show me how to safe myself
will you, Harry?

hidup sulit
ajari aku cara untuk lepas
maukah, Harry?

*A homage to Harry Houdini. Today is his 137th birthday.

Southerly wind haiku

1/
harvest moon
what did you plant
in fukushima?

bulan kesorean
apa yang dulu kau tanam
di fukushima?

2/
southerly wind
her back bends with
the bamboo grove

angin selatan
ia membungkuk searah
gerumbul bambu

3/
full moon
goes down the cascade in bits
fishes wide awake

bulan penuh
kepingannya meniti pancuran
ikan-ikan tak tidur

Vincent's haiku

1/
lonely night stroll
a distant chant in the breeze
Starry starry night

jalam malam sendiri
angin lembut membisikkan
Starry starry night

2/
undying star
in the garden of irises
a man named Vincent

bintang abadi
di taman iris
lelaki itu Vincent

*Homage to Don McLean and Vincent van Gogh

Heavenly bodies haiku

1/
starry sky
my neighbor's guitar play
reverbs low notes

langit berbintang
suara gitar tetangga
penuh nada rendah

2/
moonlight saint
shining streetlights
and white haloes

santa sinar bulan
lampu-lampu jalan menyala
dan halo putih

3/
leaning back
in my folding chair
moon in the puddle

duduk bersandar
di kursi lipatku
bulan di comberan

4/
empty coffee cup
and stains on my table cloth
the trail of supermoon

cangkir kopi kosong
dan bercak di taplak meja
jejak super moon

5/
mars and venus
where do i come from
my boy's inquiry

mars dan venus
dari mana asal muasalku
anakku bertanya

Layla haiku

midnight
a cellphone rings
Layla

tengah malam
sebuah telepon genggam
berdering Layla

Tremor haiku

close attachment
from tv screen to my skin
the tremor crawling

kuat terikat
dari layar tv ke kulitku
getar merayap

Tidal wave haiku

tidal waves..
cherry blossoms fall
to the coldest night

gelombang tinggi...
bunga sakura rontok
ke dingin malam

Gad falls asleep haiku

japan tsunami
short question in my prayer
god, falling asleep?

Veterans day haiku

veterans day
a fly dies
a week old

hari veteran
seekor lalat mati
umur sepekan

Afternoon rhapsody haiku

afternoon rhapsody
perpetual cry of
cicadas

rapsodi siang
garengpung di dahan turi
terus berdengung

Tremor and poetry book tanka

I've learned about
the meaning of being alone
if only you're here
you'd know my new friends
a tremor and a poetry book

sudah kupelajari
arti hidup menyendiri
jika kau ada
kenalilah teman-teman baruku
tremor dan buku puisi

Stitching your scarf tanka

you know
how quiet it would be
my hands
shiver as i start
stitching your scarf

kau pasti tahu
betapa sepi jadinya
kedua tanganku
gemetar saat kumulai
merenda scarfmu

Delayed wedding haiga

Feeding the koi haiku

it hurts
to think about the break up
i'm feeding the koi

menyakitkan
berfikir tentang perpisahan
aku memberi makan koi

Abandoned gardens tanka

oh sparrows...
singing in distant field
where rice grows
i write poetry about
abandoned gardens

burung-burung emprit
berkicau nun di ladang
di mana padi tumbuh
aku menulis puisi tentang
taman-taman yang telantar

Streetlight haiku

streetlight
shines thru pine branches
crickets hideout

lampu jalan
menorobos ranting pinus
liang jangkrik

Geriatric ward tanka chain

1/
how boring it is
to be here in G-ward
i make myself busy
with watching baby birds
learning to fly

sungguh membosankan
tinggal di klinik jompo
aku menyibukkan diri
memperhatikan anak-anak burung
belajar terbang

2/
same meal
same taste
dear chef,
does your recipe
read like a poetry?

menu yang sama
citarasa yang sama
wahai juru masak
apakah resepmu terbaca
seperti puisi?

3/
please, don't hesitate
to reach me
you spend too much time
trickling down thru'
the infuse line

jangan ragu
untuk menyentuhku
kau habiskan terlalu banyak waktu
menetes, mengalir lewat
selang infus

Warm camellia haiku

warm camellia
sensation from the last encounter
stains my napkin

teh hijau hangat
getar dari pertemuan terakhir
membekas di serbet

Justified killing tanka

my breakfast milk
spills along microscopic trail
are you justified
to take live to save
live

susu sarapanku
melimpah sepanjang jejak renik
bolehkah
membunuh untuk
menyelamatkan nyawa

Ant haiku 8

an ant drowned
in my breakfast milk
the banyan stands still

semut tenggelam
di gelas susuku
batang beringin diam

Falling dusk haiku

dusk...
cold air hardens
the rocks

senja...
dingin mengeraskan
batubatu

Ant haiku 7

infamous words
from the last fight
ant on my tongue

kalimat yang buruk
dari pertengkaran semalam
semut di lidahku

Ant haiku 6

wandering ant
a wayward childhood
flashing

semut kelana....
masa kanak-kanak yang badung
melintas cepat

Uninvited guest haiku

uninvited guest
the wind blows a pine cone
along the corridor

tamu tak diundang
angin menyepak bunga pinus
sepanjang selasar

Illegal alien haiku

illegal alien
amongst the pine branches
mistletoe blooms

pendatang haram
di antara ranting pinus
bunga benalu mekar

Ant haiku 5

don't tell me
not to bite more than i can chew
:ant's life

jangan cegah aku
menggigit terlalu besar
:kehidupan semut

Ant haiku 4

sudden downpour--
a dead grasshopper remains
untouched

hujan dadakan--
seekor belalang mati
tak tersentuh

Duck roast haiku

duck roast--
splashes from the pond
reach my dining room

bebek panggang--
suara percikan dari kolam
sampai ke meja makan

Ant haiku 3

slippery and steep
this long road ahead
tiny red spot on my knees

licin dan terjal
jalan panjang di depan
titik merah mungil di lututku

Ant haiku 2

her sweetest smile
disappears instantly
an ant take over her tongue

senyumnya yang manis
tiba-tiba ilang
ada semut di lidahnya

Ant haiku 1

overburdened, eh...
what's worth complaining
for an ant?

kelebihan beban, ya..
apanya yang kudu dikeluhkan
oleh seekor semut?

Ceaseless wind tanka

ceaseless mountain wind
rubs the windowpane
i sigh..
slightly move my chair
to keep up with the moon


angin gunung
terus saja mengusap jendela
aku mendesah...
sedikit menggeser kursi
kembali terpaku pada bulan

Lonesome dinner tanka

so wide is the sky
as those cranes fly home
quietly
i catch minnows
for a lonesome dinner


oh luasnya langit
saat burung bangau pulang
dengan diam
aku menangkap ikan-ikan kecil
untuk makan malam sendirian

Younger Dylan tanka

feeling the age
crawling under my skin
what's in afterlife
i wish for a guitar
and younger Dylan

aku merasa
makin tua saja
di kehidupan setelah mati
semoga ada gitar
dan Dylan muda

*Thank to Kirsty Karkow, my fellow poet in Tanka@yahoogroups.com

Roadside dance haiku

it takes two
a bare tree leads its shadow
to roadside dance

tak bisa sendirian
berdansa dengan bayangannya
pohon meranggas tepi jalan

Note:
First appeared in Haiku Pix Review #1, 2011, Poland, USA and Taiwan
The published version was originally written in english and banyumasan tongue javanese.

New decor haiku

brand new decor
footprints in the doorway
smaller than mine

dekorasi baru
jejak kaki di depan pintu
lebih kecil dari punyaku

Note:
First appeared in Haiku Pix Review #1, 2011, Poland, USA and Taiwan
The published version was originally written in english and banyumasan tongue javanese.

Night fair haiku

night fair...
fireflies and fireworks
mimicking each other

pasar malam
kunang-kunang dan kembang api
bertukar riasan


Note:
First appeared in Haiku Pix Review #1, 2011, Poland, USA and Taiwan
The published version was originally written in english and banyumasan tongue javanese.

Autumn gloom haiku

autumn gloom
she measures every steps
in wooden crutches

kelam musim gugur
dengan penyangga kayu
dia ukur tiap langkahnya

Note:
First appeared in Haiku Pix Review #1, 2011, Poland, USA and Taiwan
The published version was originally written in english and banyumasan tongue javanese.

A table for two tanka

less talk
at a table for two
we are too busy with foods
or is it the rain falling
within our minds?

After an online discussion with my fellow tanka poets, the altered version goes..

a table for two
we talk less for
these good foods
or is it the rain falling
within our minds?

Indonesian translation needed. Somebody help me!

Sunday cooking tanka

sunday cooking
a soup for the whole family
after 18 years of marriage
noticing what we've missed--
a bit more spice

minggu memasak
sup untuk seluruh keluarga
setelah 18 tahun menikah
baru ingat ada yang kelupaan
rada kurang rempah-rempah

Moonless haiku

lie to me
this year won't end
moonless

月は出ず年は明けずとウソ言いな

First appeared at Akita International Haiku Network; http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com
Japanese translation by Hidenori Hiruta

Gastritis haiku

year end
would it be a break
enduring gastritis

年末は小康であれ胃炎かな


First appeared at Akita International Haiku Network; http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com
Japanese translation by Hidenori Hiruta

Rhythm of my heartbeat tanka

now i'm enough
of defying you
so why, alter ego
i can't catch the rhythm
of my heartbeat

cukup sudah
berperang dengan
diriku yang lain
kenapa begitu susah mengikuti
ketukan jantungku

No more denial tanka

too long
i've been running away
now no more denial
i surrender to
the morning light

terlalu lama
mencoba menjauh
tak lagi membantah
kini aku takluk
pada kilau fajar

Smoked tuna senryu

market bargain
smoked fish seller insists
it was tuna

di riuh pasar
tukang ikan asap bersikeras
tadinya ini tuna

Fish market cat tanka

fish market cat
between rioting smells
and rushing people
it's me, the hunter
or a lucky prey?

kucing pasar ikan
di antara semua bau itu
dan orang-orang tergesa
aku menjadi pemburu, ataukah
mangsa yang beruntung?

Father's grave tanka

a picture of
my father's grave
looks brand new
how long he's been gone
my sick mother knows it better

dari albumku
foto makam ayah masih
terlihat baru
sudah berapa lama dia pergi
ibuku yang sakit tahu benar

*In loving memory of my father, a prayer for my mother who is now hospitalized in Banjarnegara, my hometown.

Weather forecast haiku

weather forecast
snowflakes fall on my boy's
sketchbook

ramalan cuaca
salju turun di buku
sketsa anakku

Jonquil haiga

Caught in the net haiga

When dream and tide collide

Snail trail haiku

These haiku were written as i found a simple yet beautiful painting bay Mary Rodning at http://www.haigaonline.com/issue11-2/issue11-2.html

(1)
she passes by
why should i cry, my reflection
fades on her trail

dia pergi
haruskah menangis, rautku
hilang dari jejaknya

(2)
a simple pledge
to keep it in my mind, your trail
doesn't last long

biarlah tersimpan
dalam ingatan, jejakmu
lenyap bergegas

Missed that good tea haiga

Night choir haiku

long long night
a poet joins cricket
night choir

malam yang panjang
seorang penyair berdendang
dalam koor para jangkrik

Too many droplets tanka

evening drizzle
got a lot to ponder
still i can't decide
too many droplets to
quench this thirst

sore rintik-rintik
terlalu banyak yang difikirkan
tak juga bisa aku memilih
satu dari berjuta bulir untuk
puaskan haus

Reverb of your breathing tanka

how long?
before the last farewell
the reverb of your breathing
takes away the silence
all my poems fall into

berapa lama lagi?
sebelum lambaian terakhir
helaan nafasmu terus berdenting
segala puisi
menjelma sunyi

Longer alley haiku

feels much longer now
the alley I am walking on in
my late dad's slipper

makin terasa panjang
lorong yang kususuri dengan sandal
mendiang bapakku

Thin glass tanka sequence/haiga

Wheelchair haiku

time standstill
a wet floor caution cornering
her wheelchair

waktu berhenti
kursi rodanya terpojok
lantai licin basah

Highschool reunion haiku

highschool reunion
everybody makes fun of
our grey hair

reuni sma
kami semua saling meledek
kepala ubanan

Drifting thoughts tanka

all those thoughts
drifting high with the clouds
here, you and i
holding each other by the hand
going nowhere

semua fikiran itu
berkelana bersama awan gemawan
di sini, kau dan aku
saling berpegangan tangan
tak bisa ke manapun

No way home haiga

Lost kite tanka

a lost kite
stuck on top of a telephone pole
here I am sitting
watching and waiting
for your long distance call

layangan putus
tersangkut di tiang telepon
di sini aku duduk
melihat dan menunggu
interlokal darimu

Fat in the seat tanka

so slowly
the ashes fall from the sky
he grows fat
in waiting for
another clouds

begitu pelan
hujan abu turun dari langit
dia makin gemuk
dengan hanya menunggu
awan terbentuk

Grey poem haiku

rain of ashes
a poem reads
all grey

hujan abu
sebuah puisi
berwarna kelabu

A bucket of ashes haiku

evacuation camp
a plastic bucket
collecting ashes

kamp pengungsi
sebuah ember plastik
menampung debu

New coat haiku

rain of ashes
a wild cat
got new coat

hujan abu
seekor kucing liar
berganti bulu

Baby dies haiku

newborn baby dies
whereabout the heaven
behind the ashes?

bayi merah mati
adakah surga tersembunyi
di balik debu?

Hiding shadows haiku

eagles flew away
their shadows hide
under the dust

elang menjauh
bayangan mereka sembunyi
di bawah debu

Sorrow on the roof haiku

night rain
washes the dust away
sorrow on the roof

hujan malam
membasuh debu, nyeri
bertahan di atap

Uninvited guest haiku

uninvited guest
volcanic dust settled
in eagle's nest

tamu tak diundang
debu vulkanik bertandang
ke sarang elang

Heavier than silence haiga

Oxygen mask haiku

my late dad's oxygen mask my mom fits in

pas benar masker oksigen peninggalan bapak dipakai ibu

Inner hollow haiga

Old sarong tanka

it takes long
to get acquainted
my reflection and me
in my late dad's
old sarong

lama juga
untuk menjadi akrab
aku dan bayanganku
bersarung
peninggalan bapak

Sickle moon haiku

celibate
he talks about
the sickle moon

selibat
dia bicara tentang
bulan sabit

Lichen haiku

aged wall
lichens grow into
autumn wind

Last kiss haiga