[Click the picture above to hear music composed by the author.]

Our ordinary language flees, spurred to speed by laughter now and then.

As to my inability to write much lately, I've found a solution.

My work till now focused on objective values and clear intent. Taking it together, perhaps I've said all I can in rational language. What does that imply? Instead of declaration, fancy. Instead of argument, image.

Quickly (for me) came the first few of this new collection, "Dancing God: A Haiku Autobiography." Then more verses pulled up daily, crying, "Me too!"

I'm aware of the distinctions between verses of this type in Japan. In English a tendency is to call them all haiku, regardless of whether their subjects are nature, humanity, or abstract ideas. I'm content to join the crowd and dub mine" haiku."

I adhere to traditional haiku's rule of 17 syllables per poem, but ignore its other strictures, for examples, syllables per line. I do so not from obstinance or sloth, but to more naturally conform to the cadences of the English language.

This is not "taking liberties." To quote from Wikipedia:

"Traditional haiku consist of 17 on [syllables], in three phrases... Among contemporary poems teikei (定型 fixed form) haiku continue to use the 5-7-5 pattern while jiyuritsu (自由律 free form) haiku do not....[even] traditional haiku masters were not always constrained by the 5-7-5 pattern."

Find throughout these pieces veiled references to my favorite poets here. I hope these shrouds are cut from not too fine a cloth, but that my allusions remain opaque enough that what is always meant in good spirits may not offend.