[By: Sundiata Acoli and Joan Payne Kincaid] 

Hokku 

explosions of life 
animals and plants re-born 
in bird choruses jpk 

season cycles back anew 
coming forth in restlessness sa 

gardens bloom 
sunflowers stretch 
too fast to believe jpk 

slowly noticed yet intense 
swallows harken thoughts of it sa 

under a shady tree 
night heron listens 
in rising light jpk 

she sees shining stars 
and sings a song of sighs jpk 

the sea is calling 
stronger than a lover’s charm 
deeper wading waits sa 

shining surfboards and wetsuits 
magic tunnels spin jpk 

candlelight and cake 
casting shadows to and fro 
fireflies dart about sa 

listening to cricket songs 2 
sleigh-bell crescendo jpk 

iron dialogues 
discourse bars in flesh and blood 
white deer fades to blue sa 

coolness of dawn 
reading truth in clouds jpk 

silver disk above 
tolls the years gone by encaged 
summers hot and long sa 

lives circle a vigil 
Sunday bells will gong jpk 

vistas of the soul 
peer into the pains of yore 
heat rides in the wind sa 

powerful visions appear 
swirling on silent dew jpk 

scent of daffodils 
waft into the room upstairs 
vernal spells return sa 

down on the lawn 
petals of violets vibrated purple jpk 

nodding by the temple 
a violent need of sleep 
sipping dandelion wine jpk 

couples glide to trumpet’s bleat 
begging joiners to the floor sa 3 

in his gilded coupe 
floating along the concourse 
listening to iPod music jpk 

pomp disturbs the starving hordes 
moving to a birthday beat sa 

arriving at Mardi Gras 
eat drink and be merry 
order more of everything jpk 

ice reigns all around the globe 
work-call breaks the interlude sa 

the doors slide back 
on a single signal 
hear a sudden lute and cello concert jpk 

love is key to the new world 
sharing hurt and joy alike sa 

kissing her wish- ring 
she leaves the yellow lounge 
dressed in an olive velvet gown jpk 

racist war haunts New Orleans 
killing color and the poor sa 

in the round pale light 
near a scenic lake 
listen to high pitch katydids jpk 

Blackwater brings Halloween 
shooting survivors on sight sa 

a slip of the mask 4 
exposes disaster plans 
fall arrives early sa 

softly sliding psychedelically 
posed in dark re-entry jpk 

chickens scratch in the mud 
earthworms laze above the ground 
in receding gales sa 

global warming scorcher 
dull haze surrounds the sails jpk 

morning glories sprout 
nature’s eternal cycle 
begins once again sa 

creatures come and go 
turning returning ornaments jpk 

Date started: 5.24.01 
Date finished: 10.8.06