A Sober Celebration

As the ball rises,
People celebrate new year,
-old problems remain.

Copyright 2008

A Rising Chorus

Man selling Spare Change,
Giving a voice to town's poor
-journal of the times.

Copyright 2008

Marathon Reading

Man in library,
Coming to the final stretch
-then to next novel.

Copyright 2008

To Wish Upon A Star

Child on Cancer Ward,
Dreams of floating across sky
-wakes up with stardust.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Stardust

A Christmas Tradition

Watching grainy film,
Scrooge cries in front of tombstone
-a life examined.

Copyright 2008

We Were Waiting For...?

Yearned for through year,
Christmas presents now seem old
-not even noon yet.

Copyright 2008

Simple Gifts

He was excited,
Not because of the cool bike
-it was the puppy.

Copyright 2008

Silence Before The Storm

Christmas tree is lit,
Many wrapped presents waiting
-tommorrow, chaos.

Copyright 2008

One Dickens Of A Christmas

Child on Santa's lap,
What would you like for christmas?
-my daddy's job back.

Copyright 2008

Christmas Eve Thoughts

Little elves working,
Thinking of children playing
-do they have homes though?

Copyright 2008

Now, If I Just Had A Carrot....

During winter storm,
I worked to make a new friend
-season's first snowman.

Copyright 2008

A Winter Day

Power lines blown down,
People sit by fire talking
-one snow storm blessing.

Copyright 2008

Polar Desert
by Edward S. Gault

White roofs.
The trees,
Their limbs burdened with snow,
Sag to the ground.
The train tracks
Stretch across the frozen ground
Toward the horizon,
Then vanish-
Snow gusts.
The pond
Covered with a thick sheet of ice,
Is like a sanctuary
For all life beneath -
quiet reigns.
Like arrows,
Icicles hanging from the wires
Point the way.
The sun triumphs,
Snow glistens.



Copyright©2007

One Single Impression: A Winter Day

Murphy's Christmas Haiku #48

Finally found it,
Just the right gift, such low price!
-Alarm clock ringing.

Copyright 2008

Late One Night

Time slowly goes by,
Scenarios cross my mind
-waiting, waiting, wait...

Copyright 2008

A Child's Delight

First snow of season,
Frosting blankets trees and grass
-promise of much more.

Copyright 2008

Potboiling

Reading pulp fiction,
Cloak and dagger on commute
-at work, just daggers.

Copyright 2008

Power Of Verse

Poets read their work,
Voices coming together
-witnesses to life.

Copyright 2008

Christmas Pageant

Small children gather,
Become Mary and Joseph
-old story renewed.

Copyright 2008

Out There

Checkered flag came down,
The crowd went wild shouting
-day at snail races.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Distractions

Old Friends, Different Roads

Face from long ago,
What would it look like now?
-lifetime, letting go.

Copyright 2008

Modern Business Plan

Ruined company,
Downsized staff, asked for bail out
-golden parachute.

Copyright 2008

Late Mail

Poet sleeps on couch,
With the computer nearby
-waiting on the muse.


Copyright 2008

Early Commute Blues

On frigid morning,
Crowd boards train, huddles in seats
-then new crowd gathers.

Copyright 2008

Poetic Dosing

At the artist's loft,
The poet reads in voice soft
-tender dreams of verse.

Copyright 2008

In The Moodle To Doodle?

Point becomes a line,
Lines dance swirls and curly cues
-then, more swirls and cues.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Doodles

Murphy's Haiku #47

After long train ride,
I finally arrive home!
-my keys locked inside.

Copyright 2008

Bah Humbug!

As markets tumble,
Employers give out pink slips
-o season's greetings!

Copyright 2008

Sunrise Express

On the morning train,
Small girl's head on Papa's lap
-last wink before school.

Copyright 2008

Apocalypse Now?

"Infidels must die!"
Said the high priest, hand raised
-holding a test tube.

Copyright 2008

(News Item: Gov. Panel warns of a probable nuclear/biological attack by 2013)

Who's in Charge?

Papa follows close,
Little girl skipping down walk
-teaching him to live.

Copyright 2008

Winter Cometh

Leaves have blown off trees,
Sun weaves through overcast skies
-early December.

Copyright 2008

Home Sweet Home?

After foreclosure,
They searched every shelter
-"welcome home", clerk said

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression

Once In A While, A Time For Solitude

Family away,
I have peaceful reflection
-thanksgiving alone.

Copyright 2008

Post Thanksgiving Blessing

I cooked my turkey,
Stuffing and cranberry sauce
-lord, let me survive!

Copyright 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Raindrops dripping down
From tree branches to puddles
-rings ripple outward.

Copyright 2008

Aunt Kristen
By Edward S. Gault

According to the family lore,
Aunt Kristen (six years my senior) announced
At the Thanksgiving table
That she didn’t like raisins.
I immediately stated that I too
Hated raisins.
Now Aunt Kristen did like raisins-
She simply wasn’t in the mood
For them at that time.
Up to that time,
I had liked raisins quite a bit.
But being the impressionable young lad
I then was, her statement
And my reiteration of it
Must have taken hold in my mind
Even at the neurological level.
From that time onward
I have never enjoyed raisins.
All these years later,
As the bills come each month
And pile up the way they do-
Far outstripping my ability
To pay any of them-
I wonder why Aunt Kristen
Could not simply have announced
At the Thanksgiving table
That she was going to be a millionaire
By the age of twenty.

Copyright©2008

Holiday Food
By Edward S. Gault

Holiday leftovers are a tricky business
I can never get away
With raiding the fridge at night.
So I have to wait
For all the others to leave
Before I can begin
To rustle in the fridge
To get at the Turkey.
Here is the tricky part-
How to eat just enough
So that nobody knows
That anything was ever taken out.
When supper is being prepared,
There is just enough.
Factor in that everyone in the house
Is going to be doing this
-Picking, then leaving just enough.
We had all done such a superb job of this
That when my wife pulled out the container a week later
It was still three quarters full.
The question was:
Could we still eat it?
It didn’t seem too bad-
But as I was retching over the sink
I began to pine for a coffin.

Copyright©2007

A Morning Matinee?

In early morning,
Movie with roll and coffee
-then train to real world.

Copyright 2008

Time Travel

Walking Hillis Road,
After twenty years, ghosts drift
-yesterdays lifetime.

Copyright 2008

Afterschool Adventures

Building block castles,
Reading jungle books and paint,
-children's library.

Copyright 2008

Childhood Remembered

Little chef makes pies,
Patiently sitting and stirs
-water, sticks, and rocks.

Cassie pours herself tea,
She painted the cup herself
-"papa, want some tea?"

Copyright 2008

Ricky and Melanie
By Edward S.Gault

Each morning I watched the way
Ricky’s mother brought him out to the bus.
She held his arm as he slowly
Descended the stairs, and walked in a sort of limp.
He wore a bike helmet in case he should fall.
He wore thick glasses and a hearing aid.
He couldn’t speak.
When they got him on the bus
He would sit by the window
Of the first seat with Melanie.
It was a long ride,
So the two had a lot of time
To get to know each other.
Through reading lips or hand gestures,
Melanie came to understand him.
Over the course of the year
She sat next to him, mastering his language
-discovering who he was.
One day his mother came out of the house
And down to the bus-alone.
She told the driver Ricky was in the hospital
For a little while.
From then on Melanie sat alone in the front seat
Looking out the window on the long ride
To and from school each day.
Until one morning his mother came out again,
Said something to the driver.
Melanie began to cry,
And we understood
That we would not be seeing Ricky again.

Copyright ©2007

One Single Impression: Childhood Memories

Blueprint Of A Failure

Little men scheming,
Writing and adding numbers
-that can not add up.

Copyright 2008

Murphy's Haiku #46

Waited for an hour,
Made two calls on the cell phone!
-wrong rendezvous point.

Copyright 2008

Happy Hour?

Cafe patrons debate,
Shouting and interupting
-next: the jugular.

Copyright 2oo8

Slow Day At The Computer?!

Point browser and click,
Watch little tab circle turn
-wait and wait and wait...

Copyright 2008

Special Exhibitions

A child's masterpiece
Taped on refrigerator
-the kitchen gallery.

Copyright 2008

Hope's Wings

The Dream yet so near,
And such a little window
-O to just fly through!

Copyright 2008

Many Sides Of Courage

Flying over fires,
Spraying long streams of water
-going back again.

Entering the room,
Facing his parents on couch
-mom and dad, I'm gay.

Her best friends gathered,
Shooting up heroin and crack
-scared, she turned and left.

War Games
By Edward S. Gault

Mike had a complete arsenal in his room.
He had all kinds of machine guns,
Grenades,
xxxxxxxRifles,
xxxxxxxxxxxPistols,
And even a bazooka.
He had a camouflaged outfit,
And a green beret
That allowed him to be the Colonel
Just about all the time.
Whenever we re-enacted
The previous episode of Combat.
He brought his stockpile to his front yard.
We would select our weapons of choice,
Then we would go through the whole battle,
Just as we had seen it on TV.
One night Mark wanted to be the Colonel.
Todd was Captain.
Mark was usually Sear gent.
I was either a Private or a Corporal at best
(When they let me play at all).
But that night Mark wanted to be the Colonel.
Mike explained all the reasons why
Mark couldn’t be the Colonel.
He owned the uniform; it wouldn’t fit him any way.
He owned all the guns.
He was a natural leader of men.
Mark said it wasn’t fair.
Mike called Mark a faggot
Then punched him in the stomach
-real hard.
Mark crumpled to the ground crying.
I could see the tears roll down his face.
I had never seen Mark cry before.
He was tough.
He would have made a good Colonel.
We didn’t have the battle that night.
As I walked home that night,
I knew I had seen war.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Courage

Going Out In Style

As leaves fall from trees,
Rain plasters them to sidewalk
-leaf collage carpet.

Copyright 2008

It's All How You Look At It

I am in a bubble,
Floating over the city
-fisheye view of world.

Copyright 2008

Boxed In?

I am in a box,
The box keeps getting smaller
-unless I push out.

Copyright 2008

Driving On Empty?

I travelled highway,
Passing by many exits
-where would they have lead?


Copyright 2008

In Honor Of Veterans

They fought in our wars,
For country and liberty
-now, Kingdom of Peace.

Copyright 2008

Magical Worlds of Bedtime

Reading you stories,
We wish we could go with you
-seeing the world new.

Copyright 2008

Orthodoxes And Paradoxes!

Riverway Street Parallels
Photography: Edward S. Gault

Even though this verse
Has seventeen syllables
-it is not haiku.

x

I wrote half tanka

Then wrote one half the next part

Followed by next half

And continued in this way

Until I got to the en

x

Her smile was friendly,

She looked directly through me

-speaking policy.

In Congress many years,
On the ticket of Values
-feds arrested him.

Wearing a ski mask,
He killed in the name of God
-in hopes of heaven.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Paradox

Doing Time

Time goes on and on,
And all I need to do now
-finish the moment.

Copyright 2008

Another Way To Vote

Foaming at the mouth,
Radio demagogue rants
-this time, we turned dial.

Copyright 2008

We Did It!!

From the slave galleys,
To cotton fields and Jim Crow
-to Oval Office.

Copyright 2008

Congratulations to Barrack Obama,
To the Democratic Party,
And to the Citizens of the United States!

No Virginia, It's Not Santa!

The horseman Plague rides,
Dispensing colds and fevers
-gifts of the season.

Copyright 2008

Just Vote!

I closed the curtain,
Switches down, pulled the lever
-thought of my daughter.

Copyright 2008

Counting Blessings

When she comes to me
And ask me to play with her
My answer is yes!
-even if I don't have time,
She may not always be here.

Copyright 2008

On Things Not Being What They Seem

A city of wealth,
They built tall glass skyscrapers
And many facades;
So that when people passed by,
They wouldn't see the poor there.

Beggar approached me,
He asked for help, I gave alms
-he was an angel.

Trick or Treat she said,
Dressed as a wicked witch
-so innocent though.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Disguise

Farewell Autumn Colors

Yellow leaves resist death,
Clinging to branches, then fall
-early November.

Copyright 2008

Happy Halloween!!!

Trick or treat goblins,
And as you go door to door
-stay clear of monsters.

Copyright 2008

Again, Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Murphy's Haiku # 45

On evening train,
I saw Rhinos out window
-then woke at last stop.

Copyright 2008

The Wisdom Of Not Listening

Nobody, they said,
Would be able to do it
-yet somebody did!-
With everyone still talking
Of the sheer futility.

Copyright 2008

New Light

Fountain at Colonial Heritage
Photography: Edward S. Gault

Evening light fades,
Fountain then becomes beacon
-aquatic fireplace.





Copyright 2008

Sun's Geometry

Window Bay, Light Post, and Wires in B&W

Photography: Edward S. Gault

Sun multiplies the lines

Of light posts cast on buildings

-afternoon's shadows.

Copyright 2008

Weekend Snapshot

and Forest River Creations

The Gift You Are

The night you were born,
I held you tight in my arms
-hardly believing.

Drawing the Moon
By Edward S. Gault

You came up to me
With your little red book
The one you put the stickers in,
And a crayon.
You told me that
You wanted me
To draw the moon.
So I drew a line for the horizon,
Long vertical lines became trees.
A river flowed down through them.
Then I drew stars.
Finally, I drew the moon,
And filled in the sky dark blue.
Because you wanted to see me draw,
And there would come a time
When you will not care what I can do.




Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Gift

The Spirit Of Sacrifice

"Cut the extra fat,
We must all downsize!' Boss said
-then poured the chablis.

Copyright 2008

A Place To Lay One's Head

Homeless In Park
Photography: Edward S. Gault

Sleeping on the bench,
Thinking of his next bottle
-or his family.

Copyright 2008

There For Years, Never Noticed

Sitting there with his cup,
No longer able to cry
-just asking for change.

Copyright 2008

Sign Of The Times

I saw him standing there,
In the unemployment line
-eyes tearing, afraid.

Copyright 2008

The Woman In The Child.

Each day she shows me
How grown up she's becoming
-still, she plays puppets.

Copyright 2008

A Garden Exit

Stairway From Paradise (along Emerald Necklace, Boston)
Photography: Edward S. Gault

My meditation done,
I ascended the stone steps
-with sad gravity.

Copyright 2008

Weekend Snapshot
see also Forest River Creations

The Fluid Nature Of Time

Clock on wall ticking,
slow plod, yet not enough time!
-neverending test.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Neverending

Say It Aint So, Joe!

Each candidate shouts,
And rips out the other's heart
-for "Joe the Plumber".

Copyright 2008

Summer's Last Call

Like an August day,
warm sunlight on golden leaves
-indian summer.

Copyright 2008

Out Of The Temple Of Clay Idols

Held as marble gods,
They soared high above,then fell
-walking through rubble.

Copyrights 2008

Old Books, New Discoveries

Discussing classics,
Delving into ancient realms
-yet familiar.

Copyright 2008

Seasonal Reflections

Eating apple pie
On a back porch in Autum
-thinking of summer.

Copyright 2008

A Place For A Stroll

Riverside Park
Photography: Edward S. Gault

Along the river,

People stroll through esplenade

-Botanical Walks.

Copyright 2008

Weekend Snapshot

see also Forest River Creations

A Path That Makes All The Difference, For Robert Frost

After market crashed,

I walked path out back my home

-golden leaves of Fall.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Gold

Murphy's Haiku #44 - College Days Series

Waiting weeks for book
Needed for thesis,-arrives!
-written in chinese.

Copyright 2008

Murphy's Haiku #43

Appointment in town,
With luck, I just might make it
-got on outbound train.

Copyright 2008

Procrastination 101 #2

It is five A.M.
Dreams weave in and out of text
-exam is in four hours!

Copyright 2008

Procrastination 101

Reading late at night,
Information scatters out
-little left by dawn.

Copyright 2008

Murphy's Haiku #42

Running to my gate
I just made it by seconds!
-left plane ticket home.

Copyright 2008

Here's Looking...Down At You?

Dome
Photo: Edward S. Gault (from Boston's Skywalk, Prudential Center)


Commanding structures
Tower over us each day
-now, they'll look to me!

Copyright 2008

Weekendend Snapshot
and see also Forest River Creations

A Little Humor, For A Change

I dipped my finger
Into sweet serenity
-serendipity.

Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Serendipity

Remember, "Question Authority!"

The Tyrant once asked
"Are you loyal?" and I thought
-well yes, but to what?

Copyright 2008

The Power Of Stories

Each night before bed,
I read to her of castles
- someday she'll find hers.

Copyright 2008

A Child's Fall

A little dervish
Waiving a purple streamer,
-autumn breeze tugs it.

Copyright 2008

A Leaf Collage

Photo: Edward S. Gault

A Little Royalty

A princess holds court
In a kingdom of puppets
-until her bedtime.

Copyright 2008

Murphy's Haiku #41

We hiked miles and miles,
Torrential rain drenching us!
-once home, the sun came out.

Copyright 2008

Happy Anniversary, Karen!

Light Through A Clearing
Photo: Edward S. Gault

Married seven years,

We travelled forest rivers

-to the open fields.

Copyright 2008

Weekend Snapshot

See also Forest River Creations

No Fleeting Poem,This!

The Tale of the Golden Bull
by Edward S. Gault

I.
Once
upon a
time, there was

a
village with
a golden bull.

The
people in
the village were

going
through hard
times, so someone

came
up with
this idea to

bring
prosperity back-
they would build

a
spectacle in
the village square

to
draw people
to their dusty

little
corner of
the land. So

they
had everyone
go to collect

whatever
gold they
might have in

their
homes, (and
they didn't have

a
whole lot)
to bring it

to
the village
smith, who then

melted
it all
down. He poured

it
into a
mold he had

created
in the
form of a

bull.
Because the
villagers didn't have

much
gold, the
statue wasn't much

of
a spectacle:
it was only

knee
high. Still
people from the

other
villages did
come, and paid

to
see it!
With the gold

paid
by these
first visitors

the
smith was
able to add

to
the creature-
increasing its size

so
it came
now to the

waist.
More travellers
came giving their

gold,
then going
back to tell

the
news of
the bull (stretching

the
size of
the bull at

the
time they
had seen it).

But
by the
time others had

come
to see
it, it had

grown
to the
size they had

come
to expect!
Before long,

the
bull had
grown to the

height
of the
village church tower.

II.
Around
this time,
People began to

disappear.
They would
go into the

forest
to hunt,
or to get

wood,
and never
return. People grew

afraid
and began
to tell stories

of
bandits, murderers,
and wild beasts.

One
day a
fisherman and his

son
left for the
lake. It was

a
two day
journey through the

woods.
Many people
warned them. This

was
a trip
they had taken

many
times before-
they weren't afraid.

Only
the boy
returned-and he

couldn't
talk. The
villagers grew more

afraid.
Maybe people
would quit coming.

III.
But
people did
come and their

bull
grew as
tall as the

cedars.
Soon people
began to settle

there,
and the
village grew into

a
town, and
then a city.

By
this time
the bull reached

To
the sky.
The city continued

to
grow until
it swallowed up

the
nearby villages,
becoming a metropolis.

It
established its
own mint, becoming

the
kingdom's center
of trade. Poets,

artists,
storytellers, and
performers of every

kind
made the
city a new

Bohemia.
Every night
there were parties

and
celebrations of
every kind-so

naturally,
the people
were much too

busy
to pay
much attention to

reports
that the
disappearances and killings

were
getting closer
and closer. Those

that
did listen
to the reports

simply
laughed, rolled
back their eyes

and
continued drinking
their wine. Sometimes

those
trying to
spread warnings were

jailed
for mischief,
so people learned

to
keep quiet.
Some left for

fear
they would
lose their lives.

One
day, during
the autumn revels,

a
shadow
was cast across

the
land, people
looked up to

where
the sun
should have been-

and
screamed. A
giant claw came

out
of the
sky and swiftly

down
in one
fleeting second, struck

the
golden bull,
sending pieces of

debris
down onto
the city. All

was
havoc in
the streets as

people
ran for
their lives-many

did
not make
it. Some were

mauled
trying to get
out, others were

eaten
alive. Those
who did escape,

travelled
to the
far sides of

the
kingdom where
they settled-and

never
spoke about
their old village.


Copyright 2008

One Single Impression: Fleeting

More about Hay (na) Ku here.

A Poet's Dream

Poet typing away
The night as verse comes to him
-someday a reader.

Copyright 2008

Murphy's Haiku #40

An opened cola,
High on table, gets knocked off
-right into my bag.

Copyright 2008

A Farewell To Summer!

On those Summer nights,

We played cards on the back porch

-chorus of crickets.

Copyright 2008

Things Seen In The Park #1

The Duck Procession
By Edward S. Gault

Each of the ducks
Had a little black veil
On it’s head as they filed
By in a line.
They would not take the bread
Offered by children.
They would not listen
To the lady at the at the juice kiosk
Making her quacky noises
They wanted us all to see
That one of theirs
Had fallen prey
To hunters on their weekend fling
And was now simpering in its’ own juices
Later to be served at the table
With cranberry sauce

Copyright 2008

Walks In Autumn

As Autumn returns,
Leaves slowly fall before me
-death reminding me.

Copyright 2008

A Place To Rest

Autumn in Old Granary
Photo:Edward S. Gault

Leaves fall in glory,

meandering down to earth

-many lay in peace.

Copyright 2008

Weekend Snapshot

see also Forest River Creations

Autumnal Memory

Autmn Afternoons

by Edward S. Gault

Autumn Afternoons in 1969,

I would rush home from school;

running through lawns

grass pastelled with

red, yellow, and orange leaves.

They looked just like the ones

that we made in class that day

and taped in the window

for all to see.

Copyright 1983, 2008

For One Single Impression

see also Forest River Creations

Autumn Reflection

Walking by the lake,

I look out on the water

-In meditation.

Copyright 2008

A Farewell To Summer!

Autumn chill returns
Like an old friend visiting
-hot apple cider.

Copyright 2008

Been Riding The Roller Coaster?

What poor people? Where?!
Prosperity has no end
-stockmarket follies.

Copyright 2008

Happy Birthday to Someone Very Special!

Blow out the candles
Build your castles in the sky

-make wishes, and fly!

Copyright 2008