I sat listening to Haiku Pea in a NY Presbyterian waiting room when she came back. The staff told her they’d contact her when she could schedule her CT scan. Emblem would preauthorize in their own due time, of course. As we exited the outpatient building and crossed Washington Avenue, she shared her disappointment. While…

The drought continues. What roared through verdant channels now trickles. The lion’s roar is a kitten’s purr. Empty space calls forth a steady blankness. Haiku flow easily enough. Tanka pour out with little difficulty. But haibun? I am William Shakespeare from “Shakespeare in Love,” lying on his apothecary’s couch, saying, “I’ve lost my gift.” The…

The mosquitos keep biting. They move as fast as flies these days. Rainfall from the showers brought by the recent tropical storms must have been good for them. Not so much for me. Three days back in the classroom. Many wear their masks correctly. Some slip their noses free or take too long reapplying them…

Why should the eighth month not bear my name? Did I not bring peace to the Empire? Is not my reign the inauguration of the Pax Romana? Did I not expand our territory while maintaining the peace? Oh, but some of you cry, “Republic!” Others whisper, “Tyrant!” Is it the Republic you desire? Would that…