Thursday 31 August 2017

"845 NACS" haiku




The whup whup whup whup
Of those helicopter blades
Magic carpet home

Copyright © Res Burman 31st August 2017

With grateful thanks to the crews of 845 Naval Air Commando Squadron.
Unlike some they came when they were needed and flew
with courage and amazing skill.
There are many Soldiers and Marines alive today
due to these brave men!
Thank You.

"Going to Market" haiku




It has been hard work
Going to market each week
But now I'm sailing
Words Copyright © Res Burman 31st August 2017
Picture from "Peeps Into China" or "The Missionary's Children
by E C Phillips
circa about 1894

"Alms" haiku




Those who have little
Understand hunger and need
Live with open hands

Words Copyright © Res Burman 31st August 2017
Pic from the web. If it infringes © please
inform me and I shall remove it.

"Tall Bamboo" haiku




She heard him singing
In the tall bamboo forest
And her heart grew wings


Words Copyright © Res Burman 31st August 2017

Wednesday 30 August 2017

"Jungle Patrol" haiku




Watch your six he said
Glancing over his shoulder
But death lay ahead

Words Copyright © Res Burman 30th August 2017

Monday 28 August 2017

"The Earth Pin"




It flashed around the Radio Net
With the speed of Summer Lightning
That we’d lost another comrade
And this time not due to fighting.

I’m sure they taught him better
And I’m sure they drummed it in
That never, never, never
Should you piss on your own earth pin.

It’s nothing to do with hygiene
Nor to limit your liberty
But pissing on your earth pin
Improves it’s conductivity.

Those 3 ton radio wagons
Running through the tropic night
Build up a lot of static
Lookin’ for somewhere to alight.

Maybe he was just tired
Was it sleepiness that done him in?
But training should have taken over
Never piss on your own earth pin.

The news flashed round the units
On the tragic night he died,
He pissed upon his earth pin
And that was why he fried!

Oh what a waste of training
But he’s the one we blames
The young soldier should always
Be careful where he aims!

The Army may lead a man astray
Tempt him with many a sin
But never should you ever
Piss on your own earth pin!

Copyright © Res Burman 28th August 2017

Sunday 27 August 2017

"Pneumonia" a tanka




Pneumonia struck
And put an end to summer...
Autumn in August

Still the sparrows feed their young
The seagulls wake up screaming

Copyright © Res Burman 27th August 2015

Thursday 24 August 2017

"Jungle" haiku chain



Here is a jungle
Dripping wet with summer rain
Outside my window


But no longhouses
No Iban or Dayak maids
No one head-hunting


Just a Cornish yard
And Bamboos in flower pots
And dreams of my youth
                    


Copyright © Res Burman 24th August 2017



Wednesday 23 August 2017

"Yorkshire Tea" haiku




I seldom have anything nice to say about Yorkshire.
That damned county tried to kill me several times
back in the winter of 1962-63
in Catterick Camp.
Not that I'm an unforgiving sorta chap
it's just that I do know how to hold a grudge!
Anyway....



Brewed for five minutes
Two tea bags in a Red Cup
Yorkshire Tea ~ Gold Blend


Copyright © Res Burman 23rd August 2017



"Basho's Grave" haiku




Here Basho still sleeps
But his words whisper to me
Sweet summer longing
Words Copyright © Res Burman 23rd August 2017






Tuesday 22 August 2017

"Red Threads" tanka




The Chinese believe
There are Red Threads tying us
To our destinies

Our friends - our loves - all we know
Bound close to us forever



Copyright © Res Burman 22nd August 2017

Monday 21 August 2017

"Greek Steps" haiku




I follow the walls
Keeping within the shadows
Greek summer sunshine


Words Copyright © Res Burman 21st August 2017

"Kisses"




There are some eyes
That seem to look right into your soul.
There are some faces
That remain in your soul forever.

There are some hands
Whose slightest touch
Feels like a kiss
Upon your lips.

There are some necks
Made to worship and admire.
Some skin that seems to shine
With the kisses the sun laid upon it.

There are some lips…..

Words Copyright © Res Burman 21st August 2017




Sunday 20 August 2017

"Hero Monks" haiku




Old Chinese Folklore
Often tells of flying monks
Heroes of the way

Words Copyright © Res Burman 20th August 2017

"Seagull" haiku




Seagull
Like a flying handkerchief
Blown across the bay


Copyright © Res Burman 20th August 2012

Saturday 19 August 2017

"Shy Smile" haiku




One shared cup of tea
A shy smile across the room
And then you were gone


Words Copyright © Res Burman 19th August 2017

"Bonzo & Lobo" haiku



Dreaming of my friends
And the void they left behind
No dogs to lick my tears

Copyright © Res Burman 19th August 2012




"Bonzo" haiku



My old friend Bonzo
I'd wait at the station forever
If I thought he'd come home
Copyright © Res Burman 19th August 2012

"Longan Harvest" haiku




The touch of her hand
Adds sweetness and flavour
To the fruit she picks

Photo Copyright © Thanh Binh Photography
Words Copyright © Res Burman 19th August 2017

Friday 18 August 2017

"Oh Barcelona" haiku



Oh Barcelona
I keep my tears to myself
But send you my Love


Words Copyright © Res Burman18th August 2017





Thursday 17 August 2017

"Fire" haiku




Her hair shone like fire
Or New England autumn woods
A blaze of glory

Words Copyright © Res Burman 17th August 2017

"Holstered Pistol" haiku



I saw the photo
Holstered Pistol on her hip
Wild Child... so long gone


Copyright © Res Burman 17th August 2017

"Robin Williams" haiku



Robin Williams
If only I could reach out
Lift one small sorrow

Words Copyright © Res Burman 17th August 2017


Robin Williams 21 Jul 1951 - 11 Aug 2014

Still Loved and Missed!

Wednesday 16 August 2017

"Tweeting" haiku



I don't ever tweet
Summer Autumn or Winter
Leave it to the birds

Copyright © Res JFB 16th August 2017

Thanks to Tom Watts of Troutman, North Carolina
for the inspiration!

"Bamboos droop" haiku





Bamboos droop and drip
Bowed down by weight of water
British Summer Time
Copyright © Res JFB 16 August 2012



"Brompton Road" haiku chain


That tiny bed-sit
Above Brompton Cemetery
My many young dreams

Below my window
An old lady tends a grave
All hopes and dreams flown

Just off Brompton Road
My bohemian love nest
Just six pounds a week

Saturdays up West
In folk clubs and jazz cellars
London’s winter scene

On Sunday mornings
Drinking Maxwell House coffee
From old coffee jars

Poring over maps
Planning next summer’s journeys
Farewell love-making

On every journey
The horizon beckoned me
Come… come… come away

So the road call’d me
While one small part looked backwards
Farewell Brompton Road

Copyright © Top Photo and Words Res JFB 16th August 2012

Below my window
An old lady tends a grave
All hopes and dreams flown
Just off Brompton Road
My bohemian love nest
Just six pounds a week
Saturdays up West
In folk clubs and jazz cellars
London’s winter scene
On Sunday mornings
Drinking Maxwell House coffee
From old coffee jars
Poring over maps
Planning next summer’s journeys
Farewell love-making
On every journey
The horizon beckoned me
Come… come… come away
So the road call’d me
While one small part looked backwards
Farewell Brompton Road




Tuesday 15 August 2017

"Lavender Lady" haiku


Lavender Lady
Your face kissed by faint freckles
Grace in every move
Words Copyright © Res JFB 15th August 2017

Wednesday 9 August 2017

"Kim Jong Un and Trump" haiku




Kim Jong Un and Trump
Spoiled children badly in need
Of a good spanking

Copyright © Res JFB 9th August 2017

"Trump and Kim Jong Un" haiku



Trump and Kim Jong Un
Two children in men's bodies
Take away their toys!

Copyright © Res JFB 9th August 2017

Tuesday 1 August 2017

"Tidying Up"



Have you ever started tidying up
And kept on finding things
That needed a special place.
Ten years worth of eye-glasses
With matching tinted versions
That need their own box.

And bills and bank statements
That need checking for PPI payments.
And pencils worn too short to use
But still too good to throw away!
And a penknife with a thing to take
Boy Scouts out of horses hooves.

And foreign stamps that you’ve put aside
For someone, but you can’t remember
Which box they live in!
There’s boxes that wrist watches came in
And one full of foreign coins.
Rolls of double sided sticky tape
In case you ever get invited to appear
On Blue Peter.

Rolls of sticky address labels
For the last house not this one!

A Japanese Lacquer and Mother of Pearl box
With slips of paper with a Chinese God on them.
"Wei T’o, Protector of Books.
Insures against fire, destructive insects
And
Dishonest borrowers!"
Which I stick in the frontispiece
Of all my books.
Usually works!

A Monocular, in a belt pouch
That I’ve been looking for
Forever!

Two boxes with sliding lids
Each containing two pairs
Of Chop sticks.
Very hard to open
No wonder the Chinese are all so thin.

A large wallet
Containing an out-of-date Passport
Discharge Papers from the Army
"Assessments of Military Conduct and Character"
"Exemplary"
I must have fooled somebody!
A very old Birth Certificate
Circa 1942
And my old medals!

Some Chinese Lucky Money Envelopes
And some Hell Banknotes!
Millions of Dollars
Of money for the Dead!

My "Funeral Plan"
A large envelope containing
All the details of my funeral
Already bought and paid for
To save others the expense!

"The Way of Life
According to
Lao Tzu"

By Witter Bynner.
My favourite translation

Of the "Tao Te Ching"
My constant companion
Since I was in my twenties.

And Gibran's "The Prophet"
Travelling with me
Almost as long!


Two peacock feathers
And a set of brass divining rods.
Two pairs of Chinese Exercise Balls
That ring like chimes.
No, there’s a third pair, smaller.
A nice little hexagonal bamboo box
With a wooden stash box inside.
But alas no stash!

Pencil boxes full of pencils
Worn too short to use
But still too good to throw away.
Now where did I put those other
Pencils?

There are no Gods or Goddesses here
I care for them better,
But there might be their footprints
In the dust.

An old Head-hunter's Mandu
Hanging by my chair
Still sharp enough to take a head
Or chop through thickest jungle.
A Gurkha Kukri
From my days with those
Gentle souls from the Mountains!

A carved box full of yet more pencils
Still haven’t found the first lot!
And two little plastic tick lifters
For getting ticks off dogs.

There’s a Chinese Water Pipe,
But without a tassel or the right tools.
People think they’re Opium Pipes,
But that’s just wishful thinking,
They’re one shot tobacco pipes!
I know what an Opium Pipe looks like!
But I don’t have one.
Anymore!

Here’s a Stanley knife,
Still sharp, because
I just cut my thumb on it!
I was looking for the bandage
I put on it, everywhere!
Finally I found it floating
In the loo. Guess I can’t
Use that one again!

And special cloths for cleaning
Your eye-glasses but
They’re never large enough!

A tube of glue, set so hard
I might use it for a wedge
To keep the back door open.

At this point I turn around
And find all my tidying
Has wrecked my room.
Destroyed it utterly!
It’s worse than when I started.

There are piles of papers
And boxes piled
All over the room!
Bags of shredded documents
And the shreds that escaped
On the Carpet!

And a foot has come off
My guillotine
And I just can’t abide
A wobbly guillotine!

And I can’t find my glasses!
They’re not on my nose
And they’re not on my forehead.
Where the f**k did I put
That cardboard box
Full of old eye-glasses?

I should have listened
To Dear Dorothy.
She says there’s always
Better things to do
Than to clean and tidy!
I just know she’s right!

Anybody want any
Very short pencils?


Copyright © Res JFB 1st August 2015