Res's Writing and Poetry: 2017

Friday, 24 November 2017

"Alsatian Puppy" haiku

Alsatian Puppy
On the step licking my ear

Hail Old Soul... Well met

Thursday, 21 September 2017

"Paddy" haiku

I wonder
Is fifty five years too long
To miss you

Sunday, 17 September 2017

"Young Once" haiku

I too was young once
And over the years I found
Once was quite enough

Thursday, 14 September 2017

"Hindu Jewel" haiku

Walking through Neasden
I see sparkling in sunshine
A Hindu Jewel
Copyright © Res Burman 14th September 2017

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple
in Neasden, London

Tuesday, 12 September 2017

"Autumn Glory" haiku

Her hair was a blaze
Of Autumn Glory.... shining
Like a new dawn day

Saturday, 9 September 2017

"Autumn Airs"

Autumn airs descend
And all the trees are sighing
The song of the mist

Autumn rains...
The earth smells rich and deep and
Grateful
Copyright © Res Burman 9th September 2012

"Red Mugs"

I read that brewing tea
In a Red Mug
Makes the tea

Taste sweeter

But brewing my tea
In a Red Mug
That says
"Keep Calm
You're only 40"
Makes me feel
Much Younger!
Copyright © Res Burman 9th September 2017

Monday, 4 September 2017

"Eagles" haiku

Johnny Cash sang it
"Like a mighty rush of Eagles!
Wish I'd written that

Friday, 1 September 2017

"The East is Always Calling" tanka

Leave cold tears behind
The East is always calling
Like breeze through bamboo

I yearn for quiet temples

And busy market places

Words Copyright © Res Burman 1st September 2017
Top pic borrowed from the web.
Bottom pic borrowed from Wai Ming.

Thursday, 31 August 2017

"845 NACS" haiku

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

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.

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

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 28^th 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

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

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

"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

Monday, 21 August 2017

"Greek Steps" haiku

I follow the walls
Keeping within the shadows
Greek summer sunshine

"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…..

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

Saturday, 19 August 2017

"Shy Smile" haiku

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

"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

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

"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

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

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

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!

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?