Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry comprised of three phrases.
Traditional haiku uses 17 syllables (5:7:5) but contemporary haiku in English often ignores this rule. A haiku is typically about nature, the earth and the natural world and are designed to be thought-provoking. These original haiku poems are by Anthony Rutledge and are mostly written in the contemporary free style format.
There are over 2,000 Haiku on this site in ten different themes: Australian, Beach, Garden Sundial, In the Mirror,Kimono,Motherhood,Ships and Oceans,Spring,Windjammers and Miscellaneous.
a sultry night--
our beach stroll
to the dunes and back
moon tide
all at sea
in rock pools
rogue wave--
before its chaos
the family beach
the Big Bang sent
a shooting star--
the beach I dream on
...after lunch
the fish and chips
to the gang of gulls
waves to and fro
quickening the sand
held in our toes
sunrise beach
stepping over the seaweed
left from the storm
along the beach
a child's sandcastle
lapping waves
suddenly awake--
a beach umbrella
out of the wind
beach resort
a sand storm
snuffs the sun
rock pools
gifting their mirrors
to the ebb tide
and, the sea winds
making one of the other
from sand dune to sand dune
how swooping
the seagulls fill
the after-storm breeze
immense starlight '
my Zodiac turns
forgetting me.
sunset river
feeling the weight
of my clothes and sweat.
High tide
leaves the sandpiper prints
for a growing wind.
Family beach
the weightlifter un-dresses
his tattoos.
Deserted beach
will it stay or go
the driftwood.
Winter waves
the old folk finding it snug
in their tourist bus.
Lime bikini girl
sun-cream begins to fade
into her tan.
Family beach
the lost child looking stunned
at my yell.
First date
I find her on the beach
under the green straw hat.
Beach waves
all of the baby's giggles
inside mother's arms.
Watching gulls
together on the beach
the dog yawns too.
Thunder bolts
in fading light
the rush of showers from the sea.
Beach roasts
the shrill cry of gulls
returning to sea.
So ! deep ! the singing
whales fill all
of horse-shoe bay.
Midday breeze
gulls strutting around
beach lovers.
Midday passes
the beach umbrella spreads
to other shadows.
On the beach
trying to imagine death ...
jabbering sea gulls.
Stranded whale
the deserted beach
all to itself.
Laying on the hot beach
her jasmine scent
comes over me.
Burning flat sands
no paths
to the cool of the surf.
Long beach
a new couple walks
one chasing balls.
Waves crashing
from her egg to her eggs
the sound turtles hear.
Winter beach
dragged by the leash
the dog's little girl.
Beach stroll
the following moon so bright
the child also turns.
Just two of us
the beach after midnight
my dog paddling too.
Ashes on the surf ...
she writes his last word
into the sand.
Beach umbrella
rainbow ice-cream
down the little girl's hand.
Sleeping on the beach
Divine
among the stars.
Becoming waves
becoming
waves.
Calling seagulls calling
calling the waves
in from the deep.
Eggs laid
the butterfly finds the beach
ready to die.
At last
a wave drawn to the beach
white with moon.
Summer beach
still finding lovers
on a midnight stroll.
Moon folding waves
unexpected this
their warm velvet touch.
Squeezing
every breath from themselves
the dumped waves.
Red storming waves
shooting into dawn
the beach photographer.
Surf boarder
the city's summer sun
setting behind him.
Storming beach
another log of driftwood
at war with the waves.
Bay tides
composing the debris
wet side down.
Strolling along the beach
lovers
borrow dawn for a while.
Sand dunes
all day bending - - unbending
the Spinifex reeds.
To join them
swimming past safety
to the gentle rolling waves.
Gulls watching--
the beachcomber finds bits
of pocket money.
Lone driftwood
the silence
in the moon around it.
Children's beach
their sand castles abandoned
to the midday heat.
Beach wedding
without walls
yours or mine.
The humid night brought us...
diving naked
into the surf.
Grey beach
a white moth blown past me
into the rain.
Dumped tricycle
the sea-shore showing
its ages of rust.
Sunset fades
the seagulls surrounded
by the others' sleep.
Cheap novel
the beach wind flicks through
a few bawdy pages.
Conch shell found
blowing
the sounds of its trumpet.
Learning to ignore
the seaweed stench
gulls on the empty beach.
Midnight surf
the pull past her ankles
of quicksand.
Midday storm
uncovering on the beach
a chainless anchor.
Un-hooked
how quickly the octopus
takes the bucket's shape.
Loneliness ...
sprinkling the quiet surf
with father's ashes.
Opening
this common scallop ...
such Art in its shell.
Beach driftwood
the roundness of the coconut
gaining higher ground.
Laurel on the beach
photographed in the moonlight
black and white.
Beach gulls hover
above the dog's bark
above the dog's play.
Calling so boldly
where our picnic was ...
the beach gulls.
Small waves
finally separating
the lover's thrown rose.
Along the stormy beach
we often walk
waves retching their seaweed out.
Outgoing tide
the dragonfly's re-visit
to every rock pool.
Beach pavilion
moulded by midday
a perfect round shadow.
On sea breezes ...
until dusk
brings the gulls home.
Deserted beach
the storm's new treasures
picked over by crabs.
Sundown bay
the beach becoming the shape
of the crescent moon.
Beach wind
her umbrella escaping
the lime bikini blonde.
The waves zigzag
melting the sand
melt by the sea.
The sun sets
a coconut sprouting
on the small island beach.
A car space found
our beach towels breathing
last season's scent.
Divine along the beach
incomprehensible
among the stars.
Chest high surf
wave slapping wave
in the moon behind us.
Sunset fades
a breeze rolls out
of the sand dunes.
Her yellow balloon
tightly by the ribbon
then losing it.
Beach fishing
a dragonfly settles
on the scaling knife.
Dawn jogging
she counts
the heart beats in her wrist.
Staring out
the waves fizzle in
as moonlight.
Our moon walk
leading the dogs home
from the beach.
All over us
the surf tumbled
by a passing storm.
Beach hermit
combing the small lost change
of children.
Twilight beach
sleeping beside the waves
that never.
Isolated beach
the rusting ship
only sand storms come to.
Fingers of waves
I feel the ancient pull
to the driftwood.
Island tides
composing us a camp-fire
from driftwood.
First light
breathing in the beach
after rain.
Empty beach
the dead cat cleaned
by crab claws.
First light
swallowed in the sea fog
the waves beyond.
Isolated beach
jogged all alone
empties my mind.
Sunset beach
I raise my voice to call them
boys dragging driftwood.
Beach stroll
prints behind
of the full moon.
In waves
their long journey over
Laurel's breasts.
Family beach
building their castle
child's play.
Bobbing here or there
along the shore
the whiskey bottle.
In moonshine
a stroll on the beach
... being alone.
Beach party
we leave the others alone
to their school games.
In the sand dunes
sounds of a beach party
we cannot see.
Beach promenade
one flowered umbrella
wet with rain.
Seaweed beach
the tide's wash
taking our prints out.
Family beach
girls young enough to skip
to the ice-cream van.
Beach lovers
moving in small waves
bright summer stars.
Sunset beach
no children left
to guard their sand castles.
Laurel calls
the beach wind
across my name.
On the back
of the stranded whale
a crescent moon.
Aegean island
alone--- yet a set of prints
under my feet.
Beach debris
almost wind dry
footprints to the dunes.
Did I let it handle
my finger tips
this starfish in the shallows.
Dazzling
the family beach
the hot parked cars.
Spear fishing
the darkness in the cave
with just bones.
Sunrise beach
the strut of gulls
printing the first few tracks.
Swimming back
the full moon
a pathway to the beach.
A moonlit walk
yet in the morning
not a footprint by the sea.
Migrating geese ,
out of dawn
waves reach the shore.
Beach wind
the page a kite
flying my last five haiku.
The light fades ...
sudden showers
scattering Sunday surfers.
Our picnic finished
gulls among the scraps
not worth chasing.
Waters breaking
the beach waves
born and re-born.
sand dunes
in your soft hills
the winds change
Deserted beach
the dawn all around it
nothing else.
Soldier crabs
here in scribbles
on the wet sand.
Not one scurrying
that I can catch ...
the red sand crabs.
Sail board rider
how he fits the wind
to the sea.
Beach debris
composing us a campfire
for tonight.
A canvas chair
where the debris burns ...
deserted beach.
Sauntering past
sidelong eyes
on her lime bikini.
Homeless
driftwood arranged
by tides.
Coral reef
counting on all
its starfish fingers.
On the long beach
such storm cracked lightning
so far from home.
The children wade ...
leaving us alone
where the seagulls cry.
A scarlet sunset
for a moment on the breeze
... no gull cries...
All
the calls of nature
that sand dunes can hide.
Travelled waves
one touch to the beach
from the undertow.
In whale songs
the young after their elders
stranded on shore.
Moonlit beach
her body my body
in bed with the sand.
On the sand
leaving an impression
the lime bikini blonde.
The summer brings me ...
sprinkling father
on our horse-shoe bay.
Rock pool
the star fish bathes
with fingers.
Sparkling lake
the race of sailboards
hints at summer.
Bobbing a tennis ball
back and forth
the sunlit waves.
Along the stormy beach we often walk waves retching their seaweed out.
Small waves finally separating the lover’s thrown rose.
Beach gulls hover above the dog’s bark above the dog’s play.
Loneliness ... sprinkling the quiet surf with father’s ashes.
Un-hooked how quickly the octopus takes the bucket’s shape.
Sunset fades the seagulls surrounded by the others’ sleep.
Children’s beach their sand castles abandoned to the midday heat.
Surf boarder the city’s summer sun setting behind him.
Beach umbrella rainbow ice-cream down the little girl’s hand.
Ashes on the surf ... she writes his last word into the sand.
Just two of us the beach after midnight my dog paddling too.
Winter beach dragged by the leash the dog’s little girl.
So ! deep ! the singing whales fill all of horse-shoe bay.
Thunder bolts in fading light the rush of showers from the sea.
Beach waves all of the baby’s giggles inside mother’s arms.
this sky-pressed sea
is a safe place for my bones
with waves to move in
In beach debris
the secret seeds
of many lands.
fizzling themselves
to the gull prints
the half-spent waves
After the swim
also rubbing sunscreen
onto her doll.
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