saying good-bye
my hand warms
the iron gate


—w. f. owen

About the author: w.f. owen (ToDrBill at aol.com) is a Professor of Communication, a founding member of the Central Valley Haiku Club of California, and a member of the Haiku Poets of Northern California and the Haiku Society of America. He publishes regularly in such journals as Frogpond, Modern Haiku and Acorn, and has received awards in the 2001 Henderson Haiku and Brady Senryu contests. In 2002, he has won awards in the World Haiku Festival R. H. Blyth contest and the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program contest sponsored by the California State Library Foundation.

11 responses
published 6 March 2003
in

 

Responses to the haiku for 6 March 2003 by w. f. owen

  1.  
    Craig McLanachan (cramar at actrix dot co dot nz)
    2003-03-06 00:37:57
     

    very nice poem which reads well with good economy
    of words. nice image.

  2.  
    Graham Nunn
    2003-03-06 02:38:54
     

    I can feel the image as I read this wonderful haiku. The warmth of the good-bye is highlighted for me in the last two lines.

  3.  
    Chris rundblad
    2003-03-06 14:45:50
     

    A lovely distillation of the lingering warmth of a long goodby. Perfect.

  4.  
    Helen Kinsella (helekin at webtv dot net)
    2003-03-06 16:15:48
     

    Great Image of a lingering goodby.
    Saying so much in the few words.
    Helen Kinsella

  5.  
    Norman Darlington
    2003-03-06 17:26:19
     

    I like the parallel imagery of your bodyheat leaking to the iron gate/your loved one leaving;
    and the cold/loneliness entering you in exchange.
    Spare and compact, better each time you re-read.

  6.  
    shirley weese (sweese at island dot net)
    2003-03-06 18:00:34
     

    So lovely. On first reading there was a lump in my throat. I like the economy of words and the warmth of the emotions.

  7.  
    bob richardson (orgbob at webtv dot net)
    2003-03-06 23:33:09
     

    as i read this haiku, my mind felt compelled to fill in what seemed to be a blank or a "disjuncture". the first thing that came to mind was a goodbye that was accompanied by a lingering, the haiku had painted the picture. yet there was room to add one more word to broaden the experience as such:

    saying good-bye
    my hesitant hand warms...
    the iron gate

  8.  
    Ellen G. Olinger (ElinGrace at wi dot rr dot com)
    2003-04-24 11:09:24
     

    Lovely. Perhaps this has been a difficult relationship, and the letting go is happening with grace and forgiveness. Iron and warmth. And perhaps this will allow for future moments of friendship. I've been listening to the new Fleetwood Mac CD, which concludes with lovely good-bye songs...

  9.  
    W.E.G. (the_renga_master at hotmail dot com)
    2003-09-04 17:57:35
     

    to w.f.owen: i liked your ku from '03g6 :
    saying goodbye/my hand warms/the iron gate;
    this has a time element in it which is good. Too many in tinywords are weak but i am looking at some of them. When did you co-found CentralVHC? It is definitely one of the good ones on this site.

  10.  
    lana b
    2004-05-26 02:20:58
     

    raining
    old man in telephone booth
    emptying pockets

  11.  
    bob richardson (orgbob at webtv dot net)
    2004-06-04 13:59:18
     

    beneath the many stones
    left unturned --
    rest the golden nugget

    12.