Nick Virgilio 1092 Niagara Boad Camden, N.J. 08104
The first snowfall
is coating a sne.ll stack
of rusty cannon halls.
(Modern Haiku Magazine)
A water lily
is "blooming in the belly
of the quarter moon.
(Haiku West J&igazine)
A squawking marsh hawk
is sharpening the bite of the March night wind.
(Haiku West Magazine)
After Reading St. John of the Cross...
A dark autumn night... The ecllar ccrner The Aztec ruins; a fallen crucifix
The farmhouse cellar; reflects the autumn moon
a "barrel of elderberry
ferments in the dark* A distant cicada
The empty farmhcuse across the misty creek
A distant cicada The empty farmhouse; and the afternoon breexe sa barrel of elderberry ( ripples the creek ferments in the cellar.
a sing 1 The deserted farmhouse;
a barrel of elderberry Still before dark
ferments in the cellar. a single cicada fills the empty park Bitter cold night
seaching the deserted church A distant cicada for the murderer* and the sudden crosswind ripples the creek Bitter cold night•••
searching the deserted church The still before dark; for the murderer* a single oicada fills the empty park.
Idttle brother dies; Still before the dark; cicadas are summing up a single cicada another summer. fills the empty park.
The a
A distant cicada 1092 Niagara Road Camden, New Jersey New the leaves axe gone That stuffed-shirt scarecrow
coming apart at the seams
A single pebble
My smoky, hreath rippling the stagnant pond,
in the morning mist reveals the moon.
A distant whistle The mountain road: an old hobo by the firs an ancient shrine lighted stops stirring the stew* hy the autumn moon.
There in the puddle,
and here in the pand 1092 Niagara Hoad. Camden, New Jersey Got i The aumn moon Beneath rotting leaves
"beneath the old wooden porch The autumn moon -
lies a rotting rag doll the old monk shadows the stony shor
of the pond
Beneath moldy leaves, horns of morning-glories beneath the old wooden porch announcing the dawn
Beneath rotting leaves, Like the manta ray, beneath the old wooden porch, a soft-flapping crow shadows lies a moldy doll. the murky bay.
Beneath rotting leaves,
beneath the old wooden porch, Like the manta ray,
a moldy rag doll. a soft-flapping crow shadows
the darkening bay.
A row ocf doves A crow in the pone
on the icy wire drops down to
A crow in the pine A row of doves drops to a lower branch on the icy telephone wire knocks some snow off. dripping silence
The clouded sun ?he grassy graveyard...
with his long hair wind-blown,
stands Whitman the bard. 1092 Niagara Hoad 0 amden, New Jersey May 19, 1969
Miners on 501 My mourning mother VA The town poet
alone in the empty room: composes a Terse
the autumn wind. on the town banker
The town poet
The first firefly - The old scarecrow^ bones my birthday is soon: « J&H J little brother dies.
Y The withered corn field
an eld scarecrow marks the grave The first firefly.-. \ of the soldier V my thirty-ninth birthday is soon:
little brother dies.
In the village,
after the war...an amputee Now the war ends without any friends. a young amputee
ignored by his freinds
Now the war ends
In the village square Now the long war ends after the war
At last the war ends:
an amputee in a wheel chair Now the war ends w i th out any f r ie nd s.
The autumn rain - i-)k> N\ the kept-in child drumming
on the window pane Nicholas A* Virgilic 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, New Jersey
Like manikins, some women make for good window-shopping onIt 3 ^ Soldier boy gone away My soldier boy has gone away And no letter today And sends again no letter today
My soldier boy has gone away; Soldier boy gone away Again there is no letter today; Ttfho sends no letter today SoT 1 must love hira more and more faffs Who ) w my heart on some far shore*
Soldier boy gone away
Send me a letter today
All I ask is love no more My soldier boy has gone away
The mail man brings no letter today
He has forgotten but 1 cannot Soldier boy gone away
Send your love today Soldier boy gone away
And Soldier boy gone away
Send me a letter today
Just a note from some far shore
Don't you love me anymore?
Oh, soldier boy gone away.**
Don't you love me anymore ?
Send me a letter todays Things are not as before Just a note from some far shore Since he left for some far shore
Now he doesn't think of me Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Read Camden 4, New Jersey
Like mannikens The many loves of Emily,
That make- one great big family -
5c have ycur many a boy friend, fr-K And settle one in the endl
I love my boy on the beach
The nay Though summer is gone
Summers come, summer^ go The many loves of Emily, What has been i knew is gone That make one great big family
She has her many a boy friend
Who settles down to one in the end/
Though the summer is gone
his memory lives on The many loves of Emily, The boy I met at the beach That make one great big family: I loved him so Tis wise to have many a boy friend; for And settle A&di A& one in the end.i /
The many loves of Emily,
'That make one great big family;
She wise to have ng*ny a boy friend
And settle down to one in the end.
The many loves of Emily,
That make one great big family
The young should have many a boy friend Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, New Jersey
Queen Bee, Queen Bee I hope that i shall never be, Queen B As dead and wooden as this tree;
Uo woodpecker to cling to me
I nope that I shall never be And pick my rotting corpse worm-free.
As wooden as a tree But man %s net as often is simply a walking coffin.
I hope that I shall never be
As deadband wooden as this tree
That stands rotting and wormy
But man as not as often i hope that 1 shall never be,
Is 3 impiy a walking coffin. As dead and wooden as this trees Bic woodpecker to cling tc me,
And pick my rotting corpse worm-free I hope that I shall never be When 1 am dead, 1 want true death As dead and wooden as this tree No walking kind before my last breath Standing rotten and wormy May X dissolve into the sea
Vaporize in something airy
I hope that I shall never be
As dead and wooden as this tree
That stands rotting and wormy
No woodpecker to peck at me
I hope that I shall never be
As dead and wooden as this tree;
A standing corpse rotting and wormy
(No woodpecker to pick at me)
But man as not as often
Is simply a walking coffin. Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
A summer playground;
an old storyteller h a grape Its comforting to feel tkdrs grape in summer in summer ripening ripening remains a comfort remains the shape to feel the shape of 3pring you of spring. and warms in my heart and warms the heart
the heart of winter of winter with wine
In the young grass with wine.
a ripe grape
is the shape of spring
Though hlooming
This grape T Though ripening in summer in summer ripening
is always 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey January 26, 1964
Editor The Hku A ve ile d w Oman•.. The autumn wind...
stealing through the cemetery tearing the scarecrow's sleeve,
kneeling at a fresh grave. hearing a hawk's cry.
Poet at the dccr...
A hot summer day... touching the wake cf the knoh,
steeping in haze, clutching a fire...fly.
silencing cicadas. Poet at the doer.,
clasping the wake of the knoh, A hot summer day; grasping a fire. --- fly l a lone cicada
Hot summer days J A verse of red-wings... a lone cicada steeps rising from wild rice,
in haze. scrawling on the billowing cloud.
Hot summer day; A verse of red-wings... scrawling on the billowing cloud, a lone UPOfcJ Palling into wild rice.
Hot summer day;
a distant cicada A verse of red-wings...
in haze. writing on *the billowing cloud, alighting in wild rice*
Red-winged blackbirds...
rising from wild rice,
writing on the billowing cloud. Nicholas A. Yirgilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
JLi ly A mountain of melons... Autumn afterglow..*
cradling the moon blending oak leaves at the window,
attending the fireside.
The swollen river...
choking on a rook in its neck The swearing farmer... stoking a croaking bullfrog. tearing the jar of water from her»
smearing his daughter’s hand-print.
A withered tree...
clutching the Orange -Ball-sun, The ember of dawn
interrupting the game of lacrosse. steeping in the river
The night wind... The ember of dawn...
honing the crescent, peeping cn the river
sculpting snow-drifts.
The autumn moon...
peeping from a cloud, The pine hr an che s steeping in the river. toasting the autumn moon
The autumn moon... The pine branches... peeping from a cloud, touching the pagoda's eaves, creeping on the river. toasting the autumn moon.
Spring sparrows...
speeding from the S.3. Chaucer,
weaving their wakes around its hawse Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey A gliding eagle...
alighting-riding a rabbit to earth,
hiding in the brush. My birthday
the trolley Wiring a cicact.a!s song Wiggler9 in the rain barrel June 28, 1928
On 'Lesbos On Lesbos
pepper pods Pepper pods fly
fly Dragonflies stuffed
dragonflies Bor pepper pod pie*
stuffed
for pepper pod pie A veil of autumn mist...
rsi
A veil of autumn mist... Bathing maidens,.. rising from the graveyard, gigglers and higglers disguising the city. in the rain barrel.
A bathing maiden... Bathing maidens... splashing in the rain barrel wigglers and gigglers dashing cut a higgler. in the rain barrel. A naked woman...
washing in the Pillars of the ruin...
the weeping willow by the lake
pillowing the moon. Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4 9 New Jersey Love, the editor
Rejection slips
Rejection slips The editor, Miss love
Alter reading my many rejection slips
Bear Editor: The editor, M iss Love
Mies love After reading my many manuscripts
Who sends me Sends only silent rejection slips MMU/tW i •wonder what she1 s thinking of! Only rejection slips These poems are good, or rubbish
I shall, or shall not publish
My editor, Miss love She certainly is resistant
Sends only rejection slips
The more i am persistent
My editor, Miss lc Maybe, the magazine is non-existent ?
*he editor, Miss love Lear Editor, Miss love: After reading my manuscripts Have you read my manuscript; Sends only rejection slips is ycur silence, a rejection slip ? Which serve only tc move What are ycu thinking ofs Me tc work even harder This poem is good, or rubbish;
I shall, or shall not publish ?
Won't you give ne the elation
Of acceptance, publication ? Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden 4, New Jersey
A faithful ifriend
Cp Be my little bumble bee Queen been,
Prithee, let me tumble thee
Hymen, let me crumble thee: Queen bee, Queen bee...
Together make Prithee, let me tumble thee By the hour in the bower
frysting in a meadow flower
Bumble bee, bumble bee...
Prithee, let me tumble thee Queen bee, queen bee
Prithee, let me tumble thee
In the bower by the hour
Queen bee, Queen bee... We will work upon a flower And from you and humble me xour humble servant, bumble bee Hake a little bumble bee.
Queen bee, Queen bee.*. Alone, prone for a drone
Prithee, let me tumble thee Queen bee, queen bee...
In the bower Prithee, let me tumble thee In the bower by the hour;
We will work upon a flower, Queen bee, Queen bee**. And from you and humble me; Prithee, let me tumble thee: Make a little bumble bee 1 Love will flower in the bower Nicholas A. Virgiiic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Why must cne jacket himself "What is a haiku ?" the gentleman asks,
" A fragment of greeting verse composed
By an old lady through with her knitting tasks;
A nibble, dribble of prose," he supposed. Of course Hcw ,he is a pr orainent poet,
A master of western poetical ferns:
Egotistically eager to show it
That he could venture beyond the norms.
He "seventeenshyllabled" a ream,
Attempting to equal a haiku verse; flowed Abstractions fell in a sterile stream
The only life in his words; Acurse on the terse
He failed to embody life in words
Poetry drewned in
drowning the truth in a verbal herse -
Disgusted5 exhausted he wat through
Trying to embody what can only be pc intern J'o* .Nicholas A. Yirgilio 1092 Niagara Road Oamden, N.J* 08104
Deep in rank grass,
t hr oughj.hu 11 et -riddled helmet The weeping widow The iei-eL scarecrow fails, sweeping linden leaves from the walk and the children come running
looking for the hall*
The weeping widow
sweeping linden leaves from the walk
The moon waxes, the autumn wind*
and a pregnant woman hails
a passing taxi* The empty room
marks on the dusty floor
The autumn wind
opening the shutter The empty room*.,
where her sewing machine stood:
dark marks in the dust. The autumn wind
sweeping through the linden leave s
In the empty room,
where her sewing machine stood: The autumn wind dark marks in the dust.
Hy weeping mother
sweeping linden leaves from the walk:
the autumn wind.
The frozen marsh
The weeping widow
sweeping lindenleaves The deserted shed;
hoots hanging from the rafters The weeping widow frighten the urchin. sweeping wi Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden, New Jersey 08104
A mossy vallow The misty woods:
tossing in the autumn wind, an uprooted hickory
touches a tombstone. bridges the brook.
v Little hr other*s grave A voodoo drum ) "\ covered with dewy cobwebs echoing through the jungle, j he loved spiders. reflects the autumn moon. f the vir gin f or e st i /l between commercials colony a n k ^ / 4 4 4 4 / % / of t cad stools mingling with oigarette smoke penetrates leaf mold a Christmas carol c hidd r e rr ear- ©1 in g
/' feasting on garbage puffing te&g cigars ^ behind the fast focdervi planning the invasion of Mars i a family cf gulls pentagon four stars
first day of Advent turning from the church, ■..., _ m h holding up candles in churchi I wander through the pine woods'! t d expectant mothers following the wind f \ ’
linden cicada
turning from the moon, tc sycamore cicada 1 take the rocky path down
from the mountain top < facies to maple cicadaj yj [backgr cund cf blue 'jays
linden cicada
blue jay tc blue jay
linden cicada on the: library steps
tc sycamore cicada; reading Selected Haiku
background of blue jays Nicholas A. Virgiiic 1092 Niagara Road Camden, N*J* 08104
In a parked car,
near the dark house,
a marine major waits savoring the smell of the seaj
the favoring wind
Like the whimpering pup
limping up the winding path A speckled trout the winter wind spitting out the silver spoon
sprinkles the spring moon. lengthens the heat wave
ill and alone A cloud of blackbirds confined to a chilly room shrouding the horizon far from hills of home. eclipses the sun
The first mosquito The rusty 3teel trap of course, the curse clerk is holding the old muskrat blurs t ie birth record in frozen silence. ~ .. . ." *."-N r The first mosquito —
of course, the cursing county clerk The spilt muscatel blurs the birth record. is helping the whelping hound
in the wine cellar* The first mosquito -- t \ H
of course, the cursing town clerk A dark summer night • • blurs the birth record. seeking a way through the woods
with a weak flashlight.
The first firefly,
drifting on the lake then the first cicada,
then little brother dies. drifting on the misty lake
awakens the woods Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara. Road Camden, N.J. 08104
Summer twilight; Little brother? s gravej
a marine major tells me a lone firefly settles
my brother was killed* cn a blade of grass*
The emp ty be d r o cm:
a lone lighted pi Dear Uric;
Thank you for the magazinewhich continues to be interesting
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The polluted ponds
a contraceptive » * .dead carp X Twin poplars A flash cf lightning swaying in the summer Treeze: silhouettes the scarecrcr, ) the Baptist steeple. and the me Ion-thief.
The short stormy night:
The short night ends a fishwife in the old shack
fight hy candlelight
X The short stcrmy night:
a fishwife and her sister The no on siren f ades ? f i gh t hy can dl e 1 i ght. and a cicada ‘begins
the alarm clock rings
The window sills
a steaming pumpkin pie The short night ends: tempts the little hoy. % grizzly hear fishes
where the river hends.
< The short night "begins: The short night ends -—■ an urchin in the church the morning star’s reflection confessing his sins. where the river hends.
The hs
The short night ends The short night endst wild a c o r no ra nt f i s he s a white cormorant fishes
where the river hends where the river hends. Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara Hoad Camden5 N.*f# 08104
The library steps: The city hall steps:
a pair of roller skates a crushed campaign button
waiting for the boy* rusting in the rain.
In the old pond
cowered with scum. * .a gold carp;
the hot copper sun.
Near the sick room, Mother and father
a mockingbird imitates walkMgg the colicky bab
the death rattle. \ A. baby raccoon The night is briefy X/ CLoTyl-f '
the autumn moon. creeps a thief.
On the wet highway, The cathedral spire, an earthworm stretchek•..shrinks and the cloud peak beyond stretches...the short night. pointing to the moon.
The c ar dinal1 s s ong ’he distant school bell -
smoothing the ragged edges dueling staves - and the splash
of the afterglow of naked laughter.
The old stable: The aut umn wi nd A y\ starlight through a hole in the roof is making the scarecrow how shines on the manger. before the moon. /
The old sourdough’s shack The sidewalk sermons on the mountain...chimney smoke a tambourine jingling coins 3had owing the sn ow • reflects the moonlight. / x
Th© darkened pool room: A thick juicyo steak a lone shaded lamp dangles steaming on the plate - a in dust and thick smoke , sharpening its knives*
The shed in the woods;,,
a chimney belching thick smoke:
the smell of whiskey. Y Nicholas A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
Winter departing:
these melting footprint
the waters of spring* Expanding ripples Mother and daughter
that include the autumn moon, watch a milkweed seed
collide with ripples... ^ take after the misty moon. now lucky the child
who values the live raboit’s loot.. £ rbjb'S The young violinist this N^tr~re'&r * a morning• send3 the cat scurrying
uri to work... j-he young violinist the son follows hia rather sawing away into the blizzard
The young violinist rhe nos qui t o smudga suddenly breaks the E string, ll gated he lore retiring, sends the cat scurrying lengthens the short night.
The milkweed seed... The nappy widow catching up in a coDweo; The poet’s light the misty moon* y
the peot must be working Watermelon rind this cold autumn night
k milkweed seed bUther and sun drifting over dandelion watch a milkweed seed
take after the misty moon Nicholas A. Virgilic 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey
By the stream -
her face and hair-streaked breasts
summer moon. . .« . The picnic taole...
The picnic table..* sucking in the sun The picnic table.•• ripples colide with ripples lighting flies specking the rindi The dragonfly The picnic taole... excites colliding worlds alighting flies specking rind: \ watermelon seeds. the heat The picnic table... flies and watermelon seeds teeming flies specking the rind; watermelon seeds. ilies teeming on the watermelon seed 7 X\ The picnic table... < tflies playing seeds busy flies crowding the rind; on the watermelon slice watermelon seeds. Via terms Ion rind... alighting ilies playing seeds ihe picnic table... x flies teeming on the 'rind; watermelon seeds. The picnic table... lighting flies teeming on rind The picnic table... Nicholas A* Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey Grey, grey clouds: autumn wind in dust rolls 1 X z The last grass-cutting - The last cicada and the first horse chesjnut falls sings a requiem for summer the last cicada. Shaking the horse chestnut - The last cicada - hail begins to fall and the smell of new-mown grass - the first horse chesnut xhe last cicada begins when tne lawn mower The last cicada - and the smell of new-mown grass - •‘■he last cicada - ahorse chestnut falls. and he stores the lawn mower The last grass-cutting - The horse chestnut tree and he stores the lawn mower the last cicada. A horse chestnut falls ne stores the mower and bounces beneath After grass-cutting... A horse chestnut falls, he stores the and bounces on withered leaves - After grass-cutting... the last cicada. y the gardener stores the mower The t ow n q u ix o t e ( After grass-cutting... ) watches the horse chestnut tree our neighbor stores the mower - mace the autumn wind. the last cicada. The town Quixote After cutting tne grass... watones the horse chestnut tree he stores the mower - mace the summer storm;/ He stores the mower in the garage••.then listens to the last cicada Hichela3 A. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey Winter won't let any grass grow under its feet; melting footprints. The last snowfall The Milky Way ... that lines the waiting grave sparks from the campfire drive a firefly away The last snowfall cushions the waiting grave In the autumn fields*., i he first snow flake * *. this blind poet reels the character here.*.there - in the old m a n ’s hair of spring xhe last snowfall - This blind poet sure it finds a resting place feels the character of spring in the waiting grave. in the autumn fields. r The last cicada The last cherry - sure the cardinal ate it, j-he last grass-cutting and serenades me* a n .. The last cicada The last ripe cherry - serenades sure the cardinal ate it, and serenades me. The last grass-citt The last grass-cutting The last cherry - after the last cicada sure the cardinal eats it... then serenades me* The last cicada sings the requiem i r Nicholas A.. Virgilio 1092 Niagara Road Camden 4, New Jersey Cloudy autumn: the rays of the sun on the cathedral The last cicada A single rain drop - sure he hears it no, this stone opens the mind of the stagnant pond. he stores the mower m trie garage - then listens,, ho wind or r a m drop - the last cicada. but this stone opens the mind J of the stagnant pond A crowd of flies cover the melon rinde Tt he rhe first snowflake the picnis invariably disappears -The picnic table••• The first snowflake - flies cover the melon rind; , the crescent moon. The empty r a m barrel Brought, the rain barrel a cardinal collects another souvenir twanging awa y Dr ought..• A cardinal twanging a^ay cn telephone wire. The empty rain barrel A single rain drop takes more opens the mind The empty barrel - to the seasons' souvenir's, ) _ . add this snowilake.