f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

Indian summer 
his name comes to me
then is gone again

… by w. f. owen – flower of another country (HSA Anthology 2007)

• No matter what you call him [Cristoforo Colombo, Cristóvão Colon, Cristóbal Colón, Cristòfor Colom, or the anglicized Christopher Columbus]; and
  

• No matter if this spate of sunny, dry, moderate weather is really Indian Summer

the f/k/a Gang hopes you have as lovely an October 13th as we’re having here in Schenectady (where we are at the peak of Leaf Peeper Season).

Columbus Day drive
red and yellow crayons
turn into stubs

………… by dagosan

If it’s a holiday for you, and you have some spare time, we suggest you read about the meaning and possible sources of the term Indian Summer.  “JUST WHAT IS INDIAN SUMMER AND DID INDIANS REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT?” (National Weather Service, by William R. Deedler, Fall, 1996)

Or, peruse one or more our earlier posts discussing the mysteries and controversies surrounding the man erroneously called Christopher Columbus. “who do you want Columbus to be?” (Oct. 12, 2004 ); “Columbus, Colombo, Colón: what’s in a name? (Octo. 6, 2007); “it’s hard to discover Columbus” (Oct. 10, 2005)

Columbus Day rain –
first cozy evening
since Spring

………… by dagosan

Before you do, why not bask in our collection of tributes to Indian Summer by f/k/a‘s Honored Guest Poets, led by Dr. Bill Owen, who is clearly becoming the haijin dean of Indian Summer.

Indian summer
a spent salmon
washes ashore

Indian summer
a fish slips through
the gill net

Indian summer
honey flows
into the tea

Indian summer
the cat
pregnant again

… w. f. owen – from echoes 1 (Red Moon Press, 2007)
“Indian summer/salmon” – HSA Henderson Haiku Contest 2004, 1st Place
“Indian summer/gill” & “pregnat cat” – haiku notebook (Lulu.com, 2007)
“Indian summer/honey” – from frogpond XXVII: 1

Indian summer
chocolate kisses
on my cheek

………. by Yu Chang – from Upstate Dim Sum (Vol. 2008/1)

white jerseys
spread across the hockey field
Indian summer

… by Barry George – The Heron’s Nest (Winter 2005)

Indian summer   
algae floats
downstream

… Hilary Tann – Upstate Dim Sum 2007/II

she leaves
the gate open
Indian Summer

… by Alice Frampton – The Heron’s Nest (December 2007)

her kiss
on the cool side of tepid …
indian summer

… by ed markowski from Haiku Harvest (Fall/Winter 2005)

See a new spread on Ed at Norb Blei’s Poetry Dispatch, “Ed Markowski: a poem and a note (Dispatch 255, October 11, 2008)

Indian summer
the watercolorist paints
a leaf on the lake

… by Tom Painting from his chapbook “piano practice“

Indian summer
fire ants swarming
over a rotted squash

… by Rebecca Lilly –  A New Resonance 2; Modern Haiku XXXI:1

Indian summer~
two tortoises stretch
toward shore

. . . by Pamela Miller Ness – Nisqually Delta Review (editor’s choice, winter/spring 2006)

indian summer
the sound of conker
on conker

indian summer
a dance class practice to
“I want to break free”

.. by Matt Morden
“indian summer/conker” – Morden Haiku (October 14, 2006)
“indian summer/dance” – Morden Haiku (October 6, 2007)

Indian summer
rust on our hands
from the swing

… by w.f. owen – from haiku notebook (2007)

Indian Summer –
a squirrel tips over
the bag of rock salt

… by David Giacalone – The Heron’s Nest VIII:I, March 2006

We all wish you several Indian Summers this Autumn of 2008. If your weather is not picture perfect for Columbus Day, we hope it isn’t at all like this October scene from a couple years ago near Buffalo, NY, which inspired a poem and a haiga:

a foot of snow
a month too soon
candles for nightlights

. . . photo haiga by Arthur Giacalone (photo) & David Giacalone (poem);
Simply Haiku Journal, Vol. 5 no. 1 (Spring 2007)

p.s. If you’re in search of some fine recent commentary from law-related weblogs, or you want to learn more about Conflict Resolution Day (the 3d Thursday of October), see Diane Levin’s presentation of Blawg Review #181, at her Mediation Channel weblog.