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

You don’t have to love baseball or haiku to enjoy real haiku about baseball — but, if you love either or both, this collection by some of the finest English-language haiku poets should be a special treat. On this page, we’ve collected baseball haiku (and senryu, a related genre that focuses on human nature) by f/k/a‘s Honored Guest Poets and the site’s Editor. You’ll find recent additions immediately below, followed by our permanent collection of baseball haiku by our Home Team Haijin, presented in reverse alphabetical order.

last in:

third strike
the designated hitter
blows on his hands

……………………………. by david giacalone

the home team
math’matically eliminated…
autumn equinox

autumn equinox…
a football score flashes
on the centerfield scoreboard…

…………………………………………. by ed markowski

pitching change
a butterfly follows a wave
through the upper deck

hangovers in suits
climb onto the team bus
summer morning

…………………………………. by Lee Gurga – Baseball Haiku (2007)

season’s end
every pennant on the stadium roof
pointing south

………………………………… by ed markowski

Holy Cow!
the infield chatter
stops

[in mem. Phil Rizzuto, August 2007]

………………………………………………………………….. by david giacalone

time out
the setting sun
takes center field

……………………………………………………. by Peggy Lyles – Modern Haiku 38:1 (2007)

the f/k/a home team collection:

warm beer–
heat lightning flickers
beyond the outfield

nearly dark–
snow deepens
on the baseball field

…………………………………………………………….. by Billie Wilson
“warm beer -” – frogpond (2004)
“nearly dark” – Acorn 15 (2005)

base hit —
the outfielder’s
four shadows

first drops of rain —
puffs of dust
rise from the infield

cold rain–
the inning ends
with nobody on

……………………………………………. by michael dylan welch
“first drops of rain –” – Mayfly #18 (1994)
” cold rain–” & “first drops of rain –” – Baseball Haiku (2007)

crack of the bat
the outfielder circles
under the full moon

abandoned ballpark
gopher mound covers
home plate

empty baseball field
a dandelion seed floats through
the strike zone

score tied
both team jerseys look the same
in the August twilight

village ball game
through knotholes in the old fence
evening subeams

……………………………………. by George Swede from Almost Unseen (Brooks Books, 2000)
“village ball game” – As Far As the Eye Can See (1979)
“village ball game”, “empty bseball field”, “crack of the bat” – Baseball Haiku (2007)

extra innings
a runner’s shadow
down the third base line

sting
of the old man’s
fastball

a big diamond
just imagine
the pressure

my so-called friends
send in my sister
to pinch-hit for me

………………………………………………………….. by John Stevenson
“extra innings” – Quiet Enough
“sting” – Upstate Dim Sum (2005/II)
“a big diamond” – roadrunner V:3

moths circle
the stadium lights
seventh inning stretch

all day rain
on the playing field
a stray dog

the toddler
runs to third base
first

bases loaded
a full moon clears
the right field fence

the foul ball lands
in an empty seat
summer’s end

the sweeping arch
of the pitcher’s curve
summer solstice

……………………………………………………………. by Tom Painting
“moths circle” from A New Resonance 2: Emerging Voices
“the toddler”, “bases loaded” & “all day rain” – from the chapbook piano practice
“the foul balls lands”- Modern Haiku 35.2 ; spiess comp. hon. mention (2004)
“the sweeping arch” – (1st place, Shiki Kukai, June 2007)
“the foul ball lands,” “all day rain,” “bases loaded” – Baseball Haiku (2007

April chill —
Wakefield’s knuckleball
unhittable

……………………………………………… by Paul David Mena

a long fly ball
arcs above the moon…
summer deepens

late innings
the shortstop backpedals
into fireflies

first red leaves
i swing late
on a change-up

sultry night
the winning run scores
on a wild pitch

fireflies…
the smallest boy hits
the game winning homer

Joe Harnett, longtime radio host of “The Old BallGame”, has peformed many of the poems on this page by ed markowski.

distant thunder
the home run hitter
drops a bunt

“red hots!”
for an instant i’m ten
and
father’s still alive

lightning…
i lose jeter’s pop-up
in a blaze of static

6 innings
8 beers
o b e e d
b b l h a
night

out!safe!out!safe!theumpandthemanageroneshadow

51 candles
&
still this wish
to
pitch in yankee
stadium

rainy night
a hole in the radio
where a ballgame should be

bases loaded
no one out…..
the pitcher
blows a bubble

summer loneliness . . .
dropping the pop up
i toss to myself

rain delay
the length of the lines
at the stadium restrooms

the roar of the crowd
through a transistor radio…
summer solitude

April rain
my grandson practices
his infield chatter

Seattle sunset
Ichiro sends one
toward the Sea of Japan

first baseman’s autograph
my grandson says,
“i’m the luckiest kid in the world”

snowflakes tumble & curve
the baseball season
begins today

April snow
the home team falls
7 games back

April chill
the hitter blows
on his batting glove

season’s end
every pennant on the stadium roof
pointing south

………………………………………………………………………………………………….. by Ed Markowski
“a long fly ball” – 9th mainichi haiku contest, 2nd place (June 20005)
“summer loneliness” – from the pinch-book pop up, tribe press, 2004
“spring rain” & “bases loaded” – Haiku Sun (Issue X, Jan. 2004)
“51 candles” to appear in The Elysian Fields Quarterly
“rain delay”, “6 innings” , “distant thunder” & “lightning…” – games (pawEprint 78, 2004)
Other Credits: The Old Ball Game (April 2006); Baseball Haiku (W.W.Norton, 2007)

soft leather
on an old baseball
spring fog

…………………………. by paul m from A New Resonance 2: ; frogpond XXII:2

time out
the setting sun
takes center field

……………………………………………………. by Peggy Lyles – Modern Haiku 38:1 (2007)

calm evening
the ballgame play-by-play
across the water

called third strike–
the slow roll of the ball
back to the mound

seventh inning stretch –
dust from dragging the bases
hangs in the air

two outs in the ninth–
the reliever bangs the ball
against his cup

behind barbed wire
the banter of baseball
in two languages

October revival
all hands lift
to the foul ball

…………………………………………………………. by Jim Kacian
“calm evening” – Past Time (Red Moon Press 1999)
“October revival” – Piedmont Literary Review (Circa 1992)
“calm evening”, “October revival”, “seventh-inning stretch”,
“called third strike” and “gathering the balls” – Baseball Haiku (2007)

Louisville Slugger
the boy’s fingertips caress
the trademark

rumble of thunder
the boy still looking for the ball
in the grass

the pitching coach
strides slowly to the mound —
dust devils

pitching change
a butterfly follows a wave
through the upper deck

hangovers in suits
climb onto the team bus
summer morning

……………………………………………………….. by Lee Gurga – Baseball Haiku (2007)
“rumble of thunder” orig. pub. Too Busy for Spring, 1999 HNA Anthology

8th birthday –
she wants a diamond
and new cleats

his pop-fly
kisses the moon —
safe at first

three-quarter moon —
called out
stealing home

law office picnic —
the ump consults
his Blackberry

line-drive double
over second —
coach says I swang late

squinting to see him —
another generation
sent to right field

Holy Cow!
the infield chatter
stops

[in mem. Phil Rizzuto, August 2007]

………………………………………………………………….. by david giacalone
“law office” & “squinting” – Baseball Haiku (2007)
“squinting” – Roadrunner Haiku Journal (V:4, Nov. 2005; tie Scorpion Prize); repub. in Baseball Haiku (W.W. Norton Press 2007)

curving left
oh! curving even farther left
the whiffle baseball

retired Reds scout –
still eyeing the field
through dark glasses

rainy playground–
a patch of new grass
hides the softball

behind in the count –
“Skip” spits and stares
harder

my nephew’s fastball –
I hand back his glove
and keep the sting

back door curve
the batter
exits

……………………………………………………………… by Barry George
“curving left” – Modern Haiku 23.3
“retired Reds scout” – Mayfly #23
“back door curve” – Fan: “Haiku” Special Issue (Atlanta, 1998)
“my nephew’s fastball” – bottle rockets #11
“behind in the court” – tinywords.com

in the shoe box
attic light from one window
and the creased Willie Mays

full moon just rising
we recount the best plays
on the drive home

bottom of the 8th
eight determined drunks
get the wave going . . .

from the train window
fans outside the ballpark
before the game

back to back walks . . .
the catcher takes the pitcher
to the top of the mound

………………………………………….…………… by Tom Clausen – Baseball Haiku (2007)
“in the shoe box” – orig. pub. Bases Loaded, a renga chapbook
“the foul balls lands”- Modern Haiku 35:2

the butterfly’s path …
my son swings again
and misses

……………. by Tom Clausen – Homework

carrying his glove
the boy’s dog follows him
to the baseball field

opening day . . .
green of the field
through the ticket gates

baseball
rolls into the mud —
painted lady flutters up

last day of school . . .
the crack of a bat
through an open window

thunder . . .
little leaguers chatter
silenced

………………………………………by Randy Brooks – Baseball Haiku (2007)
“opening day” – Past Time (1999)
“last day of school” – School’s Out (1999)

tryouts –
the softball sails over
my daughter’s glove

spring thaw
a pinecone rolls
to first base

…………………………. by Roberta Beary
“spring thaw” – shiki kukai, March 2005

Many of the poems on this page can be found in the 200-poem anthology Baseball Haiku (Cor van den Heuvel and Nanae Tamura, eds., W.W. Norton Press, April 2007).  Click here and here, for f/k/a posts with more poems from Baseball Haiku, along with the special coverage of Baseball Haiku at Chautauqua Institution.