rain then sun. . .
the kingfisher’s lustre
in a heartbeat
pioggia poi sole
lo splendore di un martin pescatore
in una battito
Alan Summers,
Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK
~o~
Biography
Alan Summers is President of the United Haiku and Tanka Society; a double
Japan Times award-winning writer; recipient of the Ritsumeikan University
of Kyoto Peace Museum Award for haiku (1998); and a Pushcart Prize
nominated poet. He is co-founder of Call of the Page which runs online
courses in haiku and haibun. His latest book Writing Poetry: The Haiku Way
is due out later in 2017.”Widely known haiku poet…as dry as vintage champagne”
Yomiuri Shimbun, 16th September 2002 (newspaper article published for my
birthday while I was in Tokyo)Interview with Sonic Boom magazine about the white paintings of haiku:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/61020d_87ad491fe433421b87e2a87033aca1ad.pdfNHK TV of Japan filmed Alan for a feature called Europe meets Japan – Alan’s
Haiku Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VS36AGVI6sShort biography:
http://www.unitedhaikuandtankasociety.com/biographies.htmlBiography and list of essays and articles:
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/happy-new-year-and-brand-new-honour.html
Japan Times award-winning writer; recipient of the Ritsumeikan University
of Kyoto Peace Museum Award for haiku (1998); and a Pushcart Prize
nominated poet. He is co-founder of Call of the Page which runs online
courses in haiku and haibun. His latest book Writing Poetry: The Haiku Way
is due out later in 2017.”Widely known haiku poet…as dry as vintage champagne”
Yomiuri Shimbun, 16th September 2002 (newspaper article published for my
birthday while I was in Tokyo)Interview with Sonic Boom magazine about the white paintings of haiku:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/61020d_87ad491fe433421b87e2a87033aca1ad.pdfNHK TV of Japan filmed Alan for a feature called Europe meets Japan – Alan’s
Haiku Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VS36AGVI6sShort biography:
http://www.unitedhaikuandtankasociety.com/biographies.htmlBiography and list of essays and articles:
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/happy-new-year-and-brand-new-honour.html
Biografia
Alan Summers è il Presidente della United Haiku and Tanka Society; uno scrittore vincitore per ben due volte del Japan Times award, beneficiario dello Haiku Award dell’ Università Ritsumeikan del Museo della Pace di Kyoto (1998); un poeta nominato per il Premio Pushcart.
È il co-fondatore di Call of the Page che dà corsi online di haiku e haibun.
Il suo ultimo libro Writing Poetry, The Haiku Way, uscirà
nel 2017 inoltrato.Di lui Yomiuri Shimbun ha detto :
Il suo ultimo libro Writing Poetry, The Haiku Way, uscirà
nel 2017 inoltrato.Di lui Yomiuri Shimbun ha detto :
“Poeta di haiku ampiamente conosciuto … come uno champagne secco e vintage”
(16 Settembre 2002, pubblicato in un articolo di giornale in occasione del suo compleanno in visita a Tokyo)Intervista con la rivista Sonic Boom a proposito dei dipinti bianchi nello haiku:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/61020d_87ad491fe433421b87e2a87033aca1ad.pdfNHK TV Giapponese filma Alan per una pubblicazione chiamata L’Europa incontra il Giappone – Alan’s
Haiku Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VS36AGVI6s Una breve biografia:
http://www.unitedhaikuandtankasociety.com/biographies.htmlBiografia e lista di saggi e articoli :
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/happy-new-year-and-brand-new-honour.html
(16 Settembre 2002, pubblicato in un articolo di giornale in occasione del suo compleanno in visita a Tokyo)Intervista con la rivista Sonic Boom a proposito dei dipinti bianchi nello haiku:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/61020d_87ad491fe433421b87e2a87033aca1ad.pdfNHK TV Giapponese filma Alan per una pubblicazione chiamata L’Europa incontra il Giappone – Alan’s
Haiku Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VS36AGVI6s Una breve biografia:
http://www.unitedhaikuandtankasociety.com/biographies.htmlBiografia e lista di saggi e articoli :
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/happy-new-year-and-brand-new-honour.html
~o~
selected and translated by Lucia Fontana
Submit your poem to : https://www.chanokeburi.it/2211-2/
~o~
Photo by Gianni Rossi
Thank you so much for publishing my work!
my warmest of regards,
Alan
Marvelous ku !
I’ve really been caught by this poem . You float from natural elements – water and fire – to a air’s creature ending on yourself, earth’ s one. . .
The embrace with life and the Tao is in evidence, but at a first sight we can be just amazed by the beauty showed in the matching of images. A journey, a wonderland poem straight to the heart. Thank You for having submitted to Chanokeburi this haiku-pearl dear Alan Summers!
My most heartfelt congratulations !
Lucia Fontana
Wow, thank you!
The River Kingfisher is an iconic bird of Britain, as are so many of the family related birds around the world from Australia to Sri Lanka.
warm regards,
Alan
Lucia:
The pairing of the photo is well done.
Alan:
Congratulations.
The second kingfisher haiku I’ve read of yours.
I suppose there are more.
Jan Benson
USA
Thank you!
I’ve written three others, and surprised I haven’t written more. Again, the above haiku is one from direct experience. They are amazing bullets of bright turquoise belting up the river, and to increase the alliteration a blur of tropical water droplets. I was lucky enough to go on a boat tour, nothing more than a skiff, just Karen and myself and guides, along the mangrove river. To see almost every kind of kingfisher (and kookaburras) in a short stretch was incredible.
rain ceases
as I leave the sycamore…
one more kingfisher
Alan Summers
Blithe Spirit vol. 14 no. 4 (2004)
kingfisher summer
the weight of sunshine
on water
Alan Summers
Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum, 2013 Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum English Haiku
splitting the sky
a kingfisher lifts a branch
off the breeze
Alan Summers
Award Credit: Best of Mainichi 2014 (Japan)
I feel that this haiku is much closer to capturing what I see and experience so far:
rain then sun. . .
the kingfisher’s lustre
in a heartbeat
Thank You Jan !
The shot is by an italian Photographer fond of natural landscapes and birds . . . I love his work, especially white shots. . . Look at this Jan :
https://www.facebook.com/chanokeburi/posts/1810396865954882
Warm regards,
Lucia