Matthew Paul: Poetry & Stuff

Seven years ago today, at about this time of day, I received a phone call confirming the passing of Martin Lucas, haiku and tanka poet and editor.

Here are a few of Martin’s haiku, selected from the first and final (#12) issues of Snapshots haiku magazine, edited, respectively, by John Barlow in 1998 and John and Matt Morden in 2006. For me, they display Martin’s observational brilliance, wry humour and ability to present each ‘haiku moment’ in spare, just-so language. Due to the manner of Martin’s passing, the final haiku has a particular resonance.


        the play of light
along the slow canal—
           cygnets preening

*

flag at half-mast—
      summer breeze
             big enough to flutter it

*

autumn evening
a cardboard box
walks down the hill

*

October dawn
the flicker of lights
at the river mouth