Copyright © 2006 by Edward Weiss

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system without permission
in writing from the publisher.

Published by Wisteria Press, 2560 C Street, San

Diego, California 92102.
www.wisteriapress.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 1-4276-0935-7

First Edition

Seashore Haiku
by Edward Weiss
FOREWORD
It's been called the shortest poetic form ever
invented. In just three lines, the poet must capture an
image from nature and transfer it to paper.
Originally from Japan, the haiku poem has evolved
into what is today considered modern form. That is,
the traditional 5-7-5 arrangement of syllables may or
may not be used according to the whim of the poet.
This "freeing" of the haiku form has
one main advantage - it allows the poet to focus on
what is to be expressed without having to worry
about fitting it into old forms.
After all, it is the haiku spirit, not the rigid structure
that is important. What has stayed the same through
the centuries is haiku's unique way of expressing the
natural world!
Oceans, mountains, and woods have been revered
subjects for centuries and continue to be written
about to this day. Indeed, one can
write about these subjects seemingly forever and
still have fresh perspectives on them.
The poetics of haiku rest on the juxtaposition
between the fragment and the phrase. Most if not
all haiku poems are comprised of these two
elements. The fragment usually establishes the
mood and atmosphere of the poem.
For example, many a haiku poem has begun with
something like - "Morning silence." This
establishes the general ambiance of what is to
follow. The phrase part of haiku writing consists
mainly of capturing a "present moment,"
something the reader can enter into.
In fact, what makes haiku so special is that it
allows the reader to magically step inside the
poet's vision without having to interpret it. That
is, the haiku poet wants you to see what he or
she saw directly. By writing in a descriptive
present tense style, haiku let readers stand where
the poet has stood. So dear reader, I invite you to
sit back, relax, and enter into the magical world
of Seashore Haiku!
Enjoy the book … Edward Weiss
August night --
Pink and blue flowers
Cover the seawall

A brown pelican
Glides overhead…
Summer morning

January stars --
So many lights
On the sea tonight
 Nightfall --
The sweet smell of pine
Reaches the shore

Low tide --
The thick orange arms
Of a starfish

Almost dawn --
A seal covers itself
With sand
Autumn sky --
An albatross
Settles on the pier

Daybreak --
The beach path
Covered with pebbles

Late summer --
A clump of seaweed
Decays in the sun
 November walk --
The salty taste
Of crashing waves

Summer evening --
The squeaky sound
Of beach house floors

Morning clouds --
Small waves
Lap the shoreline
April rain --
A piece of driftwood
Washes to shore

So many buckets
For one sandcastle…
Summer day

Pacific dusk --
Only red light
On the water
 March wind --
A buoy
Wobbles on the sea

Winter chill --
Barnacles cling
To an old pier

The scent of daises

Rises off the hill…
Autumn sea
Late winter sky --
A sailboat barely visible
On the horizon

A conch shell
Half buried in sand…
Twilight

Cool spring day --

A sea otter
Grooms itself
 Damp august morning --
The pungent aroma
Of sea grass

The persistent hiss

Of ocean surf…
Eventide

Early evening --
Small flat stones
Line the shore
Late fall --
Wisteria vines
Reach the sea house

Ocean foam
Fringes the beach…
Winter chill

June night --
The cool wet feel
Of tidal sand
 Late spring --
Red wildflowers
Carpet the seawall

Autumn light --
The aqua curl
Of sea waves

November sun --
A piece of pink seaglass
Sparkles
Blue and white
Shells in a jar…
Summer evening

Early summer morning --

Pink-hued clouds
Drift over the sea

Spring day --
Purple wildflowers
Along the coast
 Seashore walk --
Only stars
Fill the sky

Winter light --
A faint sound
From the ocean this morning

Orange embers
From a beach fire…
Fall night
Spring wind --
A seagull pecks
On driftwood

Autumn twilight --
The timeless motion
Of water against rock

January morning --
The tingling feel
Of cold sea air
 Afternoon light --
The smooth luster
Of abalone shells

Calm spring breeze --

A sea squirrel
Nibbles on grass

Summer wind --
The ocean
So warm this morning
A crab
Appears from a crevice…
Midnight sun

December morning --
Only sandpiper prints
On the beach

Sunrise --
Mist hides
The sea cliffs
 Winter afternoon --
The faint yellow gleam
Of sand dunes

Warm summer night --

A sea lion
Finds an empty rock

Spring chill --
The sound of waves
Rising and falling
Early fall morning --
Only footprints
On the beach

Gold and white

Light on the sea…
Late afternoon

Dusk --
A pelican dives
And catches a fish!
 Quiet morning --
A piece of kelp
Floats to shore

Cool summer night --

A sea turtle
Lays its eggs

July sun --
The sound of seaweed
Popping
Winter sky --
A red crab opens
And closes both claws

September evening --
The light purple hue
Of tidal sand

So many shells
On the beach tonight…
Ebb tide
 Misty fall day --
Only the bright orange
Of a seagull's beak

Nightfall --
Yellow-capped pelicans
Head towards shore

Spring tidepool --
A sea star
Opens slowly
Spring dusk --
Green sea foam
Washes over stones

June sea --
A sunflower
Nods in the breeze

Light October rain --

The scent of sea lavender
Fills the house
 Clear fall day --
Sea birds
Circle for fish

Dusk --
The still glassy surface
Of the Pacific

August heatwave --
An egret wades
Into shallow water
Bright December day --
The sharp contrast
Of sand and sea

Summer dusk --
Sandcastles collapse
With the tide

October sunrise --
The crimson-hued rock
Of sea caves
 Moonlight --
A cool sea breeze
Enters the house

December twilight --
The blue-white tint
Of sea ice

Winter wind --
Ice plants
Cover the shoreline
Summer afternoon --
So quiet
Underneath the water

Misty autumn day --

Sea foam
Collects on shore

Calm spring sea --

The scent
Of approaching rain
 A sea urchin
Anchors to sandstone…
Rough seas

Sunset --
Seastack shadows
Bend in the water

September sky --
A sand dollar
Burrows in the mud
Thunderstorm --
An albatross darts
Into a sea cave

A heron
Cleans its wings…
Autumn shoreline

Winter night --
Only the sound
Of crashing waves
 Sea moss
Covers a rock…
Light summer rain

The sound
Of dripping cave water…
Hot afternoon

Hazy fall morning --

A seal pup
Shimmies onto the beach
Late summer wind --
Tidal sand
Glimmers on the beach

Summer twilight --
A tern rubs its beak
Against a rock

Miles of
Empty shoreline…
January sunrise
 Cold April morning --
Seabirds gather
Off the coast

Spring moon --
The green glow
Of sea algae

Hot June day --

An otter
Slips into the sea
Summer haze --
A tern lands on a
Rocky precipice

Daylight --
The strong smell
Of oyster shells

The reflection of
Light on water…
Empty beach
 A jellyfish
Floats out to sea…
Winter light

Red fan coral

Sway with the current…
Cool afternoon

The swirls
Of a giant conch…
Morning sunlight
Cloudy dawn --
A piece of seaweed
In a heron's beak

August wind --
A snowy egret
Wanders towards the sea

Morning silence --
A black-headed gull
Waddles on the sand
 Winter rain --
A sea otter's whiskers
Lie flat

The fresh smell

Of ocean wildflowers…
September rain

Atlantic sunset --
Bands of orange light
Touch the water
Summer sky --
Dark red specks
On the sea rocks

A light gray sky

Meets the sea…
Fall afternoon