Randy Brooks
Homecoming
kayak launch
the dappled shadows
of a sunfish nursery
stealth mode . . .
the mud turtle's neck
up to sunlight
paddles pause
mother goose's head low
over her nest
nudging the prow
closer to blackberries
ooh, a sour one
our paddles
dipping into sunset
headed home
Bio
Dr. Randy Brooks is Professor of English Emeritus at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where he teaches courses on haiku, tanka, and Japanese poetics. He and his wife, Shirley Brooks, are publishers of Brooks Books and co-editors of Mayfly haiku magazine. His most recent books include Walking the Fence: Selected Tanka and The Art of Reading and Writing Haiku: A Reader Response Approach.