haiku & noodles

a few weeks ago my zen buddhism class went on a field trip to tanpopo restaurant in st. paul.  (one of the things I like about this course and ted the instructor is his frequent insistence on getting outside the classroom; this is reflected in a visit last night by dosho port, a friend of ted's--I asked him about the impact of the emergence of thich nhat hanh's engaged buddhism on the previous emphasis, relevant to why I left it, on withdrawal from the world, which led him to reflecting on the impact he saw and felt, since he had initially become buddhist in order to escape the world but his roshi insisted on his dharma name that translated loosely to "engagement with the world.")  while we waited for our meals we did an old writer's game of making new poems out of the openings to famous ones, in this case some haiku.  we gave those to ted and yesterday they were returned to us.  I hadn't written haiku in at least a decade but it was like kissing an old flame.  these are mine, with links to the originals.

This is all there is.
A ratty she-bear with cubs
Trudging through the field.

Spring rain falling
In the last days of April,
Hissing as it lands.

Over the old wooden bridge
Riding a red bike.
Bump tump bump tump bump.

ted made reference to my prediliction for sensory poetry, a la robert bly.  I appreciate that comparison.