as I get closer
the hover fly leaves...
white flower

wet market--
a child seeing catfish
the first time

in the pond
four eyes looking at me--
mating frogs

dry rice paddy --
a lone horse eating
its shadow

what would be
a lovely butterfly
faces death



all stores closed
a sparrow chirping
this holy day



I lay awake
remembering Dad--
late night rain



green mangoes--
in father's orchard, too,
far away

Here's a set of 12-syllable English haiku. If I am to choose a fixed form for English haiku, I'd choose this one (without constraint on the number of syllables per line.):


here to fill
my belly with fish--
I feed a koi



jeepney ride--
the rooster is quiet
all the way



siesta time--
a sparrow is looking
for something



shadow boxing
before a multitude
of stars



dinner time--
downstairs, my niece
calling out my name



the full moon
is up so early--
first Lenten palm

dead leaves on the grass--
closer now, I see, waving,
a brown butterfly



the day's work is done;
come, dear child, sit on my arm
and let's view the moon



the old man's long gone
but his plum tree never fails
to bloom in April




The haiku above are in the usual 5-7-5 syllable form. A shorter, 12-syllable form for each follows:




dead leaves...
closer now, I see
a brown butterfly



the day's work is done;
come, dear child,
let's view the moon



a dead remembered--
his black plum tree
has blossomed