Philip Dunkerley is an active member of open mic communities in Peterborough and Stamford. He is the Poetry Society representative for the Stamford Stanza and runs a U3A Poetry Group in Bourne, where he lives. His poems have been published in Magma, Orbis, Dream Catcher, The Fenland Reed, Ink Sweat and Tears, Obsessed With Pipework, The Blue Nib, and elsewhere. His translations from Portuguese and Spanish, and poetry reviews, have been published in Orbis. His work has appeared in several anthologies, including Poems for Peace with a forward by Benjamin Zephaniah.

Haiku

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I quite like haiku
a few quick brush-strokes of words
this poem for you
 
larch
green stars stencilled
on a blue sky
 
a band of titmice
tricking its way
along an April hedgerow
 
a fine cock pheasant
standing tall in the sunshine
so much piss and pluck 
 
flying swift and true
a wood pigeon in summer
above - a hawk stoops
 
bright air - high cirrus
the deep blue sky of summer
my gift - love - to you
 
luminous moon
in a daytime sky
my heart a paper lantern
 
house martins in flight
keeping a summer promise
but the swifts are gone
 
white rump, blue wing bar
jay flying over stubble
bright sunlight, autumn
 
suddenly a robin
a phrase of bright song
autumnal music
 
one at a time
like dark chocolates
savour each haiku