Gary Snyder Haiku
Gary Snyder Haiku
I.
THE BEAT POET
a
“The Dharma Bums” sat upon my nightstand for almost twenty years. A story written by Jack Kerouac which featured his fellow beat poets of the time as fictional characters. One of his characters is a portrayal of the Beat Poet Gary Snyder. The character portraying Gary practiced Buddhism and introduced ‘running down mountains.’ When growing up I would run down as many mountains as I could with thoughts on this specific scene in the book. Luckily, I never hurt myself.
Today a few books from Gary Snyder’s published works sit where ‘Dharma Bums’ used to reside. After reading Snyder’s ‘Turtle Island’ last year I found myself immediately drawn to this verse and his viewpoints on Ecology and Native American Culture.
Not too long ago I wrote a series of Haiku in honor of the work and life of John Muir. This series of Haiku is available here on TCE and in my poetry collection ‘A Life in the Sierra.’ Here is my second series of Haiku this time in honor of Gary Snyder.
b
Gary spent his childhood on a farm and attended Reed College in Oregon during his twenties. Following University, he worked as a Merchant Marine and spent years at sea. He returned to land to find a home with the Beat Poets of the 50’s where he found a friendship with Jack Kerouac.
Gary gathered lumber in the Rocky Mountains then travelled to Japan to live in a Buddhistic Monastery where he refined his belief in Buddhism. After living in Japan, he moved to New York and wrote ‘The Back Country’ which discussed his years as a logger, monk, and then living in New York in memorable verse.
A common theme tying these Haiku series together is Ecology and the joy and beauty of Mother Nature. If you have experienced my Haiku before you know I spend time in the forest of the Sierra Mountain Range. My poetry collection titled “A Life in the Sierra” is available on Amazon and contains poems on my concerns on Ecology and my strong belief in the power of the land we live on.
II.
Gary Snyder Haiku
To define nature
a principle of order
twelve meanings of tree.
Cold mountain poems
written by frozen hero
upon this same land.
Bird on Redwood post
leaning on the rock filled ground
by yellow flowers.
One lone granite ridge
where one Pine Tree is enough
to shade a small creek.
Watered by the snow
small green meadow by granite
Aspens along edge.
Wild horses on the hill
grazes on Eucalyptus
naps under tree shade.
Floating shred of bark
folded and twisted around
falls beyond a hill.
Pressure of rock slide
fallen in pools of pebbles
a rattlesnake coiled.
Network of sunshine
White Crowned Sparrows on the pine
valley Rooster crows.
III.
Hills beyond a hill
where many tough trees are crammed
growing through thin stone.
Started walking woods
wondering if I could leave
here I walk today.
Found an empty nest
various twigs and red yarn
bit from a bright life.
Mind wanders to moon
a million moonlit summers
endless mountain sky.
An old logging road
a freshly carved walking stick
made from Hard Alder.
Red Ants and pebbles
rock tells a thousand stories
from each creek washed stone.
Even hard rock breaks
words and books like this small creek
gone in the dry air.
A wide muddy field
stretches along the wood line
fire fed with Cedar.
Converging gorges
each jumbled cliff has a twist
extremely rugged.
IV.
Flick in the moonlight
upon Juniper shadow
Coyote watches.
A Heron flies by
on cot a Setter pup naps
near high rotten stumps.
Blade of grass in dew
bends in growing morning light
hangs gently on edge.
Sierra’s will dry
up and finally die
be ice scratched bent trees.
Coffee hot again
clouds linger up on lone hills
turn around in sleep.
Shiver in deep sleep
in the mountains always cold
on the hottest day.
For more works like Gary Snyder Haiku and other works by this author visit
Jamie Lee Hamann Author Page
You can also find works by Jamie Lee Hamann on HubPages
- Here Comes Stormy Weather - November 6, 2023
- To the Abode of the Damned - October 29, 2023
- A Short Spiritual for Sunday - September 25, 2023
I really like these Haiku poems, Jamie. Nature is my church and sanctuary. I have often written about peaceful places in woods or forests and wish I could journey through them for real, like I used to. Lovely poems here about nature, Jamie. Well done.
Thank you Phyllis, I know my nature haiku is your favorite so try to include them every once an awhile. I hope you are well. Your friend. Jamie