Haiku Verses by Philip Roberts

PART ONE: MAINSTREAM HAIKU

AAAAAAAAH  OOOOOOUR
Aaaaaaaah Oooooour, Aaaaaaaah Oooooour is
Victoria Azarenka’s
Tennis battle cry.

ADRIFT
Seeds of dissension
Separate the strongest bonds,
Cutting you adrift.

ALL OF MY DREAMS
All of my dreams have
turned to nightmares.  All my hopes
have come to nothing.

ANGEL OF THE APOCALYPSE
I’ve seen the Angel
of the Apocalypse.  She
says she’ll be here soon.

THE ARMAGEDDON
A war to end war
A war to end life itself,
Right across the Earth.

AUTUMN LEAVES
Autumn leaves falling
Winter around the corner;
Big freeze soon to come.

AUTUMN RAINS
Autumn rains fall
Light drizzle just a promise,
Of deluges to come.

AUTUMN RAINS FALLING
Autumn rains falling
Drizzle just a promise of
Deluges to come.

AZURE EYES (II)
Hair just like spun gold,
Eyes of the richest azure,
Captivates my heart.

BANSHEE GIRLS
Banshee girls shrieking
In the dead of night.  All to
distract opponents.

BANSHEE GIRLS ARE CHEATING
Death-defying cries
Ring out in the dead of night,
Banshee girls cheating.

BANSHEE GIRLS CHEATING
Banshee girls cheating
Distracting their opponents,
On the tennis court.

THE BLACK WOLF (II)
Black as night he stood
Beneath the moon’s bright glow,
A wolf with human eyes.

BLINDING HAILSTORMS
A blinding hailstorm
Shatters your bones and freezes,
The live out of you.

BLUE EYES
Your blue eyes shining
Like a beacon in the night,
Burning into my heart.

BORROWED MOMENTS
The borrowed moments
An edge to reality,
Where nothing is real.

THE BREATH OF THE STORM
The breath of a storm:
Like anguished screams of the damned,
All your nerve ends raw.

CARAMEL EYES
My lover’s eyes are
Like the warmest caramel,
And they melt my heart.

THE CHEETAH (I)
Sixty miles an hour
Runs the deadly feline,
To bring a zebra down.

CHESTNUT HAIR
Hair of rich chestnut
Eyes the deepest, warmest brown,
Firing up my heart.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN (II)
Now that love is gone
All you worship is hatred,
Wishing each other harm.

A DAY IN OLD MELBOURNE TOWN
Autumn, winter, spring,
Then summer: all in one day
In Old Melbourne town.

DEATH CONQUERS ALL
Death will conquer all:
All your fears and all your pains;
Miseries of life.

DEATH MUST GO ON
No-one can harm me
Death holds no fear for me;
I only fear living!

THE DELUGE (II)
A summer deluge
Half drowned Chihuahua,
Struggles in surging waters.

THE DINGO
A large yellow dog
Now branded a killer by,
Those who mistrust him.

DIVINE ARMAGEDDON (II)
Far above the Earth
Dissension among the gods,
Causes Armageddon.

DIVORCE
Emotions rise when
feelings are hurt.  And spiteful
things are said and done.

THE DOCUMENTARY
A borrowed image
Of some near-forgotten past,
That you never lived.

DOORS TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS (I)
Dreams are doors
to the subconscious: Portals
to other realities.

DOWN ON BOURBON STREET
Down on Bourbon Street
They used to Rock.  Then the age
Of Rock passed away.

DREAMS
Truth is hard to bear:
Now your love has flown the coop,
Dreams are all you have.

DRINKING WINE SPO DEE OO DEE (II)
In far off 1949
The 1st rock and roll song was,
Recorded.  What was it?

EACH AND EVERY DAY
Each and every day
There’s one thing I can count on,
Jesus will be here!

EBONY EYES (II)
Full of dark mystery
They call me with a promise,
Of savage love.

ECSTASY
Now that love has gone
You find that ecstasy was,
All too frail a dream.

ELECTRIC BLUE EYES
Electric blue eyes
Sparkling like living sapphires,
Burn into your heart.

ELEPHANTS
Elephants lumber
Through the grassy savannahs;
Nature’s armoured tanks.

EMERALD EYES (I)
Green eyes sparkling
Like the brightest emeralds,
Captivate my heart.

ENDLESS HEARTACHES
Endless heartaches that
You still feel today; will feel
Till the day you die.

ENERGY VAMPIRES
Even the ones you love
Sap your strength and health,
Just like vampires of old.

A FLOWER SHRIEKING
A flower shrieking
In its death agony, as
It is being plucked.

FOGHORNS IN THE NIGHT (II)
Foghorns in the night
Blare out eerie warnings,
Of dangers yet unseen.

GALES OF DESPAIR
Borrowed dreams: Dreams that
Were long ago blown away,
By gales of despair.

GIVE THANKS
Give thanks to the Lord
Who helps us all of our lives,
In every way.

THE GREAT ARCHITECT (III)
God of old Chaldee
Joined with great Osiris,
To lead a modern sect.

THE HAIKU (II)
Odd three-lined poems
Of seventeen syllables:
Five, seven, then five.

HEARTACHES LINGER
Heartaches lingering
Despair keeps tormenting you;
Eating at your heart.

HELP ME
The Lord does help me
He does help me through the day;
Without failing me.

THE HIPPO
The hippo waddling:
Clumsy on dry land, yet
Regal in the water.

HOLLOWNESS (II)
A hollow feeling
In your heart, in your soul:
Your love is far away.

HORROR HAIKU (II)
Can haiku have horror themes?
According to many, “No!”
But who says, “Yes!”

HOWLING WINDS
Howling winds signal
Torrential rains to follow,
Winter on the way.

THE HYAENA
Nature’s scavengers
Following after lion prides,
Picking up the scraps.

I CAN NEVER BE LONELY (WHILE JESUS WALKS BESIDE ME)
I’m never alone
While Jesus walks beside me,
Jesus walks by me!

ICY STEEL SCIMITARS
Snow on the sidewalk
Shivers run through you like,
Icy steel scimitars.

I HAVE BEEN FOUND
When all it seems lost
I do not despair because,
My Lord has been found!

INDIAN RUINS (II)
Indian village
Fallen into ruins now,
But once standing proud.

INDIAN SUMMER
Moments of warmth try
To make us think summer days,
Are here already.

INDIAN WINTER
Hellish cold weather
Freezing us in April, then
Autumn’s back again.

INDIAN WINTER CALLING
Indian winter
Driving you indoors again,
Till Autumn returns.

INDIAN WINTER COMES
Down in Victoria
Hellish winter comes early,
Only for two weeks.

IN JESUS I CAN TRUST
In Jesus I trust
To always look after me,
To always be near.

I ONCE HEARD A BANSHEE SHRIEK
I once heard a banshee shriek
It scared me half as much,
As shrieking tennis girls.

JAHBULON
Precious Jahbulon
The sacred word to keep,
Hidden from normal men.

JESUS, MY LORD
Jesus, my saviour
Who died and was then reborn,
Yes, Jesus, my Lord!

JESUS, REBORN
Jesus he died for me
He died on the cross; then
He was reborn for me!

THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL
Elvis is the King
He’s the King of Rock and Roll:
Rock-and-Roll music.

KING OF THE JUNGLE
Majestic lions roar
To show the lethal jungle,
That they know no fear.

LEAD ME, GUIDE ME
How can I get lost?
With Jesus to lead me, and
Jesus to guide me!

LEMON HAIR
Shiny lemon hair
Billowing in the night breeze,
Round a lovely face.

LIGHTNING STRIKES (I)
Thunder claps, lightning strikes
A tree cleft into two,
Black and smouldering.

LIVING IN THE 1990S
Poverty, misery;
Soaring unemployment:
Such was the 1990s!

LONELY PLATEAUX
Strange travellers trudge
Along on lonely plateaux,
‘Cross the vast travails.

THE LORD IS GOOD
Jesus is so good
He leads me and he guides me,
Through all life’s travails.

LOST LOVE
If only time could
Heal the agony of heartache,
You feel deep inside.

THE LOVE OF MY LORD
Just one thing helps me
When my life seems worthless, yes
The Love of my Lord!

THE LOVE OF THE LORD
When life seems empty
Just one thing keeps me going,
The love of the Lord!

LOVERS’ EYES
My lover’s eyes sparkle
Just like living diamonds,
Precious to my heart.

LUCY BABY
Lucy Baby is
A really wild child; you know
She’s a tomcat boy!

MINI THE MOOCHER
Furry little minx
Cannot resist the treasures,
In a garbage can.

MISTRESS OF THE NIGHT
Shadowy figure:
The mistress of the night,
Eager to taste your love.

THE NEW-AGE HEROES
The new-age heroes:
Sports people and newsreaders;
Weather girls!  Heroes?

NIGHT SOUNDS EXPLODE
Night sounds explode
Thunder crashes like tsunami,
Rain and hail follow.

A NOEM
This is all I’ll write!
[A Noem --
a one-line haiku!]

POST-ROCK-&-ROLL 1987-
Rap, Hip-Hop, Techno-Crud
All Post-Rock-and-Roll forms:
1987 onwards.

RAIN, RAIN
Rain, rain go away
Help!  Help!  I’m drowning, someone
Please save me!  Help!  Help!

RAMPAGING WINDS (II)
Winds that roar like beasts
Rampaging throughout the towns,
Levels all in sight.

REASON
Your sense of reason
Has been savagely abused:
Love has flown the coop.

RED SANDS SHIFTING
Red desert sands shift:
A lost man looks down toward,
Endless dunes below!

REFLEXIONS ON LIFE
Reflexions on life:
The nineteen-thirties, two-thousands;
Times of depression.

REFLEXIONS ON PAIN
Reflexions on life:
The nineteen-thirties, -nineties;
Times of depression.

REGRETS (II)
Minds torn by regrets
Evil thoughts tormenting,
Keeps your heart from healing.

ROCK & ROLL R.I.P.
Rock & Roll R.I.P.
Born in 1949; passed
away in 1987.

ROCK & ROLL WAS HERE TO STAY
Rock and Roll was here
To stay. Until the day it
died.  Circa '87.

SATORI
A moment of sight
Sudden enlightenment lifts,
Curtains from your mind.

SEE THE DUCKS
Hear the ducks: Quack!  Quack!
Then the rifles fire: Boom!  Boom!
See the ducks fall dead!

THE SEPARATION
Swiftly changing moods:
Tenderness becomes coldness;
Then hostility.

SEXY EYES
Eyes that hint of love
Eyes that promise great passion,
To this lonely man.

SHRIEK AND SHRIEK AGAIN
Shriek and shriek again
Banshee girls on tennis courts,
Putting off rivals.

THE SIMPLE LIFE
Is living simple?
Or as complicated as,
We think it to be?

THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE
To you life was once
Such a very simple thing,
When you knew true love.

SONG OF THE NIGHT (II)
In the dark of night
A siren’s sweet song of love,
Calls you to her arms.

SOUNDS OF THE SEA
Sounds of the sea:
Waves crashing onto rocks;
Foghorns blaring out warnings.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR
Lightning blasts through trees
Thunder claps like tsunami,
Spring is in the air.

SPRING RAINS
Spring rains keep falling
Washing away the sunshine,
Drowning us in gloom.

STICK McGHEE & HIS BUDDIES
Long before the King
of Rock; Ol’ Stick McGhee and
His Buddies sure rocked!

SUMMER DELUGE
Early December
Deluge heralds summer,
Chihuahua battles flood.

SUMMER DELUGES
Early December
Deluge heralding summer,
Swimmers battle floods.

SUMMER RAINS
Light showers falling
Just a lick and promise of,
Winter months away.

SUMMER STORMS
Hail becomes deluge
Winds shrieking, roof iron rattles;
No sign of summer.

SUMMER SUN (II)
Bright sunlight shining
Down upon the beach-dwellers,
Melanomas rife.

TEEMING RAINS
Teeming rains pounding
On rooftops and on windows,
Keeping you indoors.

TENEBROUS WAVES (II)
Tenebrous waves break
Over rocks; white and foaming,
Lashing in anger.

THANK THE LORD (II)
Thank the lord above
Even we are not beyond redemption,
We can still be saved!

THOR’S GREAT HAMMER
Winter rains thunder
Sounding like Thor’s great hammer,
Pounding on rooftops.

THOUGHTS (I)
Your thoughts are dreams
Of all your yesterdays,
Compounded with future hopes.

THUNDER CLAPS LIKE TSUNAMI
Nature at its worst
Thunder claps like tsunami,
Tidal waves of doom.

THUNDER LIKE TSUNAMI
Thunder like tsunami
Tidal waves of fear engulf,
As night explodes.

THE TIGER STALKING
A tiger stalks low
Through the grassy savannah,
Hunting after prey.

TIMBO
Ancient tabby Tom
Looked to reach a hundred
Failed to last the summer.

TO DIE WITHIN (II)
To die within
Without ever knowing love,
Is to have never lived.

UNBEARABLE THOUGHTS
Unbearable thoughts
Of the better times in life,
Now left far behind.

UNRELENTING LOVE
A hidden beauty
Calls you with a promise of,
Unrelenting love.

VELVET EYES (II)
Deep limpid pools that
Make me yearn to dive into,
My woman’s embrace.

VICTORIA AZARENKA
Banshees shrieking on
a tennis court.  Or are they
the women players?

VIOLENCE PENDING
Violence pending
Oak-cleaving thunderbolts
Sizzle across the sky.

WAR PLANES (II)
Images of war
Planes drop whistling death upon,
Those about to die.

WAVES OF TERROR
A wave of terror
Washing over you, like waves
Breaking at the beach.

THE WHALE
Graceful mammal flies
More like a bird than fish, yet
Neither one in truth.

WHIMSICAL
Living has become
A day to day thing; oh so
Very whimsical.

THE WIDOWS’ WALK (II)
A rocky peak, where
Fisherwives wait in vain for,
Husbands lost at sea.

WILD FIRE RAGING
A Raging Wild Fire
Burning precious forests,
Devestating lives.

WITH GOD AT MY SIDE
I cannot get lost
I cannot get lonely,
With God at my side.

WORDS OF LOVE (II)
Your special woman
Lulls you with her charms; talking
In the words of love.

YELLOW LIGHT BURNING
Yellow light burns bright
From energy released as,
Enzymes devour ores.

YIP-YIP DOGS
Little yip yip dogs
Truly more like mice than dogs,
Bite worse than their bark.

YOU WELCOME DEATH
A victim of war
You welcome death to your bed,
To conquer your pain.

THE YOWIES
Manlike beasts walking
Through Australian bushlands,
Fear city-dwellers.

THE ZEBRA
Wild and free spirit;
Black-and-white striped pony,
Which no one can ride.

© Copyright 2011
Philip Roberts, Melbourne, Australia

PART TWO: SF, FANTASY, HORROR HAIKU

THE AGONY OF DREAMS
The agony of dreams
Permeates your restless night;
Nightmares seem so real.

ALL HALLOWS EVE (I)
On All Hallows Eve
When goodness goes to sleep,
Great evil surely wakes.

ALL MANNER OF EVIL
All manner of evil
Flitting through the dark night,
Hunting human food.

AMBER-TINTED DUSK
Amber-tinted dusk
Foreteller of warmth?  Or cold,
Dank things lurking near?

AN ALIEN CREATURE (II)
A writhing creature
From an alien world,
Haunts the lifeless Earth.

ALIEN INVADERS
Alien invaders
Destroy towns and countries
To make the Earth lifeless.

ANCIENT BEINGS (I)
Ancient beings from
Some twilight world: forgotten
But very far from gone.

ANGRY GOD (II)
Angry God raging
Thinning out the human herd;
Chaos now, not miracles.

THE APPROACH
Evil all around
Prowling midnight alleyways,
Death approaching fast.

AQUEOUS
Aquatic horror
With extended, sharklike teeth,
Meant for rending flesh.

THE ARMS OF EVIL
Evil surrounds us
Spreads its arms like a lover,
Calls us to our doom.

THE AROMA OF DEATH
Within the dark woods
A lunatic lurks, bearing
The aroma of death.

ATMOSPHERE HEAVY WITH FEAR
Souls in depression
Atmosphere heavy with fear,
Fearful thoughts torment.

AN ATMOSPHERE LADEN WITH TENSION
Tension in the air;
Mournful, howling, Banshee winds;
Evil on the breeze.

AWFUL
Blind terror grips you
Atmosphere heavy with fear,
Something awful nears.

THE AWFUL NIGHT
Cries of fear unfold
Agony of sudden death,
Haunts this awful night.

BANSHEE WINDS
Mournful banshee winds
Howling with distress for,
Souls lost in a storm.

THE BEAST CHILD (II)
Beastchild born of terror
Raised in a house of hate,
Evil bred within.

BESTIAL FACES
Bestial faces
Hatred burns in pig-like eyes,
Watching from nearby.

BLACK VELVET
Eerie, moonless night
Blacker than blackest velvet,
Sets your nerves on edge.

A BLINDING HAILSTORM
A blinding hailstorm
Hiding death from travellers,
Great danger lurking.

THE BLOOD FEAST
A blood feast practised:
An unholy ritual:
Raising of the dead!

A BLOOD OATH SWORN
A blood oath sworn by
Tall, dark-hooded figures,
In the small of night.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (II)
Evil words written
On a parchment of tanned flesh,
Using blood for ink.

BREATH OF THE STORM
The breath of a storm:
Like anguished screams of the damned,
All your nerve ends raw.

CAPERING FIGURES (I)
With evil intent
Horrid, capering figures,
Creeping up on you.

CAPTURED SOULS
Captured souls writhing
Tormented by dark horrors,
Night fiends are at play.

CATASTROPHE
Elder gods fighting
In faraway Valhalla,
Brings catastrophe.

CAVALRY OF THE CLOUDS
Phantom horsemen ride
’Cross the sky on snow white steeds,
Warring ’bove the clouds.

CHAMBER OF HORRORS (II)
Eerie creaking chains
Mournful cries are heard within,
A crumbling old house.

THE CHASE IS ON (II)
Angry canine teeth
Chase you through your dreams, then
Catch you when you wake.

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT (I)
Children of the night
Young demons in the making,
Learning how to kill.

COLD FIRE (II)
Cold fire burning bright
Chilling you to the marrow,
Burning without heat.

COURTING DEATH
Courting couples out
Walking arm-in-arm at night,
Only courting death.

THE CREATURES OF THE DARKNESS
Evil impulses rule
The creatures of the darkness,
Creatures spawned in hell.

THE CREDITOR (I)
You sold your soul
For mere fortune and fame,
But now the creditor calls.

CREEPY CRAWLING
Whispery, gabbling voices
Wake you from deep sleep,
Horror creeps round your room.

CRIES OF AGONY
Cries of agony
Ring out in the haunted night,
Evil being done.

CRIES OF TERROR (I)
Loud cries of terror
As dark fiends lurch toward you,
Aiming for your throat.

CRYING TIME
A time of terror
Is drawing ever nearer,
Crying fills the night.

THE CRYPT
A dry crunching of bones
A loud smacking of lips,
Coming from the crypt.

CYBORG
Onrushing pylons
With long steel arms reaching out,
Grabbing passersby.

DANGER (I)
Impending peril looms
Your heart beats like a drum,
Danger slowly nears.

DANGER (II)
Day turns to night-time
Safety turns into danger;
Something evil nears.

DANGER IN THE WOODS (II)
Danger in the woods:
Night creatures all around you,
Slowly closing in.

THE DARK NEIGHBOURHOOD
The dark neighbourhood:
Where capering demons wait,
To invade your dreams.

DARKNESS EMBRACES YOU
The darkness embraces you
Holds you like a lover,
Drags you to your doom.

DARKNESS IN HER SOUL
Darkness in her soul
Evil guides the actions,
Of this woman from Hell.

DARK OF THE MOON
Dark moon overhead
Foreteller of great evil,
Creeping, slinking death.

A DARK RITUAL
A dark ritual
Performed on a lonely hill,
Far from prying eyes.

DARK SEAS
Dark seas crash to shore
Under starless, moonless skies,
Piscine horrors near.

THE DARK STONE
A dark amulet
Made of burnished black stone,
Used to ward off evil.

A DARK SYMPHONY
A dark symphony
Played by Satan’s orchestra,
Of tormented souls.

DARK WATERS (II)
Dark waters crash on
Lifeless continents;
Humanity passed away.

DARK WINGS CIRCLING
Dark wings are circling
Blocking out the sunlight,
Spreading terror below.

DARK WATERS MEWLING
Dark seas crash on black shores
Producing strange sounds like,
Mewling from the waters.

THE DEATHBELL
The deathbell ringing
Calling demons from the sea,
To visit the land.

THE DEATHBELL PEELING
The deathbell ringing
Peeling like the voice of doom,
Terror numbs your mind.

DEATH IN BLACK RAIMENTS
An angel of death
In black raiments; wielding a
Razor-sharp sickle.

THE DEATH MARCH BEATING (II)
The death march beating
Keeping perfect tempo with,
The rhythm of your heart.

DEATH WALKERS (II)
Night walkers stumble
Through the dark, deserted streets,
On legs stiff from death.

DEATH WEBS
Strange travellers hunt
Giant, ravenous spiders;
Spinning webs of death.

DEPRAVITY
Such pent-up ravings
When all sanity seems lost,
To depravity.

DESIRES
Prowling late at night
Out searching for victims,
To sate his desires.

DEVOLUTION: RETROGRADE EVOLUTION (II)
Human devolution
To forms too monstrous,
To even contemplate.

A DIRE PORTICO
A dire portico:
A gateway through which evil,
Slinks into our world.

DREADFUL FIGURES PRANCING
On a lonely hill
Dreadful figures are prancing,
You watch on in fear.

EAGLES (I)
Eagles are clawing
At your eyes, at your throat,
Is it only a dream?

ELDER GODS WAR (Ct)
On doom-laden Yuggoth
Faraway in space and time,
Elder gods war.

THE FEARFUL NIGHT
A solemn mood falls
On a town lost to terror,
In this fearful night.

FINIS
Empty streets and lanes
Where once life had abounded,
Eerie silence reigns.

A FLOOD OF HORROR
A flood of horror
Sweeping right through your system,
Terror drawing near.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE HALL (III)
Footsteps in the hall
Wing beats in the darkness,
Evil drawing nearer.

THE FURY
Night’s dark mantle covers
A raging black fury,
Bearing down on you.

GLOWING RED EYES CALL YOU (I)
Two glowing red eyes
Burning into your brain,
Calling you to its lair.

THE GREAT RAINBOW SNAKE
A giant serpent
Coloured like a rainbow
Writhing ’cross the sky.

GRINNING, FLESHLESS SKULLS (I)
Grinning, fleshless skulls
On bones picked clean of meat,
By terrors yet unseen.

THE HAUNTED NIGHT (I)
A town lost to fear,
Of dark, faceless figures that
Walk the haunted night.

THE HELL HOUND (II)
Evil, snarling beast
Exhaling fire and brimstone,
As it hunts by night.

HELLSCAPES
A sky that rains blood,
Great billowing walls of flesh:
The landscapes of Hell.

HIS INNERMOST MIND
The pent-up ravings
Of a madman revealing,
His innermost mind.

HORNED, FACELESS DEMONS
Horned, faceless demons
Bat-winged and scaly,
Like prehistoric monsters.

A HOUSE OF HAUNTS (II)
A house of haunts with
An evil reputation,
Terror lurks within.

THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED
Sounds of the hunter
And the sounds of the hunted,
But which one are you?

HUNTING AFTER TWILIGHT (II)
Evil creatures slink
Through the spreading shadows,
Hunting after twilight.

I AM CALLED DEATH
Terror walks by me
Nothing living dares to move,
For I am called death.

THE ILLUSION
Illusion of life
Winging through the dark gardens,
Hunting out its prey.

THE LAND OF THE DAMNED
Minds of twisted killers
Bent on spreading terror,
Through this evil land.

THE LONELY HUNTER (I)
Mournful cry of a
Wolf in the night: Werewolf?
Or just lonely hunter?

THE MADMAN ENTERS
Spotting a window
(Open and showing no light!),
The madman enters.

A MOONLIT ALTAR (II)
Loathsome creatures crawl
Toward a moonlit altar,
Where fallen priests chant.

MURDER AFTER MIDNIGHT
A mind bent on murder
Hunting through the dark streets,
In the early morn.

MY NAME IS DEATH
I am eternal
I come to visit you all,
For my name is death.

MYSTERIES OF THE NIGHT (I)
Mysteries of the night
Hold no terror for me,
People call me death.

NEW TERROR RISING (II)
A mushroom cloud soars
Changes to an evil face,
New terror rising.

NIGHT FLYERS (III)
Night flyers sailing
Low above the treetops,
Searching for a kill.

THE NIGHTMARE JOURNEY (I)
Journey through a land
Of volcanoes and fire,
And mounds of grinning skulls.

NIGHT’S EERIE BEAUTY
Night’s eerie beauty
Lulls you with its charms; kills you
In only seconds.

NIGHT SOLDIERS
Phantom soldiers march
Along on lonely fields, where
Battles once were waged.

NIGHT WARRIORS
Night warriors fight
For control of the darkness,
Control of your dreams.

THE PISCINE
A fish-like beast with
A long neck ringed with gills, and
Eyes round as saucers.

THE PURSUIT
On the edge of blind panic
You flee through the woods,
With death in pursuit.

ROILING DEATH
Roiling, tiny waves
As small as tiny cat hairs,
Bringing silent death!

SKELETAL DANCERS
Skeletal dancers
In mouldy rags, waltz to
A broken old record.

SKELETAL WARRIORS
Skeletal warriors
Risen from aeons’ sleep,
War against mankind.

SONG OF THE SIREN
The sound of the night:
A siren’s sweet song of death,
Calls you to your doom.

STRANGE ARCHAEOLOGY (I)
Grave-robbers stumble
Across corpses that come to life;
Reaching out for them.

THE SUPERSTITION (II)
Beast of great evil
Knowledge held from science,
Branded superstition.

THIS HAUNTED EARTH
Strangers of the night:
Vile abominations which,
Stalk this haunted earth.

THIS LAND OF DEATH (II)
Screaming through the night
Ceaseless crying through the day,
In this land of death.

A TRIBUTE TO EVIL
A red obelisk
Marked with weird hieroglyphs,
A tribute to evil.

TWILIGHT APPROACHES (II)
Walking to your death
Your life is fast running out:
Twilight approaches.

UNDER THE EYES OF THE NIGHT (I)
Under night’s bright eyes
Terror stalks dark alleys,
Hunting after prey.

THE UNHOLY GUILD
A secret guild that
Meets late in the evenings,
Plotting evil deeds.

UNSEEN EYES IN THE DARK (II)
Unseen eyes at night
Watching your every move,
Creeping close behind.

UNSEEN EYES IN THE NIGHT (I)
Unseen eyes in the night
Watching you from nearby,
Closing for the kill.

UNWELCOME MOURNERS
Unseen figures stalk
Among unwary mourners,
Sporting black attire.

THE VALKYRIES (III)
Beautiful maidens
Riding upon winged-chargers,
To claim dead heroes.

THE VOICE OF THE NIGHT (II)
The voice of the night:
The sweet song of the siren,
Calls you to your doom.

WHAT NIGHTMARES COME
Chitinous horrors
Covered in horns and spines,
Like giant arachnids.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Dark seas crash on shore
Across lifeless continents,
Where humans once trod.

THE WILD THING
A wild thing crouching
Ready to leap out at you,
Aiming for your throat.

THE WIND WALKER
Walker on the wind
Drifter on the late-night breeze,
Feared by one and all.

A WINGED FURY
A winged fury
Soaring through the dark night sky,
Searching for live prey.

WORDS OF DOOM
Doleful voices echo
Resounding within your mind,
Chanting words of doom.

YOUR DARK HALF
After your good half sleeps
You wake to find evil,
Committed in your name.

© Copyright 2011
Philip Roberts, Melbourne, Australia

PART THREE: VAMPIRE HAIKU

ANCIENT BURIAL GROUNDS
Evil lurks in crypts
In ancient burial grounds,
Eager soon to feed.

ANCIENT GRAVEYARDS
Dark figures lurk in
Ancient, overgrown graveyards,
Very few dare tread.

BAT WINGS
Bat wings on the sill
Red eyes peer through your window,
Death lurking outside.

BECKONING FINGERS
Pale fingers beckon
From a dark corner, where
Unseen demons lurk.

BLOOD HUNGER
Blood-hunger sharpened
By millennia underground;
Appetite stirs.

THE BLOOD QUEST
Through the deeper woods
Lope unseen atrocities,
Questing after blood.

BLOOD THIRST
Hot liquid flows
From severed arteries,
Savoured like vintage wine.

BREAKFAST TIME
Ancient sleepers wake
From a thousand-year slumber,
Eager now to feed.

BY BLOOD ALONE (II)
Fed on blood only
They live through untold years,
Needing no other food.

CADAVEROUS CREATURES LURCH
Cadaverous creatures
Dripping fetid ichor,
Lurch at human prey.

THE CHASE IS ON (I)
Angry canine teeth
Chase you through your nightmares,
Then catch you when you wake.

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT (II)
Vampire children prowling
Through the dark night streets,
Hungry for their first kill.

COLD, REFLECTIVE FACES
Cold, reflective faces
On stiffly shambling bodies,
Lurching after you.

THE CONNOISSEUR
Tapping a pulsing vein
He selects a fine wine,
From a special cache.

CORPSES WRITHE IN AGONY
Corpses writhe around
in agony; when stakes are
driven through their hearts.

THE CRAVING
An unknown bat’s bite
Produces strange symptoms:
A dark craving for blood.

CREATURE OF THE SHADOWS (II)
Creature of shadows
Wary of bright sunlight,
Feeding after dark.

CANINES SINKING DEEP
Pale-faced strangers lurk
Awaiting passing humans,
Canines sinking deep!

THE CRIMSON TERROR
Red-eyed children come
Asking adults for their help,
Leaving only death.

DARK FIGURES HOVER
Dark figures hover
Outside a bedroom window,
Hoping soon to feed.

THE DARK INHERITANCE
Dark inheritance:
Blood tainted by ancestors,
Makes you walk the night.

THE DARK LADY
The dark lady nears:
The mistress of the night,
Eager to taste warm blood.

DARKNESS IS KIND
Darkness is kind
To the creatures of the night,
Who fear the bright sunlight.

DARK SHADOWS LENGTHEN
Dark shadows lengthen
Becoming dreadful figures,
Slashing tender throats.

DARK WINGS OVERHEAD
Dark wings overhead
Block out the sun and cast,
Fearful shadows below.

DEATH STREET
Pale skinned monsters lurk
In the basement of a house,
In a nameless street.

DEEP IN SUNKEN CRYPTS (II)
Deep in sunken crypts
Ancient creatures stirring,
Hoping soon to feast.

DELIGHT
Starving mouths feeding
From brutally severed throats,
Gurgling from delight.

DEMON BABIES
Demon babies feed
From shattered arteries,
Supping crimson milk.

THE DEMON CHILDREN (III)
The demon children
Sleep in their coffins by day,
Then go out to play.

DEMONS FEASTING
Dreaming of terrors
You awake to find demons,
Feasting upon you.

THE DEVIL’S INHERITANCE
Lurking in shadows,
Questing after blood:
The Devil’s inheritance.

DRIVING THE POINT HOME
A dour figure stands
Near an open casket, holding
A hawthorn stake.

DUNGEON OF DEATH
A dungeon of death
Houses sallow-faced corpses,
Which rise again at dusk.

THE EMERGENCE
Graveyard workers scream
As coffins break open,
The living dead emerge.

THE ENERGY VAMPIRES
Even the ones you love
Sap your strength and health,
Just like vampires of old.

EVIL AFTER MIDNIGHT
Loathsome creatures hunt
Throughout the streets and alleys,
Seeking human prey.

AN EVIL BEQUEST
Evil lusts bequeathed
By long-dead relatives,
Make you fear the sunlight.

EVIL FIGURES LURK
Evil figures lurk
Round lonely burial grounds,
Hunting human prey.

EVIL IN THE AIR
Tall, wraithlike figures
On the brink of wild frenzy,
Evil in the air.

EVIL SECRETS OF THE DARKNESS
A caped figure creeps
Through the dark and lonely streets,
Hunting human prey.

EYES IN THE DARKNESS
Eyes in the darkness
Burning like living embers,
Deep into your soul.

A FATAL INTERRUPTION
Blood-moistened lips
Are raised from grisly cadavers,
As footsteps approach.

THE FEAST
Starving mouths feeding
Upon red, dripping meat, which
Writhes beneath each bite.

FEASTING AFTER DARK
Blood runs hot, from wounds
Inflicted by foul creatures,
Feasting after dark.

THE FEEDING FRENZY
Red-eyed monsters lurch
In the midst of wild frenzy,
Vampires cruelly feast.

FEED THE HUNGRY CHILDREN
Delighted gurgling
From children of the night,
Making their first kill.

FIENDS ON THE SILL
Fiends on a high sill
Waiting in mounting hunger,
Licking canine teeth.

FINGER-LICKING GOOD
Upon blood-stained floors
The evil, living dead lick,
Fingers slick with blood.

FLICKERING DEVILS
Flickering devils
With snake-like, glowing, red eyes,
Sup on sleeping prey.

A FOG-SHROUDED BEACH
A fog-shrouded beach
Where pale, vacant-eyed beings,
Stroll...But never swim!

FRENZY
A frenzied tearing
breaks out.  As evil fiends
devour a living feast.

GHASTLY CREATURES POUNCE
Ghastly creatures pounce
Grabbing passing humans,
To sate an evil thirst.

A GIANT BLACK VAMPIRE
A giant, black vampire
Orbits round the moon,
Casting shadows to Earth.

GLIDING THROUGH DARK ALLEYWAYS
A tall caped figure
Glides through darkened alleys,
Feeding on lost souls.

GLOWING RED EYES CALL YOU (II)
Two glowing red eyes
Burning into your brain;
Calling you to its lair.

GRAVEYARD CREATURES
Graveyard creatures lurk
Beside a crumbling tombstone,
Evil soon to come.

GRAVEYARD CREATURES LURK
Graveyard creatures lurk
In shadows thrown by tombstones,
Killing those who mourn.

GRAVEYARD FIENDS
Graveyard fiends follow
After living prey, walking
Through a sunken crypt.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Working after midnight
In a crumbling villa;
Ancient creatures stir.

THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Late-night workmen
In a crumbling villa,
Hear ancient creatures stir.

GURGLING
In a lonely graveyard
A low gurgling resounds,
From an ancient crypt.

HACKLES RAISED IN TERROR
Hackles raised in terror
Of a long-dead master,
Risen from the grave.

THE HAUNTED NIGHT (II)
A town lost to fear,
Of dark, faceless figures,
That walk the haunted night.

THE HAUNTED VAULT
Dreadful figures creep
Around the lengthy shadows,
In a haunted vault.

HOME, SWEET HOME
Cemeteries are
His natural habitat,
The place he calls home.

HORROR IN BURIAL GROUNDS
Pale-faced figures crouch
Horror in burial grounds,
Mourners soon to die.

HUMAN FOOD
Ghastly creatures hide
In deep, dark, lonely crypts,
Awaiting human food.

HUSKS
Fiends grab the living
Imbibe their vital juices,
Leaving only husks.

IN HIS CASKET
Calmly reclining
In his casket by day;
At night-time he emerges.

INHUMAN LUSTS
Lurking in graveyards
Dark figures motivated,
By inhuman lusts.

AN INHUMAN QUEST
Inhuman creatures
Lurching through lonely graveyards,
Questing after blood.

INNOCENTS TO DIE
Red eyes filled with lust
Sweet smell of death on pursed lips,
Innocents will die.

IN THE GRIP OF TERROR (II)
In terror’s tight grip
You flee through the horrid night,
Red-eyed fiends pursue.

THE KISS OF DEATH
Young women set on
By tall, wraith-like strangers,
Who plant a fatal kiss.

THE LATE HOMECOMING
An ichor coated corpse
Returning from the war,
Met only with fear.

THE LATE-NIGHT SUPPER
Lethal in the dark
They wait outside the churchyard,
Hoping soon to feed.

LET SLEEPING CORPES LIE
A dungeon of death
Housing sallow-faced corpses;
Which rise again at dusk.

LURKING IN GRAVEYARDS
Unnatural desires
Motivate dark figures,
Lurking in graveyards.

THE MAN-BOYS WHO NEVER DIE (I)
Handsome youths mature
Into mighty warriors,
Nourished by fresh blood.

NECTAR
Fangs glisten from lust
Longing to taste the nectar,
Of tender, young throats.

NIGHT FLYERS
Death stalks ’cross the land
Evil flying on batwings;
Sharp fangs sinking deep.

NIGHT HORRORS (III)
Fiends with large, black wings
And gloving dark red eyes,
Who thirst for human blood.

NIGHT WALKERS
Evil creatures walk
Through the dark night streets,
Of a village lost to fear.

PALE, GRISLY CADAVERS
Grisly cadavers
Pale from lack of blood,
After vampires have feasted.

THE PLAGUE
Plague of evil fiends
Stalking through the moonlit streets,
Killing all they meet.

PLAINTIVE CRIES IN THE NIGHT
Plaintive cries at night
Trapped in a dark crypt,
As coffin lids lift up.

RED-EYED CHILDREN WALK
Red-eyed children walk
To unsuspecting adults,
Readying to feed.

THE REPRIMAND
A sharp reprimand:
Teeth touch a jugular, lick,
Nibble...Then sink deep.

RIVERS OF BLOOD
Long, stiletto-like claws
And needle-sharp fangs,
Produce rivers of blood.

SHADOWY FIGURES CREEPING (II)
Shadowy figures
Creeping through a lonely room,
Innocents asleep.

THE SLEEPER WAKES
Pale light of candles
Flickering round a casket,
As the sleeper wakes.

THE SOLITARY WATCHER
Solitary watcher
From his private eyrie,
Hungry for fresh blood.

SOMETHING EVIL
Something evil waiting
Lurking in the shadows,
Watching you approach.

THE SPACE VAMPIRES
Vampires from deep space
Spreading like a virus;
Attack the human race.

STRANGE ARCHAEOLOGY (II)
Grave robbers stumble
Across corpses that come alive,
Reaching out for them.

THE STREETS RUN RED WITH BLOOD
Streets run red with blood
When a vampire plague sweeps through,
Leaving few alive.

THE SWEETEST WINE
Flesh torn in frenzy
To get at the sweetest wine,
From a severed throat.

THE THIRST QUENCHER
Hot liquid flowing
From severed jugulars,
Quenching evil thirsts.

TO FEED THE STARVING MASSES
Hungry mouths feasting
As arteries give up their,
Warm, sweet, red nectar.

THE UNDEAD AWAKEN
Coffins burst open
Upheaving their contents,
Releasing the Undead.

UNNATURAL LUSTS
Unnatural lusts:
Compulsion to drink blood,
Soon to commit mayhem.

VAMPIRE BATS NIBBLE
Vampire bats nibble
Gently at your earlobe, then
Suckle at your throat.

A VAMPIRE CALLING
A vampire waiting
Outside your bedroom window,
Gently calls your name.

VAMPIRES CREEPING
Vampires creeping through
A dark and lonely bedroom,
Feasting on the lost.

VAMPIRES SENSE LIFE
Vampires sense life;
Smell the blood of the living,
And move in for the kill.

VAMPIRES SWOOP
Vampires change to bats
Then swoop in through your window,
Landing on your neck.

VEILED FACES IN THE NIGHT (II)
Fearful of daylight
Beautiful veiled women,
Creep about by night.

THE WALKING DEAD
Crumbling gravestones mark
The resting place of people,
Still seen walking round.

WARNING SIGNS OF DANGER
Bats fly near your window
Warning you of danger:
Evil lurking near.

WAYS AND MEANS
Cleansing with fire
Or impaling with sharp stakes:
Ways to deal with vampires.

WAYS TO KILL VAMPIRES
Cleansing with holy fire;
Impaling with sharp stakes:
Ways to “kill” vampires.

WEDDING NUPTIALS
Fish-eyed stare on the face
Of a dead husband, returned
To his wife’s bed.

WHITE SLIVERS
Moonlight reflects off
White slivers in the shadows,
Canines being licked?

WINGED DEATH
Hordes of flying death
Winging above the city,
Seeking human prey.

WRAITH-LIKE CREATURES STALK
Wraith-like creatures stalk
Through dark, deserted alleys,
Hunting human prey.

YOURS TRULY FROM HELL
Nourished down the ages
By blood of killers, he
Becomes another Jack.

ZERO HOUR APPROACHES
Giant bat wings flap
Overhead while you sleep,
Zeroing in on you.

© Copyright 2011
Philip Roberts, Melbourne, Australia

PART FOUR: POLITICAL HAIKU

ALWAYS FREE SPEECH
Why lament free speech?
Indians want free speech too!
Nothing to lament.

ANTI-TERRORIST (OR FASCIST?)
Lock up the people
Just in case they cause trouble!
We don’t need no proof!

A FESTIVE TIME? (II)
At a time of peace
Why is there so much hatred,
Polluting the Earth?

DICTATORS GOVERN
Dictators govern
Reigning over the people;
Grown fat off taxes.

FLESH IN THE FURNACE (II)
Flesh in the furnace:
People cooked like animals;
Germany insane.

FREE SPEECH
Fighting oppression
I always speak the truth;
No matter who it hurts!

GO ON, OBAMA
Go on, Obama
Bring sanity back once more,
To an insane world!

THE HOLOCAUST
Remembrances of
Death camps, of people burning;
Of the holocaust.

THE LORD’S BIRTHDAY (II)
Christ was born this time
Two thousand years past.
His word of ‘love’ seems lost.

PLEASE GOD, LET IT END
Please God, let it end
The US Election bores me,
Please, let it end!

PLEASE, MR OBAMA
Please, Mr Obama
Don’t let fascist rednecks,
Keep you for your great task!

SURGERY OF TERROR
Mengele performed
Surgery of terror,
On unwilling patients.

WHEN THE OIL RUNS OUT
When the oil runs out
Will America stop,
Invading Arab lands?

© Copyright 2011
Philip Roberts, Melbourne, Australia