5 BIRD HAIKUS by Peter Schmidt

I’m feeling foreign
Walking in foreign forests
A finch in a pine

Robin in a ditch
Not fearing the man nearby
Splashing and sipping

Pheasant in the field
Grazing in the winter air
Target for a shot

Two crows on a line
Living alongside in peace
A sudden dog barked

Pigeons-a couple
Sailing in the morning sun
A promising start

WILLOW
Twigs against the sky
Where are they leading to
The roots are hidden

FUCHSIA
Green leaves, red blossoms
A silent composition
Joyful companions

HAWTHORN
Defensive fences
Along a winterly road
Berries glowing red

DAISIES
White with yellow dots
Hosts in fields and along the roads
They grow where they want

RIVER GLORE
Water grey and white
Cattle grazing on the banks
Where does it lead to

She Was Half Way Out The Door
by Peter Schmidt

She was half-way out the door.
She hesitated, stopped.

The recent hours filled her mind.

She had been in the kitchen,
Doing the washing up.
When her husband shouted:
Bring me another beer.

He was sitting, as always, in front of the TV,
He never switched it off.

He had been unemployed a year now.
At first he had written applications,
Had tried to get new employment,
Nothing had worked.
Then he had given up on himself.

He was sitting on the couch,
In front of the TV.
Surrounded by empty beer cans.

No beer left in the fridge,
She told him.

After a few seconds,
His sturdy body appeared in the door.
He staggered when he approached her.
Then she saw his fist coming forward.
She fell, picked herself up and fled.

Out of the front door.
It was bitterly cold.
She came to her senses, stopped.
She felt the pain in her swollen eye.
What can I do?
Where can I go?

She was only half-way out the door.