High Coup Journal - December 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

S.M. Abeles (international man of mystery)

Maureen Kingston (Wayne, NB)

Rose Kowaliw (Swanzey, NH)

Leo Kulinski, Jr. (Litchfield, CT)

Darcy McMurtery (Seattle, WA)

Tom Rault (Laxviken, Sweden)

Taylor Smietanski  (Oxford, OH)

Henry Visotski (Brooklyn, NY)

Chuck Von Nordheim (Dayton, OH)

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Editor's Note:

Winter and presents:

everything is late this year,

just like this issue.

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Rose Kowaliw

The Perfect Christmas Tree

Trudging through the snow

Winds blowing, twenty below

Picked the closest tree

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Taylor Smietanski

No Shave November

Is the way I like to roll

Time for a razor

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Maureen Kingston

her Louboutin heels

at the New Year’s Eve party

ice pick his resolve

  

special of the day--

beef gravy over French fries

the truck stop madam

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Henry Visotski 

 

Bare knuckle boxing:

Not good, particularly

When you’re uninsured

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Chuck Von Nordheim 

brown leaf and green lawn

poke through the first snow’s white crust--

winter hesitates

peppermint slobber

makes your nephew’s face sticky--

merry Christmas hug

precipitation’s

possible forms shapes all plans--

won’t go if it snows

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Leo Kulinski, Jr.

Ducks are on the pond

Thoreau signals for the curve

Dice K. wheels, deals, strike

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S.M. Abeles

Drinking in stillness

A cure for mental illness

Or the next best thing

For once it appears

it was the sun, not me, that

had one too many 

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Darcy McMurtery

Home Depot

Waiting in line with

a shovel, rope, bag of lime.

I forgot my bag.

New Math

You call me "my one."

I know there are other girls.

Some things don't add up.

Incarcerated 

in the jury waiting room.

Where's my orange jump suit?

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Tom Rault

As I lose my hair

my patience is growing thin       

in the barber shop.

It knows no malice,

it knows no pity either:

the crow wants to eat.

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December 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: S.M. Abeles

That bastard autumn,

destroyer of low necklines,

slayer of bare legs

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Next month, stay tuned for

experiments with Haikubes...

send in your stuff, too!

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - November 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Robin Burke (Terre Haute, IN)

Mrs. Copeland’s First Grade Class (Terre Haute, IN) 

Rose Kowaliw (Swanzey, NH)

Bob Lucky (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Dennis Maulsby (Ames, IA)

Tom Rault (Laxviken, Sweden)

Sherry Steiner (Housatonic, MA) 

Eli Van Sickel (Normal, IL)

Chuck Von Nordheim (Dayton, OH)

Anthony Ward (Durham, England)

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Editor's Note:

Hear the powerless

crying out for warmth and aid

in Connecticut.

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Robin Burke

falling

colorful dead leaves

silently murder my grass

mulching makes me smile

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Mrs. Copeland’s First Grade Class

We saw a turkey

so colorful and chunky

he was so funky

On a spooky night

I once saw a haunted house

I ran for my mom

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Eli Van Sickel

I check my Facebook
to reassure myself of
my safety, I think

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Bob Lucky

bad weather forecast

the morning newspaper lies

bleeding in the rain

Friday at the beach

the bikini-clad tourists

are the attraction

the TV blasting

both my parents sound asleep

in their new twin beds

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Rose Kowaliw

Two Strikes...

Dinner was a bust

Forgot his wallet, again

No more web dating

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Tom Rault 

This doormat will not

talk, otherwise it could tell

some dirty stories.

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Chuck Von Nordheim

wind-blown leaves dance past
lawns decked with campaign slogans—
gray days and choices


fall sunlight tints days
amber as an old photo—
memories seem new


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Sherry Steiner

a shocking secret
a forgiven yesterday
a silk robe nine bucks

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Henry Visotski 

who owes favors where,

ass and elephant debate.

meanwhile, the sun sets

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Dennis Maulsby

Arms and legs entwined.

Man♂…woman♀, so united,     

yet so far apart.

Shouting men place bets.

On a red dirt patch of ground

cricket sumos fight.

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Anthony Ward

Reflection

searching for myself

while finding my reflection

right where I left it

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November 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: Tom Rault

If I bump my head

once more on that attic beam

I will saw it off.

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One upcoming month

to squeeze in more nasty storms

and nasty haiku.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - October 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Art Bupkis (Gainesville, FL)

Courtney Davis (Freehold, NJ)

Amanda Hillenburg (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada)

Rose Kowaliw (Swanzey, NH)

Chuck Von Nordheim (Dayton, OH)

Annie Perconti (Louisville, KY)

Amelia Ritner (Hinsdale, MA)

John Tustin (New Hyde Park, NY)

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Editor's Note:

Snow, a white pillow

waits to smother leaves as red

as an infant's cheeks.

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Courtney Davis

It’s Rosh Hashana

wishing you a very sweet

and healthy new year

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John Tustin

All your dark dark hair

On my pillow. Like curtains

Smothering sorrow

  

You packed up and left

Watching me disintegrate

And now I am dust

Fill my emptiness

With your liquid compassion

Flood me with your love

Your face in the sun

Your face in the light of moon

I will take them both

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Art Bupkis

(Mr. Bupkis prefaced his submission with the following explanation: "Well, Yankees, you may be 'anal' about 5/7/5, citing 'English', but these ain't in English, they're in Cracker... Cracker is terse: 3/5/3.")

on that pine

that damn crow’s landed

cock the gun

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Rose Kowaliw

 Worst Bridesmaid Gown

 Hot pink, puffy sleeves

with matching shoes in satin.

Big pink marshmallow.

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Amanda Hillenburg

#firstworldproblems

Protests nationwide?

But a celeb did something

Report that instead.

Children are starving

Who cares? Facebook changed my feed.

brb raging

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Annie Perconti

Slipping hips into

belts hung low, laced with language 

she's ready to flow.

He's an eye-drifter--

Slipping low into places 

the world cannot know. 

Thoughts form like stitches.

The machinist of the mind

connects truth with lies.

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Amelia Ritner

The cold morning air

Tea in hand, cat at my feet

The winter begins.

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Chuck Von Nordheim

spectral fog shimmers

above lamp-lit wet blacktop--

autumn’s grey tint grows

helmeted ranks break

through butcher paper banners--

homecoming heralds

drive past corn stubble

see leaves rage yellow and red--

autumn’s last warm day

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October 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: John Tustin

Like riding lightning

I love you differently

But I love you both

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Best of luck to all

coming up with new ideas

for haiku and life.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com

High Coup Journal - September 2011 Issue

(Photo by Ann Wright, Plymouth, IN)

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Evan Chow (San Francisco, CA)

Amanda Hillenburg (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada)

Kevin James (Terre Haute, IN)

Rose Kowaliw (Swanzey, NH)

Bob Lucky (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Geoff Pope (Renton, WA)

Adam Tetelman (Troy, NY)

Chuck Von Nordheim (Dayton, OH)

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Editor's Note:

Hurricane season,

a sloppy kiss from your aunt

who never visits.

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Chuck Von Nordheim

one final brain freeze

caused by cherry flavored ice—

Dairy Queen closes

hurricanes bulldoze

human homes in new places—

make way for sea rise

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Evan Chow

Step on bathroom scale.

Darn! Well, let me get my wrench.

Ah, that’s much better.

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Kevin James

How many times son...

Lock the door to your bedroom...

when you want "me" time

Who's your kid's father?

Maury has your answers now

Only cost? Your pride.

Newton Lied to us

He discovered gravity

by his plumber's pants

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Rose Kowaliw

Forever Young

Wrinkles come with age

sure as hell won’t be for me

not when there's Botox.

Ha Ha Ha

Manhattan rich bitch

wearing last year’s Manolos

what was she thinking?

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Adam Tetelman

The roads are all closed

Danger lurks around each turn

Time for a roadtrip

-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Bob Lucky

three days of cold rain –

a flock of sheep stop to drink

from a deep pothole

a night of fireflies –

the internet connection

flickers on and off

the moon lost in clouds –

twisting the hair in my ear

at the long stop light

cold steady drizzle –

watching the dog lick herself

over and over

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Geoff Pope

husband eats his first

Oyster Burger while the wife

(milk)shakes her sweet head

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Amanda Hillenburg

Social media 

Great for broadcasting chaos 

Without hazard pay

Who needs milk and eggs? 

Liquor is more important 

Non-perishable!

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September 2011 AWESOME SAUCE: Adam Tetelman

Pounding storms hit hard

the students getting hammered

straight through the storm's eye

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Soon, before the next

monster storm destroys us all,

send in your haiku.

highcoupjournal {at} gmail.com