River Song

I am very sad to have to report that the body of my friend, the haiku poet Martin Lucas, has just been found on a beach near the mouth of the Ribble, a river he deeply loved. How this happened we do not yet know. He had been missing for more than three weeks. Martin has long been the editor of one of the world’s finest haiku journals, Presence. When Martin visited Japan in March 2003, he had presided at a kukai held by Hailstone in Osaka; and again, in May 2005, Hailstone had linked up with Martin’s ‘Roses’ group in the North of England for the world’s first international synchronous kukai (conducted ‘live’ via the internet). He had only just published, in the latest issue of Presence, his review of our new book.
The following haiku sequence (or rensaku) – what he simply called “River Song” – was read by Martin in a BBC Radio programme featuring his Yorks-Lancs haiku group (broadcast Dec. 2003).

Dear Martin, always energetic, pure and true. We will ever appreciate you through the art you have left behind. Missing you so much.

into the swirls
of the spring river
the cormorants dive

where the clear river
clouds across the stones
eight swans

as far
as the eye can see
the river song

between the rocks
and the river breeze
the dance of light

evening by the river
the spurt of red flame
beneath a hot air balloon

high tide
when I return to the river
the swans return to me

a quiet stretch of river
the gull’s little kick
into flight

mist
as far as the river
a river of lights

first catkins
in the riverbank trees
the tide turning

Martin Lucas