Desert Haiku,
For Ewe (1991)

I.

In the King’s gym
Hard work and sweat;
Her sweet scent of roses.

II.

Your body refuses
To hide its charms; I carefully
Pump more iron.

III.

A wise man never said
That to be wholly moral
Was to be all good.

IV.

Under the hot Riyadh sun;
The glint of water on ochre skin.
Ageless female allure.

V.

What is the sound
Of a water bug sinking?
‘Sputter, glub, gurgle’.

VI.

Smooth thigh, graceful arm:
There is so much more
To it than that!

VII.

Cold water is not as good
As commonly thought
To quench raw desire.

VIIC.

Sometimes it is hard
To be in the Near East
Around such Far Eastern beauty.

VIII.

As Basho himself honestly
Pointed out, poets are notoriously
Dishonest, unless drunk.