More from my April Haiku Challenge

April having now left us, and the challenge to write a poem a day departed, I have both a feeling of profound relief and one of regret that April could not have gone on a little longer. Who am I kidding? I didn't have to stop writing. Seriously though,my grateful thanks to Sorlil at Poetry in Progress for the inspiration and for awakening me to the fact of April being Write a Poem a Day month (I might never have known!) and to Jim at The Truth About lies for the suggestion that for the second half of the month I try to break away from the 5-7-5 format. (For the earlier set see My April Haiku Challenge.)It certainly relieved the strain on the brain's musculature. Whether it has improved (or dis-improved) the quality, I am not sure. Too close to them all to judge, I will have a looksee in a month or so. And to those who didn't like my presentation last time (and I was one of them), an attempt to break up "the wall". So, for better or for worse, here is a selection:

                           presented this time
                           on a single string -
                           kite-flying, if you like.
                           With two strings, though, this tanka might
                           have turned a somersault.
                           /                           
       under the bird table
       pigeons gather the crumbs
       that small birds drop.
                              \
                               even humble water cans
                               will form a landscape
                               at the touch of snow
                                                   \
                                                   at my approach
                                                   the larger birds
                                                   are always first away
                                                  /
                               one spring-like day
                               the one bee in the daffodils
                               prefers the one bedraggled bloom
                               /
           trying to give light
           by striking endless matches                                                         
           - that's lightning for you!
                                    /
                                    low cloud cover
                                    keeps the earth frost-free, 
                                    dark - and dry as desert sand!
                                   /
                         hailstones
                         hammer the conservatory roof
                         drowning out the thunder
                                                |
                                                incessant rain
                                                this year the flame
                                                bush merely smoulders
                                               /
                     snow on the pony's blanket
                     and we see in his back
                     an echo of the distant hills
                     \
       council workmen  
       strimming the grass verges
       strim a sleepy hedgehog.
                               \
                                three feasting on the table
                                blue tit and sparrow unaware 
                                the third one is a mouse?