first cuckoo – I step outside barefoot to count my years

pirma gegutė – išeinu basas laukan metų skaičiuoti

In Lithuanian folk the cuckoo is a mysterious and magic bird. Until the cuckoo's call is heard, venturing outdoors in bare feet is dangerous even if the weather is warm because the earth underneath is still frozen and can cause ailments. The cuckoo's call dispels the last vestige of winter and ensures the cold is gone for good. When a person hears the cuckoo's first call he or she may ask: "How many years will I live?" The answer is the number of times the cuckoo calls after the question.

certain death in my favorite color – sluggish so far

kol kas lėtoka – mano mėgstamos spalvos angis mirtina

p.s. Those using MS Internet Explorer will see picture in black and white so please click on the picture to see it in colours.

spring sprinkle – the mossy stone grows softer

balandžio dulksna – akmuo apsamanojęs minkštesnis rodos

quivers wearily amongst soft catkins an old frail leaf

virpa pavargęs tarp švelnučių kačiukų bespalvis lapas

louring sky – blame on woodpecker and myself

apniukęs dangus – skuba kvailys apkaltint genį ir save

snow is gone – mournful snowdrops on the hillside

kalvos pašlaitė – žiemos sniegui nutirpus snieguolės gedi

I am back

I am back from hiking to haiku. Thanks to all of you for your kind wishes, they meant a lot to me. The trip was great, I have managed to travel in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, had a lot of wonderful meetings, had a lot of time to think but... I missed all of you a lot. It will take a while to visit all of you for you've been really busy in my absence - I have more than 500 haiku posts to read. Well, let's look at the bright side of it - I've got something to enjoy for another month or so. And, as I have already said hi, it's time to say ku too. Let's get haikuing!

Aš grįžau. Ačiū visiems už malonius palinkėjimus, jie man tikrai svarbūs. Kelionė buvo nuostabi, man pavyko pakeliauti Panamoje, Kosta Rikoje ir Nikaragvoje, apturėjau daugybę nuotykių, turėjau begales laiko apmąstymams, bet... labai pasiilgau jūsų visų. Prireiks nemažai laiko, kol apsilankysiu pas visus, nes panašu, kad kol manęs nebuvo, rašėte labai produktyviai - turėsiu perskaityti daugiau kaip 500 haiku. Hm, galima įžvelgti ir šviesią pusę - bus gražaus skaitymo visam mėnesiui ar net daugiau. Jei jau pasisveikinau, tai dabar galima pradėt ir kurti. Kantrybės visiems skaitantiems.