Howard Lee Kilby - Three Questions

Howard Lee Kilby is a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is a member of the Haiku Society of America and Haiku Canada. He attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa on the G.I. Bill and studied zen with Robert Aitken of the Honolulu Diamond Sangha. He loves life.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

Haiku captures immortality for a moment. It is a creative act. In Murfreesboro, Arkansas there is a real diamond field that is open to the public. Some people find diamonds in the dirt. Wouldn’t that be a haiku moment? http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I like freedom. Free verse works for me. But, I lose interest in longer forms quickly. I read The New Yorker and rarely read more than a few lines of a poem. I am a new fan of Billy Collins. I hope I have the pleasure of hearing him in person someday. Whatever he does, I like.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three? (Please provide original publication credits.)


No one died today
Funeral directors stand outside
Watching passing cars

Modern Haiku winter 1994 or spring 1995


*(I met Allen Ginsberg in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas in 1994 and he asked me if I was a poet.

"Yes," I replied. "I’m having a poem published in Modern Haiku."

"What is it?" he asked.

I told him the poem.

"How did you write it?"

"I was driving down the street past the Hot Springs Funeral Home and saw six funeral directors standing outside, as I passed I looked at them. One man, with clear blue eyes looked at me. Our eyes met. I drove on down the street and as I approached the red light it came to me.")

I’ll write more about this exchange someday.



with each feeding
the homeless cat
comes closer

HSA Anthology (I think)



spring moon
where did it come from?
a small meow

HSA Anthology (Maybe)



Sorry to be so maybeish.

Cheerios,

Howard Lee

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Howard answered. You must be a published poet to participate.