O:JA&L Mixed Forms: Haibun & Tanka Prose
Iris Lee
EVERY AUTUMN IS NEW
Every evening the sun hides a little earlier behind the ugly co-op building across the park. Through humid summer I waited for the first crisp breeze of autumn though I know that too soon it will morph into a harsh wind that harries me as I walk to the library because the new condo building has altered the wind patterns at the corner. Even so, I covet this crispness more than the soft air of spring, which never fails to depress me with its gentle mockery.
late summer breeze
the exhausted plane trees
relax
About the writer:
Iris Lee has had work published in Contemporary Haibun Online, Marsh Hawk Review, The New York Times, and Passager, among other venues. Her book of poems, Urban Bird Life, was published in 2010 by NYQuarterly Books. Lee has led a writing workshop for theater professionals at The Actors Fund in New York City and has published book reviews in American Book Review.
Image: Red View with Autumn Birches (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2025. Public domain via MidJourney AI.
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O:JA&L’S BUTTONHOOK PRESS MASTERS SERIES
Click on the titles below to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks in the O:JA&L Masters Series.
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Brian Clements on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Mark Budman on Flash Discourse
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Ray Gonzalez on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Michael Martone on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Roberta Allen on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Peter Conners on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Maxine Chernoff on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Pedro Ponce on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Tom Hazuka on Flash Fiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
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