Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 10
By Wade Kwon- litter rally
Rubbish! Unkempt room
surrenders to posse of
garbage bags. Rubbish! - firefly serenity
They blink across the
deep blue darkness, heralding
winter’s departure. - pollen on hard times
The yellow coats are
coming. The yellow coats are
coming. No escape. - parking fowl
Hen, rooster and chicks
roam strip mall asphalt in search
of pasture and worms. - forks in the road
Could’ve been a doc,
lawyer or engineer. Still
could with right schooling. - the hills in 17 syllables
Fake convo, “work” at
fake internship. Break up, then
hook up. Smash TV. - in the throngs of the hungry
Why must Lebanese
fest come just once a year? So
much kibbee to scarf. - a life revealed in real time
Lugging around the
heavy biography has
built muscles, not brains. - lax tax facts
Accounting methods
don’t jive with receipts and bills.
Cut a check and pray. - bye bye birdies
Take flight, head northward,
and come back when feathers freeze.
Always room on branch. - pizza diplomacy
Italian sausage,
peppers, mushroom. Such is the
pie of compromise. - confessions of a modern era
Plagiarizing text
messages, virtual fling
with an avatar. - hocus focus
Mind wanders. Boredom
tugs at corner. Then worries.
Concentrate juices. - gesundheit fahrvergnügen
Black goo drips onto
concrete. Ailing vehicle
has a runny nose. - the segregated church
The pews and hymnals
look the same. All God’s children
split up by levels. - good grief and the peanuts lexicon
Happiness is a
warm puppy. Security
blanket. Great Pumpkin. - diplomatic ties
Doubt, solitude mark
the life of an outsider,
as does joining worlds. - step by step
Click clack goes the red
pedometer. Measured steps
mark the journey’s miles. - sandwich with a twang
Pimiento cheese sticks
to slices in an orange crust
of odd tradition. - the ballad of caveat emptor
Dear valued client,
We sort of regret taking
your cash. Not really. - stylish to the end
Charlie strolls along
21st, checked jacket, bright
pants, always a hat. - killing the blues
They saw me swinging
the world by the tail, bouncing
over a white cloud. - small sign of eco-progress
Used to be two kinds,
but now all type of plastics
fine for recycling. - stuck no more
The sticker gives up
its spot on the windshield but
leaves ghostly footprint. - paradox of outer suburbia
They drive further and
further to get away, yet
build strip malls nearby. - mechanized denial
I am no robot.
I am no robot. I am
no robot. I am no … - the eight-hour day
Coffee, gossip, check
e-mail, lunch hour, filing,
surf Web, pack up, leave. - lunch bunch
The chicken salad
taunts the croissant. The pickle
gives a sour look. - The makeshift casino
Upstanding players
swarm blackjack table with cards
dealt by bored dealer. - compelled
Drawn back to the coast,
drawn back to the need for me,
drawn back to service. - traditions of the absurd
Smack a piñata,
remember the Alamo,
maybe tequila. - outside myrtle beach
In the land of links,
the only true hazard is
roads and trees and such. - lily mountainside
Patches of snow dot
patches of dead grass. Morning
sun frozen in sky. - short of reelfoot
Sheriff applauds the
polite motorist. But still
writes out the ticket. - athens of the west and southeast
College students with
backpacks and lattes thin out
as season closes. - clewiston by the lake
Shallow waters grow
more shallow. Walking trail skirts
shrinking surfaces. - preserving punta gorda
The fishing village
shows itself in bold murals
crumpled by past storms. - man down
Stealthy pack leaves some
casualties: camera case, bag
of fruit, something else. - stir the pot
Tortillas crisp in
bubbling oil. Rice, beans stew
on nearby burners. - disconnect
She gets my voicemail.
I get her voicemail. No one
triumphs at phone tag. - crescent moon, crescent city
Power lines criss-cross
inky blue swath. Old friends hug
goodbye on sidewalk. - time plus savagery equals
Pay close attention,
and your day’s frustrations can
be comedy gold. - the littlest steppers
Pretty maids all in
a row, somewhat in sequence,
dancing without care. - journey to the center of the parking lot
We cross a vast sea
of blacktop, setting course for
a red brick outpost. - one toe in
With meticulous
care and painstaking guidelines,
he shopped for sneakers. - reach for america
Giving to others
starts with an inkling but grows
into a passion. - storming brains
The group dynamic
teeters from creative to
arguing motives. - hazard at every corner
The black pickup scoots
through the intersection while
the light remains red. - pre-itinerary
Apparently, the
great adventure begins just
after the packing. - when a nightmare is just a nightmare
Dark visions portend
nothing, except the restless
psyche of the damned. - terrestrial radio menu
Soft rock, right-wing talk,
hit country, all hip-hop, Jack,
oldies, classic rock. - the love of a travelin’ soldier
Our love will never
end, waitin’ for the soldier
to come back again. - fumbling towards wrigley
Fans jam the subway
cars and sidewalks to worship
in friendly confines. - the grand lobby
Sprinkled among the
plush settees, the hoi polloi
sip moody nightcaps. - coffeehouse, inc.
Everything smells like
dark Colombian roast and
capitalist grind. - gummy chick lit
Can’t the heroine
do something other than non-
stop introspection? - homebody’s lament
The comforts of home
can overwhelm the need to
connect with the world. - rumble in the stratosphere
Blank sky painted with
onslaught of dark grays and bolts
of electric white. - a stack of receipts
Cherished events fade,
but the debt remains as a
red ink reminder. - one bad ingredient
It takes just one bad
ingredient to ruin
perfect paella. - anti-semantic
When others don’t budge,
they’re obstinate. But when I
don’t budge, I stand firm. - car trips 2008
Stuck in SUV,
bored kids stare zombie-like at
video headrest. - i love the 90s
Heat, humidity
join forces to spread sweat stains,
lethargy to all. - stage 6 (2008)
Drop kiddies off at
Publix stage. Come back at end
of weekend. Maybe. - stage 5 (2008)
Miller Lite Stage: some
blues, some rock, etc.
Tame for 20th. - stage 4 (2008)
Chill at Legacy
Credit Union Stage … until
war with chair people! - stage 3 (2008)
Music Oasis
(real name too long) has bluesy
news anchorwoman. - stage 2 (2008)
Coke Stage has must-see
acts: Miss Diana Ross and
Reverend Al Green. - stage 1 (2008)
VitaminWater
Dance Depot … um C D folks
cut A rug. ‘K? Bye. - stage 0 (2008)
Engel Stage leaking
and without power (but I’ve
called the landlord twice). - advice for the past generation
I went back in time
to tell myself not to want
too much, grow too fast. - measure for measure
The city gathers
to rejoice in song, made whole
by a melody. - the empty chairs
Settings ready, but
no one to use them. A life
as yet incomplete. - get smrt
Cryptography pops
up in cereal boxes,
Coke bottles and PINs. - perfect lawn
A tall weed springs forth
amid the elegantly
shorn blades of zoysia. - that was the nba
And so, the hip young
fashionista schools the old
salt in basketball. - tyranny of i-20
Trooper pulls over
trucker. Workers squeeze extra
lane next to old ones. - summertime officially
It is hot and clear
and blue and bright and carefree
and already here. - it came from sweden
Mahna mahna (ba
dee bedebe). Mahna mah-
na (ba debe dee). - r.i.p. george carlin
A house is just a
place to keep your stuff while you
go out, get more stuff. - parents just don’t understand
The little one coos
and giggles, then abruptly
screams and wails like mad. - surly are the servers
Society built
on service economy
runs on bitterness. - gift that keeps on begging
Simple donation
sparks mailed solicitations
to my frustration. - intimacy issues
Best kind of hug? An
awkward, uncertain, arm out
half-grasp with cheek touch. - pump addiction
High-octane habit
kicks in once a week. Jonesing
for petroleum. - first and second
First half of year flies
by with nothing to show but
dreams and memories. - you can stand under my umbrella
Forecast becomes more
uncertain by the hour.
Will it rain or not? - secret humiliation
Your day moves along
without incident, until
disaster hits crotch. - scenes from a strip mall
Unruly brats. Stores
standing vacant. Dry cleaner,
frame shop, nail salon. - the life line
Reassuring voice
brings disembodied stirring
to stressful morning. - they hate our freedom
We don’t vote, or keep
up with current events. So
it seems we are they. - peeking in
Your status changes.
I note it with interest.
Your status changes. - beware the bachelorettes
The bride-to-be runs
wild with accomplices in
tow with veiled pursuits. - give me liberty and give me death
Festive fireworks
come not from gunpowder tubes
but from gun’s powder. - curse the darkness
It’s always darkest
before the dawn. Better to
light a candle than … - fiends in low places
Office fridge becomes
crime scene. Pasta and salad
nabbed by hungry thief. - things that go bump in the day
Strange sound buzzes once
a week from cube corner, a
signal from beyond. - the iPhone line
Diverse fans chatter
about calling plans and games.
Still hours to go. - first and forever
Scorching Saturday
afternoon not the same as
fall game day … someday. - the agenda of the groggy
Nap time supplanted
by laundry, lunch, ironing,
cleaning and phone calls. - soak city
Step off the plane to
a drenching rain, then drive off
and dry off in sun.
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