Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 14
By Wade Kwon- welcome to the neighborhood
It is the hour
when children devour, lawns
are cut, and we walk. - motivated to stall
The deadline looms, yet
the work pile remains. Maybe
motivation soon. - anywhere a classroom
Wherever a thirst
for knowledge, a font appears
to quench with wisdom. - missed communication
Technology will
fail, but we can overcome
with words and patience. - any old excuse will do
“Hey, buddy, my bad.”
“I couldn’t help myself.” “You’ve
made the same mistake.” - pelted by sunlight
It is almost too
bright atop the city, too
much sky, too much awe. - that was the day that was
Once the day picks up
steam, it’s hard to know where you’ll
end up, who you’ll meet. - virtually a community
They know each other
by avatars and user
names. Soon, in real life. - the convening of men
All that’s needed are
grilled meats and cold beers for a
roundtable of guff. - paired off
In twos they parade
down the aisle to unite a
pair of meant-to-bes. - creation and wonder
A shaded brook, a
Spanish verse, a lover’s gaze …
all hold nature’s joy. - insecurity, party of one
He was raised better
than this, but sometimes shows his
insecurity. - hers without his
Missing: one groom’s cake.
Two-foot-one, dark complexion,
stabbed with a big knife. - perils of pontification
Old rule of TV:
The camera adds 10 pounds.
(So does Internet.) - streetlights
The little town street
fills with ghosts of laughter. A
shimmer lights our way. - gathering of the groomsmen
The patio bricks
serve as secret getaway
for clean-cut brigands. - dearly beloved
The bride glides between
the pews, beaming and crying.
Love is in the air. - burning pillar
A place of worship
lights up the day as it burns
to the hallowed ground. - a field of notes
A little night jazz
brings out the romantic and
the spiritual. - ask about me sometime
Let’s talk about you
and me. Not that it’s about
me, but a little. - summer, proper
Fireflies zig-zag
across dark canvas of sky.
Calendar says spring. - the pancake challenge
Hotcakes to swallow,
and all he could think is, “Is
there enough syrup?” - looks good on paper
Everyone knew his
part of the plan, but we still
weren’t sure of success. - the gifted forest
New branches of trees
spread throughout intertwined lives
and one root system. - happy talk
The words are cheerful,
yet the sentiments run deep
colored by fresh wounds. - appetite for deduction
As my friend told me
about the cancer, I tried
to eat my sandwich. - as if to say hello
The backyard dogs growl
with ferocious intent. The
lounging cats stretch, yawn. - employment crisis
If you are your job,
what happens when your job is
eliminated? - insanity meter
The ideas come
in three flavors: “radical,”
“untried” and “stoopid.” - gigi takes a bite
The first taste of that
chicken biscuit gave her a
jolt of pure goodness. - social climbers
On the prowl, they dip
their crudités ever so
daintily, eyes fixed. - domestic life
Wine, games, piano,
chores, walks, homesickness, dinner,
reading, kisses, bed. - can’t fight the ocean
Wave after wave rolls
in. They ask no permission,
take nothing, roll back. - never alone
Hiding in plain sight,
but never quite removed from
public scrutiny. - budding journalists
The students know not
what they’re embracing, but know
how to ask questions. - instant community
Hard to find strangers
among impromptu group of
jovial misfits. - hearth and home
Is it weird to bond
with significant others’
folks over “Rock Band”? - queen for a saturday
If you had one whole
day, what would you do? Spend it
laughing and loving. - the pipe fitter and the cat collector
May you be fused … in
fiery passion and tem-
pered in strength and love. - stuck siblings
Under the skin, we
are all red. And bloody. Wait,
and full of organs. - modesty above all
A success here and
there should make you more humble,
not extremely vain. - garden of shadows
The grass prefers shade,
but the imaginary
veggies prefer sun. - a box of indian food
Pakora, puri,
tikkiya. (The Indians
call it “maize.” Who knew?) - chopsticks and forks
The peaceful table
erupts in violence as forks
and chopsticks parry. - top of the hops
High-gravity beer,
baseball on the flat screen. It’s
summer ’09 bliss. - the pantry time capsule
Pantry reboot needs
less dust, less antiquated
foodstuffs, more shelf space. - the parasites
Lo the winged bugs
come to feed on bare skin that
hides sweet blood beneath. - a neighborhood, pre-hipster
The worn buildings wear
their mustiness with solemn
pride as twilight fades. - halftime over
January through
June made for a warm-up.
Now for main event. - rallying cry
The gathering brings
supporters from far and wide
to lend helping hands. - the laughing kookaburra remains silent
Mushroom walks into
a bar. “We don’t serve your kind.”
“Why? I’m a fungi!” - freedom fries
The freedom fries taste
better because they offend
France on all levels. - trading volleys
Gods of tennis trade
shot after shot after shot,
battlefield of grass. - signing on
The neighbors’ front yards
exercise their free speech with
plastic campaign signs. - give and take
Sometimes, the spark comes
from outta nowhere to bring
bold inspiration. - married lives
Singles Island grows
less crowded as daily tides
kidnap newlyweds. - these city streets
One way, and then an
opposite way, cars stutter
along to reds, greens. - moms’ table
At the moms’ table,
no shortage of funny tales
and resourcefulness. - shedding a skin
Bucket of suds gets
stained with dirty Datsun’s grit
melting in lather. - slow motion
The world moves along
but the body takes a less
hurried pace for fun. - a step of faith
Who knows what lies in
the fog of the near future?
Who dares part the mists? - secured blanket
Her red cape simply
a blanket wrapped as tightly
as a fond embrace. - back from the break
When the lights go on,
the camera zooms in and it’s
all business on air. - a crack
A sudden parting
of the ways leaves splintered hearts
and unfinished dreams. - robots need love, too
An unfeeling man
walked to the end of the world
and turned back around. - drama unfolds
Between acts, patrons
gulp blended reds and sneak in
a smoke on the lawn. - a good teacher
A good teacher knows
the limits of her knowledge
from which springs wisdom. - work related
Somehow, I missed my
true calling of eating hot
dogs and playing Wii. - kids these days
We’re getting older,
yet kids remain naive and
somewhat annoying. - cold heart, warm heart
Such a cold heart bears
no ill will, hides from contact
within its armor. - on top of birmingham
Enchanted city
looks up to her iron god
for signs of mercy. - buzzing al fresco
The stars, the crickets,
the wine, the cool evening air …
oy, the mosquitoes. - corrugated slopes
Summertime sledders
attack grassy downhill with
fast flattened boxes. - eleventy hearts and a milliondy dollars
Search near and far. Love
can be elusive, even
as it grows within. - fickle motor
It’s either the fuel
pump, spark plugs, timing belt or
the alternator. - victory lunch
Conquest reaps lunch of
meat and three with a glass of
sweet tea and cobbler. - ode to barbecue
Meats seduced into
submission, with a hint of
smoke and tangy sauce. - the enchantment of second avenue
The empty storefront
has room enough for a new
enterprise of dreams. - hidden creatures
Neighborhood jungle
contains howling pets not quite
domesticated. - early morning at the market
Farmers patiently
wait for rains to dissipate.
The dogs wag onward. - how it falls, how it falls, how it falls
The light is fading
too soon. You’re two umbrellas
one late afternoon. - straining for perfection
The day never ends
as we toil for more things,
better life, new fate. - animal census
We canvass houses
to tally pets by barks and
purrs and wagging tails. - haiku humpday
On Wednesdays, tweet your
updates poetically in
5-7-5 verse. - the mysteries of death
Weary traveler,
why did you leave so quickly,
with such despair? - to thine own self
It’s easy to be
yourself: Just don’t imitate
others. Be unique! - on a day like today
A day made for fun,
fishing, hiking, relaxing …
but watching inside. - inside perspective
I’ve been kicked by folks
bigger than a baby, but
not from the inside. - verses by the bushel
Iambic? Sonnets?
Limericks? Alltop has it
for poetry fans! - offerings of produce
The bean sprouts have had
better days, but the peaches
and tomatoes shine. - a win any way you can get it
When I think I am
failing at life, I picture
her smile. Victory! - upside-down squirrel
The upside-down squirrel
would not leave the window screen,
showing off a bit. - shakespeare 2009
To be or not to
be? We have shuffled off this
mortal coil, yo. - the sloshing of the world
Waves lap at toes. Stars
sparkle overhead and all
around. Moon hides out. - guest for breakfast
All the bird wanted
was a little company
and our granola. - each day, a new plan
Each day, a new plan
forms from cobwebs and sad whims,
only to fly free. - laughter in the kitchen
Sweeter than cherries,
more potent than wine are the
kitchen’s warm chuckles. - it’s all in how you fake it
The con artist seemed
genuine enough until
he swore he had lied. - theater of the mindful
Only two for this
screening. Seat choices galore,
chomping snuck-in snacks. - customer service 2009
“Hi, I’d like to talk
with someone—” “Yeah, can’t help you,
so please go away.” - a serious relationship
She used my toothbrush,
and I barely flinched. And she
has my back. It works.
• • •
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