Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 20
By Wade Kwon[Share on Twitter]
- brotherhood of bread
They split the loaf as
they had many times before,
bonding with baguette. - all run by elves
The magic happens
thanks to tireless elves who
cook, clean, write, fold clothes … - art on demand
“We want more art now!”
the audience bellowed. But
the artist demurred. - the day the blackberry died
No beeps, no flashing
light, no interruptions, no
crises, no love lost. - the routine
The monotony
continues unhindered while
others break patterns. - 40
The ship left port some
40 years ago, steering
by the stars above. - hooked on a feeding
Some eat for pleasure.
Some take pleasure in cooking.
At the center, food. - the new new new normal
Panic, snark, outrage
are all outmoded. Time for
full-on terpitude. - the lovebug nest
They sit alone, an
unnatural state for them,
these social insects. - a tin of salt
No tiny gift goes
unnoticed, even a tin
of coarse gourmet salt. - the rattling
The rattling was
eventually traced back
to a soul dislodged. - through the earth
A seedling poked his
head through hard dirt to see if
winter had left town. - perspectives from devils and angels
Is the world good or
bad? Or does that depend on
if you’re good or bad? - he fought the so-so fight
Misunderstood by
his contemporaries, he
tilted at straw men. - seasonal schizophrenia
Cycle of winter
in Alabama: colder,
snow, ice, then heat spell. - i’ll get right on that
“I need you to do
me a favor.” The eight most
dreaded words ever. - put a lid on it
Wherever the head
went, the hat stayed on top of
it, perched and ready. - flight of the go-getters
They wouldn’t, couldn’t
stick around any longer.
New horizons called. - on the banks in the freezing cold
The creek runs low this
time of year. The critters are
in hiding somewhere. - be still
Be still. Contemplate
existence. Breathe in, breathe out.
Wait, then wait some more. - the cool kids club
Their lunch table is
exactly the same as all
lunch tables, but not. - the snow, man
Old Man Winter popped
in for a visit, only
to startle the town. - made in the world
It may be one world,
but China still makes our stuff
at low, low prices. - sweets surrender
Each bite of pie brings
a taste of regret, as though
the fatness cometh. - i never
Bad decisions make
for the best stories, even
if they’re your choices. - flower forecast
Everything’s coming
up expensive. But skipping
bouquet can cost more. - citified drawl
Birmingham’s accent
is soft, a gentle porch breeze
without many airs. - cupid 2.0
His quiver carries
both arrows and pre-nups, on
his lawyer’s counsel. - lack history month
Not so much the shade
of history but the real
lessons need teaching. - star-crossed haters
The pair’s mutual
dislike of everything made
them compatible. - away with coffee
The affair ended
with her tossing her dark roast
to the compost heap. - screens
Laptop calculates,
BlackBerry buzzes, plasma
pulses, iPad sleeps. - before the rush
Chairs suspend themselves
on tables as a wayward
mop glides lazily. - positive energy
The reservoir of
positive energy is
replenished with hope. - these walls do talk
“You are beautiful.”
The message spread through the town.
“You are beautiful.” - creatures stirring
A solitary
torch keeps me company as
I hunt fireflies. - volunteer fireman
Putting out fires
in the office has become
burning sensation. - awards season
They hand out trophies
under the Hollywood sign
with proof of purchase. - roses, stage 1
The dormant bush kept
very still, impatient to
burst forth with good news. - her left arm
She would give her left
arm for sleep, coffee, nice shoes,
good hair and a kiss. - the well runs dry
The hole in the earth
belched a cloud of dust, spent from
giving up water. - you can just sense it
An arched brow gave way
to a wrinkled frown. The cards
could not bail him out. - a serpent made of limos
The glamorous were
eased down the digestive tract
of the beast of fame. - first date
The trouble with first
dates is the magic will be
mostly alcohol. - in like a lion
Spring waits in the wings,
eager to spread sunshine’s roar
to a sleeping world. - sweet victory
Winning isn’t the
goal always, but it sure beats
losing or tying. - the process of wooing
Dance starts with a long
glance. Then gestures and drinks. And
ends with date or slap. - park respite
Lunchtime crowd lingers
longer to soak up the warmth
in the oasis. - love won’t leave
Love is the secret
hope, the persistent bug, the
vise on a lone heart. - a sunday of nothing
Hot coffee, good book,
jazz tunes, fresh croissants, light rain,
fresh flowers, soft smile. - the standard of mediocrity
Settling is how this
country was founded, and the
way it stays the same. - dancing in the lobby
They couldn’t find the
reception, so they ended
up waltzing in place. - net gain or loss
The hardwood vibrates
from fan intensity as
the players warm up. - flight to the heavens
The rocket plume did
not arc across the sky but
pointed to beyond. - conversation ticker
Buy! The talk turns to
culture. Sell! Back to cooking.
Hold! Current events. - the passion of the berries
Blueberry baskets
tumble into pie tins and
hand-cranked ice cream churns. - up the interstate
Truck stop offers hot
showers, ample parking. Turn
off at next exit. - bun extraction
The newborn isn’t
yet born, still baking before
entering the world. - pie focals
Every pie on Earth
filled the banquet table with
every eye on Earth. - st. patrick’s eve
Kegs fall in line for
duty to brave women and
men who fight for drafts. - fields of green
Rolling hills calm the
soul, gliding along on a
bicycle for one. - plus one
Her words came screaming
out. Beneath the tears and fears,
she announced her burst. - sprung forward
The clocks have jumped the
gun, waiting for Ms. Mother
Nature to catch up. - the clone wars
Cover bands toil
for reflected glory from
authentic knock-offs. - green power
The aching dust coats
the metallic skin, leaving
misery around. - facts is facts
Truth isn’t all it’s
supposed to be. But neither
is soothing fiction. - join the parade
The clatter of feet
and cars and bands and Shriners
and floats approaches. - the countdown
Invites sent, menu
set, decorations in place,
band tuned, almost there. - renewal phase
The promise of a
new season inspires us
to grow, to become. - a call for poets
The call for poets
did not roil the land but
shook hearts from within. - sunday brunch 2011
The warm mimosas
remained unsipped while the group
stared at their smartphones. - march maelstroms
Storms roll through leaving
hail and branches strewn about.
The air calms, clears up. - ode to a cupcake
When eating a whole
cake by yourself is frowned on
by society. - _the corridors of power
Up and down the long
hallways hung crudely drawn hopes
from the city’s youth. - time flies when you’re having fondue
Spear the fruit, dip the
chunk, coat the sides, slow the drips,
chew the piece. Repeat. - campus springtime
The snap of cold threw
off the students looking for
sun while crossing quads. - bunny test run
Stuntrabbits hide their
simulated eggs throughout
an obstacle course. - a mild coma
The wear and tear of
everyday life compounds with
a lack of leisure. - blooming of festivals
Tent poles poke up from
the earth. Tents blossom, buzzed by
tall bees on two legs. - not my crowd
They goose each other
with familiarity
while I stand aside. - rutted
Those who are bored can
be inspired, but most of
the time, they’re boring. - part-time architect
In the mornings, she
constructs a blanket fort for
the scampering ones. - the perfect macaroon
A macaroon would
be much improved without that
yucky coconut. - poultry quandary
Guess what. Chicken butt.
Guess why. Chicken thigh. Guess where.
Chicken unaware. - green dust
Pollen amassed on
Chevy hoods and porch swings brings
new flowers to bloom. - the butterfly defect
The butterfly knows
not of civil turmoil
while floating on air. - the secret girl
Cheers to the secret
girl, placed on a pedestal
high above the fray. - buffoons of the postmodern era
They wear their blatant
idiocy proudly, to
profit from hecklers. - sea of flesh
The park’s sea of green
becomes a sea of flesh as
the sun laps the shores. - internal ice age
Wear your sweaters at
the office. Hot temps outside
mean arctic inside. - seasons of the grill
Late winter grilling
has turned to early springtime
grilling. Charcoal, please. - test pilots in training
A tail swings to and
fro as its kite ascends to
become a mere speck. - 1040 or fight
An accountant keeps
the numbers in line, making
them letter perfect. - find the symbolism
The bald goat ate the
last blade of grass on Earth while
bleeding crude oil. - off the trail
The markers did not
help the colorblind hiker,
lost in nature’s awe. - tantrums in the sky
The unseen toddler
rattles the globe, shaking loose
the raindrops and gusts. - mixer
One part schmoozing, two
parts drinking, three parts waiting,
mix well, serve smoothly. - the laying of eggs
Someone left behind
these painted eggs where any
toddler could find them! - to live again
Birth, death and rebirth
are all the same, as we skim
across life to life. - the rose garden
She skipped through the rose
garden, where all the blooms smiled
back in jealousy. - in place of crickets
The clickety-clack
of a keypad, the dull hum
of a laptop fan.
• • •
Read more Wade’s 101.
Read more haiku.
Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku. Or have it delivered daily by e-mail.
[Share on Twitter]
