Wade on Birmingham

Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 31

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  1. the thermal pendulum
    Super cold. Then warm.
    Super cold. Then warm. Super
    cold. Then warm. Harsh month.
  2. everything mustn’t go
    … but leave behind the
    memories, good and bad, as
    well as our next dreams.
  3. will the groundhog see his shadow at halftime?
    And will that mean 6
    more weeks of spectacular
    music and football?
  4. causes for celebration, february edition
    Groundhogs, presidents,
    black historical figures
    and Cupid’s mayhem.
  5. a confession in ones and zeroes
    He stared at the screen,
    the screen stared back into his
    soul. End transmission.
  6. live broadcasts from early cosmology
    Every corner of
    the galaxy repeated
    its cry, “We are here.”
  7. slice patrol
    The chef’s knife zipped though
    mountains of potatoes and
    onions. Prep with pep.
  8. the bleat goes on
    Her pronouncements had
    an air of self-absorption,
    with no room to grow.
  9. roster of flags
    The countries sign in,
    one by one, before they try
    to crush each other.
  10. a subtle negotiation
    “How’s this date?” “Can’t do
    it.” “Are you free Friday?” “Yes,
    just at 2 a.m.”
  11. cardiopreliminary resuscitation
    They found each other
    and dusted off their hearts for
    synchronization.
  12. the ire next time
    The outside world lost
    its blanket of snow to be
    bathed anew in rain.
  13. the frozen south
    Highways of ice, fields
    of frost, school yards and parking
    lots bereft of life.
  14. a valentine to mother nature
    I’d give flowers and
    chocolate, but take this bread and
    open milk instead.
  15. les mots justes
    Amour when feeling
    classy, lusty when feeling
    lusty, make hearts swell.
  16. psyche drama
    A secret buried
    so deep, she felt it stab her
    kidneys when she stood.
  17. sunday schooling
    The children sat in
    a circle of chairs to ask
    their questions on God.
  18. territorial
    Accumulate, then
    label. Vigilantly keep
    all from others’ grasp.
  19. colors of the windup
    Colors mark causes,
    symbolize struggles. What hue
    aids colorblindness?
  20. the muse in retreat
    The muse found a spot
    far from the worries of her
    coterie and wrote.
  21. stalemate at the entrance
    Both held open the
    door. Both waited to let the
    other one go first.
  22. the negotiation
    The figure on the
    slip of paper brought out beads
    of sweat, tears of joy.
  23. couch to 0k
    Warmup for couch takes
    bit of stretching and pillow
    fluffing before nap.
  24. the quiet of tornado season
    No more cars on ice
    or supermarket riots
    or canceled school days.
  25. back to the gym
    After the fanfare
    and flights home, early morning
    runs and weightlifting.
  26. with knowing abandon
    Into an abyss
    of delight and mystery
    they leapt gracefully.
  27. hiding from hungry vagabonds
    They sent their change-of-
    address cards to everyone
    but the stray kittens.
  28. the piano lesson
    He flexed his fingers
    and took his time placing each
    one on the right keys.
  29. the nexus of flashbacks and dreams
    Old friends and classmates
    stop to say hi and it’s still
    1999.
  30. menu for tomorrow
    Visions of crepes and
    truffles and ribs and pasta
    filled his sleeping feast.
  31. persistence through poor listening skills
    Whenever she was
    told no, she really heard ask
    again and again.
  32. sunday in the park with german shepherds
    Big dogs, little dogs,
    panting dogs, friendly dogs, all
    leashed up and frisky.
  33. the lost art of shutting up
    No one asked, yet all
    spewed forth their insights and bile
    to ruin the web.
  34. reformation
    Bad boys can become
    less bad boys, unclean women
    can become angels.
  35. if x then excedrin
    Mathematical graphs
    fill the pages. That’s the sound
    of my head hurting.
  36. the prickly sort
    Claws out, teeth bared, all
    the signs of a curmudgeon
    fighting his nature.
  37. the builders
    The builders were not
    to be found, hiding so they
    could work hard in peace.
  38. the radio to keep him company
    The wee hours came
    upon his tired frame as
    he eased into night.
  39. sagan on the cliff
    The cosmos is all
    that is, or ever was, or
    ever will be.” Peace.
  40. the perils of a push-button society
    One wrong click could send
    the rocket to the sun or
    tweet from the wrong brand.
  41. the married spinster
    The married spinster
    bore no children, save for her
    pets Rancor and Deceit.
  42. the utopia of promises
    The witch speaks of a
    place where neighbors help neighbors
    and hipsters rate pubs.
  43. lattice be thankful
    Of all the kinds of
    pie I’ve tried, my favorite
    is all of the kinds.
  44. the fortune teller texted
    She warned of visions
    of unhappy emoji
    in disharmony.
  45. a lucrative scheme
    Arrogance and his
    brother ignorance bilked the
    townspeople at will.
  46. mowing by moonlight
    The mower clacked on
    top of weeds and tufts in search
    of ambitious foes.
  47. somewhat homemade
    The sort-of baker
    greased the pan and mixed the stuff
    for near-complete treats.
  48. a matter of process
    He combed his thick hair
    with steady strokes, counting the
    steps till coffee time.
  49. the privileged few
    Live at the expense
    of others. Find your way from
    the top to the top.
  50. friends say
    Indiscreetly they
    spill vivid lurid details
    with mock air of shame.
  51. flight of the bumble wee
    The red kite stumbled
    into the currents, half by
    breeze, half by kid dash.
  52. in front of the neighbors
    The first hint of spring
    draws out the easily burned
    and the slightly daft.
  53. the rush of days
    Flowers went unsmelled,
    sunsets unobserved, meals un-
    appreciated.
  54. the look
    The startling beauty
    of her eyes defies mere words.
    Let me peer longer.
  55. a scale of hope, a pantry of demons
    A few small bites for
    survival, a few more for
    pleasure, the rest … girth.
  56. sully the skyline
    Rooftops etch themselves
    among the clouds, distracted
    by a brash billboard.
  57. the sky is crying
    The pitter patter
    of raindrops floods the streets with
    the sorrow of spring.
  58. postmodern man
    Postmodern Man rules
    over Meta Man while most
    ironically frank.
  59. customer service 2014
    Technology makes
    it easy for companies
    to shun us quicker.
  60. imprisoned by poverty
    Their home became a
    jail cell, a sentence of hard
    labor, no pleasures.
  61. take flight while you can
    Roots are anchors, dead
    weight holding you down. Fly off,
    and harvest those worms.
  62. method reacting
    Sense the commitment
    by the actor. Listen to
    your belly rumble.
  63. the desert warrior
    Endless desert dunes
    made the charity ride all
    the more heroic.
  64. the invaders who don’t wipe their feet
    Who let them in, they
    who would cross the threshold with
    muddy stinky boots?
  65. consumer culture
    Major in Walmart,
    taking in a salon to
    discuss deep discounts.
  66. baby bumper
    She crawled across the
    floor, knocking down grownups with
    stun beams of cuteness.
  67. the creek that became a river
    Torrents brought down an
    ocean to overrun the
    banks and drown the wee.
  68. the route of least existence
    Just a little ways
    out into the world, then back
    to the great safety.
  69. society of spoilers
    First is best, knowledge
    trumps insight. To the spoilers
    go the victory.
  70. the boys of early spring
    The pitcher served up
    gift after gift, returned to
    the night sky with haste.
  71. first last call
    They gulped their cocktails
    and headed out for smoky
    enclaves to invade.
  72. piper club
    The frolicking in
    the pool gave way to a lone
    piper at sunset.
  73. stillness
    One lamp light. Dimness.
    One cricket. A steady chirp.
    One breeze. Gentle touch.
  74. a frenzied accounting
    Scraps detail the odd
    costs of doing business and
    paying off the feds.
  75. in sagan’s wake
    The expanse of the
    universe is both fearsome
    and gravely humbling.
  76. breaking the code
    Do we need strength to
    fight genetic destiny
    or is it built in?
  77. a reaper’s calling card
    Swift and silent he
    comes, leaving a cold seat at
    the dinner table.
  78. tot shaming
    She berated her
    young charge while loading the car
    and gripping her purse.
  79. impolite society
    He would often air
    his dirty laundry to get
    gasps from nosy peers.
  80. risen and resplendent
    Bonnets and pastel
    outfits and spiffy shoes make
    for full decked-out pews.
  81. the home stretch
    The finish line in
    sight, whether to speed up or
    coast to completion.
  82. severed limbs
    The sticker bush put
    up a good fight, but landed
    curbside anyway.
  83. the path of shorts
    Night brings welcome cool
    and sufficient darkness to
    stroll without long pants.
  84. heavy duty
    Can the world’s problems
    be solved before a cup of
    morning coffee? Nay.
  85. woo is woo
    Let words of love go
    out via letter, call, text,
    tweet, voicemail, Snapchat.
  86. skyline vandals
    The rectangular
    chiseled cityscape goes full
    whore with banned banners.
  87. swagger
    A walk, a tone of
    voice, a glint in the eye, all
    add up to swagger.
  88. out like a lion
    The harshest comes late
    in the month, slapping the bloom
    from the gentle land.
  89. glued to the radar
    Polygons and bright
    splotches of red and orange make
    for Doppler drama.
  90. springtime comes to the new new new south
    Squatting in a dark
    basement, helmets on, watching
    storm fronts on radar.
  91. before the driver waded to safety
    The van crept into
    the intersection, but the
    waters shut it down.
  92. the scale of the future
    Sensors detect weight,
    bad breath, alertness, dirty
    underwear, split ends.
  93. drivers in distress
    One felt terrible
    for smashing a car, while the
    other felt woozy.
  94. loose clothing, tight fit
    A diet gone right
    means cutting a trim figure
    while still indulging.
  95. mighty fine sitting
    Sunny afternoon,
    comfy chair, quiet hours
    watching from the porch.
  96. modern hieroglyphs
    Smiley face, frowny
    face, tongue out, crying, wink, heart,
    random emoji.
  97. the satellite servant rebellion
    The detour signs and
    the computer voice team up
    to send us off course.
  98. egyptian yard sale
    Glass pyramid sits
    not in the desert but the
    streets of the city.
  99. promises promises promises
    What’s the use in them
    making promises when we
    clean up their messes?
  100. smoke and marshmallows
    The campfire pops
    and crackles, a blazing source
    of nighttime comfort.
  101. the quality of mercy
    Empathy into
    action, grace for others as
    a sign of good will.

• • •

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