Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 22
By Wade Kwon[Share on Twitter]
- to put it in perspective
The weighing of life’s
petty injustices pales
next to real trauma. - the busy bee
The busy bee flew
to her appointments, leaving
a pollen of smiles. - the well in the meadow
He would visit the
crumbling well often, hoping
to refresh his joy. - a repository in one hand
All the world’s knowledge
came in a small, battery-
powered wizard’s box. - summer’s last gasp
One last jump in the
pond, one last afternoon storm,
one last ice cream cone. - the path most taken
She followed closely
behind on the wooded trail,
seeking only peace. - the way of the economic dodo
The capitalists
shuffled their feet, unable
to stay with the beat. - the team reconfigured
The right fielder went
home, the shortstop dropped back, and
the coach prayed for rain. - precision sifting
A light dusting of
flour coated the counter
top, the baker, too. - bread and butter
“What makes you tick?” she
asked. “Cynicism,” he said.
“My bread and butter.” - a dream on the couch
Lost on an island,
the palms sway softly above …
till the alarm calls. - where once was peace
The factions failed to
realize their vast divides
as they shared borders. - temperate insanity
Summer felt like fall
on a spring-like afternoon
before winter struck. - pacing optional
Eyes on you, notes a
blur, microphone feedback and
a feeling of doom. - under oath
The promises you
make reveal your true nature
once you’ve broken them. - the birthday girl
The birthday girl grew
into a birthday woman
with little girl dreams. - the unattended library
The books went unread,
the magazines piled up and
the reading halted. - the test of time
Good writing brings laughs
for years. Bad writing brings tears
every single day. - 1984, the short version
Big Brother is so
bossy. Let’s love in secret.
Rats clamped to my face. - choose your own adventure
The same old same old
versus new and exciting
shouldn’t be tricky. - soon it will be fall
The brutal heat will
lift, and a swirl of cool will
soothe our burnt bodies. - whatever happened to …
The best friends sometimes
disappear into a haze
of our yesteryears. - how can real life compete?
Real life versus life
online. One matters, one is
a parade of farce. - all stacked up
Opportunities
hide within the papers stacked
precariously. - tales of the future
Dining companions
waited eagerly for each
fortune to be read. - pack up and move on
Job to job, town to
town, the hired gun moves with
the whims of commerce. - the comedy gene
Some people are born
funny. Some people are born.
Some people are. Ha! - wood chips and vinegar
It’s not the rub, but
the preparation. Not the
sauces but the meat. - the fighting butterflies
The 5-year-olds were
most fearsome, wearing little
helmets and jerseys. - beach sunset
The pale sun oozes
into the waters, melting
away like sherbet. - not so laborious
Working for less is
tiring, but not as much
as unemployment. - the branch that took down civilization
The tropical storm
swung a tree at the power
lines, and all went dark. - casualties of a blackout
Milk, frozen pizza,
eggs, cheeses, jars of sauce and
homemade potstickers. - unlearnable lessons
Happy idiots
skate through life without ever
learning to play nice. - along the sidelines
The marching band warms
up, the pom-pons shake, and the
kicker says a prayer. - art is all around
The paintings are flat,
the photos colorless, but
the sidewalks burst forth. - in remembrance of 9/11, 2001
The towers still stand
in spirit. America
remembers, moves on. - fury below the surface
In digging up the
poisonous vine, you find the
root is buried deep. - the duckling who would not get wet
The timid duckling
tested the waters and found
them splashably kind. - karma points
Collect them all but
don’t count on redeeming them
till fate allows it. - caught in a flash
The gods of rock found
their stolen souls matted and
framed for mere gawkers. - beyond the summit
Looking out over
the world, he found the top to
be a lonely spot. - the gentlemen who were not gentlemen
They clawed and stole to
achieve power, finding the
rewards less than sound. - the 11 true paths
The lost shepherd walked
the road to enlightenment
when he found a fork … - cue the orchestra
Handing out trophies
is harder than it looks when
actors, flaks watching. - haunted inc.
The screams of budget
bloodshed and staff slashings knife
through hallways of ghosts. - gullywashers
Tires crush puddles
to make little tsunamis
along flooded streets. - wrong turns aplenty
We learn so much from
crazy, stupid, immature
choices. Hopefully. - a sense of not belonging
All eyes stared at the
two teen boys on the sidewalk,
in fear and wonder. - fighting cell by cell
The patient patient
endured the chemicals and
harsh radiation. - dented expectations
What should have been and
what is, an ever-changing
series of letdowns. - that mother nature has a sense of humor
Who left all these dead
leaves in the yard, on the car
and in the gutter? - rise of the pumpkins
They lurk behind vines,
in lowly patches, under
piles of hay. Orange beasts. - the witch and the wardrobe
The sorceress had
nothing to wear but black, which
screamed “I’m a downer.” - wisps of escaping tea
A porcelain cup
with a few sips of herbal
tea cooled by degrees. - to harvest and harvest not
In came veggies by
the bushel, and sometimes, an
unfortunate mouse. - kickoff in 13 minutes
Impatient shoppers
clutched their bags of pork rinds and
cases of light beer. - the beauty of a bright blue sky
The sun plays lightly
on my nose, which detects hints
of fall in the air. - skyscraper school
The elevator
stopped at each department for
new highs in learning. - running on time
The train disgorged its
huddled cargo, closed its doors.
No one said a word. - turning of phrase
The waitress listed
the specials in her lilt and
we knew where we were. - in the next cosmo quiz
She patiently taught
him the basics: gaming, pets,
coffee and doodles. - rumble in the hinterlands
Mighty were the teams
that stormed the field, called the toss
and clashed at the line. - call to the antiestablishmentarians
The youths brought their signs,
their whistles and their voices
to bring down the man. - trail of leaves
Bike tires crunched the
leaves in their path, as autumn
prepared for hard times. - a duty to be brave
He didn’t flinch when
they tried to silence him with
intimidation. - a heart under wraps
She kept her love well
hidden, but it still peeked out
occasionally. - the cider cup rules
A cup of fresh-pressed
cider awaits the weary
field hand at day’s end. - the new southern hospitality
The strangers picked our
fields, built our homes, staffed our plants
till we kicked them out. - fall of the visionary
No one paid heed to
his ideas, till they leapt
into our noggins. - saturday priorities
Once the bride and groom
left the church, the guests turned back
to the football game. - a full dustpan
The housekeeper swept
up shards of promises that
had broken last night. - somewhat occupied
The classes warred, and
the well-to-do had a good
chuckle at it all. - no blog is an island
Each site taps the next
one on the shoulder to check
if they’re connected. - sauna of the south
What better way to
cool down after muggy day
than temperature crash? - remedial seasons
A brisk fall day in
the South comes long after fall
began. We are slow. - the white box
The lovely bread that
scents the air and steams when cut
came from a machine. - calling plays from the recliner
Yelling loud enough
should get that lazy defense
on TV in gear. - a healer in waiting
She would rather cut
people open to heal them
than cut them apart. - mind body one
No disconnect, no
one or other, just renewed
harmony of self. - talking is easy
Talking is easy.
Listening requires you
to hold your own tongue. - sketch book
Line drawings fill the
notebook with charcoal smudges
and hints of insight. - the instant storyteller
Her stories are three
sentences long with all the
drama of a book. - the treat is in the trick
Hurl the eggs, and roll
the houses. Let the urchins
make mischief all night. - puppetry from the past
The Muppets return
to a world with Auto-Tune
and cell phone genies. - the cult down the street
Their cause is holy,
undaunted by loud rebukes
and simple logic. - waking fears
What’s scarier, the
fears with our eyes shut or the
ones in front of us? - the patron saint of birmingham
You can tell him by
his robes and his soft words, his
kindness to strangers. - revels amongst the dead
Fear not the rattle
of bones and spirits, for they
seek solace with us. - envy not
Envy not. What we
hold are blessings not burdens,
resilience not fear. - secret to a good pb&j
Peanut butter in
every corner, jelly thick
and evenly spread. - pre-kickoff butterflies
The teams are ready,
but we are not. One hour
to crown a victor. - the entanglement of southern roots
So deep the roots grow
that no room is left for change,
progress, tolerance. - the roof on a brisk fall evening
The muggers look like
ants; the uninhibited
gaze from their windows. - twilight of the empire
The mighty nation
slid toward oblivion when
its people lost sight. - a mess is still a moment I can seize
All will be well, e-
ven after the promises
broken to yourself. - the cost of doing shadiness
Back room deals led to
erosion of trust and a
ballooning of debt. - bye bye billions
Jefferson County
had leadership bankruptcy,
then real bankruptcy. - game over in happy valley
Monsters left to roam.
And the final score: Football
1, children 0. - at the hops
The connoisseurs with
pretzel chokers drank fancy
beers from wee glasses. - the waiting game
Her life moves forward
without slowing down, but I
hope to catch up soon.
• • •
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