Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 29
By Wade Kwon[Share on Twitter]
- rise of the machines
Talk to me like a
third grader when explaining
new tech from now on. - the leaky library
Stray tarps kept water
off the stacks. The collection
remained safe for now. - party ingredients
A little bit of
hospitality, plus booze,
tunes, smiles and munchies. - the return of a southern summer
Days punctuated
by afternoon thunderstorms
from out of nowhere. - virtual landfill
The Internet was
built apparently so we
could fill it with trash. - absence fonder
The most delicious
thing in the world comes from
long time without it. - the joke is always on us
Perhaps the only
way to settle our squabbles
is with a good laugh. - balance is coming
A state of zen is
achieved when bad outcomes and
good outcomes are one. - weed wars
Neither neighbor would
mow the middle ground, leaving
a thin wall of weeds. - the promised land
They did not let floods
and storms stop their journey to
the Valley of Jones. - oh the stories they’ll tell
Each story has a
hero and a challenge, and
sometimes they’re the same. - the villain who isn’t the villain
The misunderstood
villain, a figure who takes
the blame every time. - the usual plots
Love, greed, revenge, quest,
jealousy, coming of age,
dea/good and evil. - the completist hell
No collection was
ever full, no task ever
without improvement. - the merchants of new venice
Storms would bring nasty
tides to Main Street. Shopkeepers
watched cars float away. - diamond status
Shortstop scratches. The
pitcher glances for movement.
The bat arises. - the bro code
Even bros who mock
bro behavior are, at heart,
still bros underneath. - seat of tranquility
The worn bench made for
a resting spot during laps
around the town square. - humid on the inside
Two minutes in the
car showed in the sweat patches
up and down his shirt. - lost connection
We were once joined at
the hip. You and I share mild
indifference now. - archimedes’ seesaw
It is not that the
world expects too little, but
that we heed the world. - the meteor
A meteor struck
wiping out the humans to
make way for the crabs. - cozy king or queen
Tucked tight in corners,
layer after layer of
linens hug mattress. - the dissident
The zealous artist
spoke out against abuse and
oppression through works. - victory lapse
Success looks easy
from afar, but resembles
hard work seen up close. - follow the crowd
The mob was always
right about crooks and sports teams
and politicians. - fluffy stack
Each pancake rested
atop another, then it
rained maple syrup. - low pulse
A heart races, then
settles into a steady
calm. Lub-dub lub-dub. - dining out for 3-year-olds
Peeking over booth
seats, crawling under tables,
mischief goes with meals. - saturday night swing time
Lithe figures swirl through
waves of smoke and heat. The floor
pulses with each beat. - the naming of dogs
Literary, on
occasion. Playful, breezy,
almost never staid. - academic cheat code
Open book, read through
chapters, study, study, take
notes, do homework, pass. - the littlest shadow
Look carefully to
spy a meek clawed invader
hidden in black fur. - damp
Every step from the
carport to the garden bed
to the welcome mat. - unswept dining area
Elegant facade
cannot hide the shriveled corpse
of a curled cockroach. - summer’s last hurrah
One last carefree day
to amble along worn streets
with no agenda. - four-word contract
Forgetting their pens
and paper, he said “I do”
and she said “I do.” - the college of the future
Classrooms without walls.
Students without schedules. One
year to diploma. - the greater depression
They struggle along
working three jobs, taking from
food banks, no relief. - chalkboard biomes
Some classrooms keep the
peace, others allow chaos.
A few inspire. - hot in short-sleeveland
The parking lot walk
back from lunch feels like a death
trudge through the tar pits. - the postmodern miser
They stockpile wealth on
the backs of others, hoarding
their rightful plunder. - franchise falloff
Each superhero
fights another while the bad
guys get all the girls. - praise be
No one leaves without
a trophy and a shout out
since specialness rules. - lost and found causes
Ideals outlast our
actions, principles outlive
our work. Hope endures. - tamagotchi 2.0
Beep. New text. Beep. New
email. Beep. Facebook chat. Beep.
DM. Beep. Wake up! - the fickle electorate
Short memories and
clenched fists help them navigate
lists of crooks and cads. - the referee’s prayer
Give us the strength to
call fouls and hurl flags, all in
the name of fair play. - land of puritans
A pop star does a
suggestive dance on TV
and the world explodes. - leave it all out on the field
Two teams enter, two
teams leave. Most will suffer from
delayed concussions. - blame the drawing board
Half the coaches will
erase the board, hoping the
chalk will point the way. - a holiday from
The kiss-ups, slackers,
meanies, gossips, hustlers, new
faces and dead weight. - the world is run by high schoolers
Graduation is
an illusion. We are kept
in check by sophomores. - soon the leaves will fall
Soon the leaves will fall,
the earth wrapped snugly while the
pale trees stand naked. - yard mullet
The front lawn is groomed
impeccably. The back yard
swallowed three small dogs. - options and they’re all bad
Does strength lie in an
honorable defeat or
prudent withdrawal? - patricidal tendencies
She could not, would not
confront that which kept her in
fear: daddy issues. - riding the slipstream
Hunched over, glancing
the scenery sideways and
pedaling along. - primordial batter
The pan’s deep center
hid a chocolate tar pit
of underbaked goo. - the declining value, in words
Digital photos:
their proliferation drags
down the worth of all. - the legacy of 9/11
We have tossed aside
freedom to eavesdrop and bomb
and make others rich. - calluses without callousness
Walk a mile in their
shoes, they said. It’ll be fun,
they said. So I did. - that new stadium smell
Hot dogs and kraut, fresh
chalk on the field, beer suds, paint
and ballplayer sweat. - in e-memoriam
Eulogies and shared
stories yield to a Facebook
wall of memories. - 16th street massacre
The murder of four
girls in Birmingham still haunts
the city and world. - field of new dreams
They built it, and we
came. They played hard, and they won.
And we won as well. - must love dogs and money and shopping and karaoke
The applicants filled
out long checklists to match up
their insane ideals. - the character of characters
The power over
words can sway minds and rally
hearts and warp nations. - the face that launched a thousand quips
His stock countenance
was fueled by sour lemons
and a foul odor. - the south shall televise again
Them yokels bring their
redneck reality to
cable’s boundless swamp. - autumnal anticipation
They held their breath and
waited for the imminent
arrival of fall. - all that you leave behind
The trees shiver in
anticipation of their
looming nudity. - traveling companions
Anxiety and
stress cleave to each side, always
minding the next step. - how does he not do it? volume volume volume
The task nagged at him
sotto voce. But all the
distractions shouted. - the charms of city life
Potholes, beheaded
parking meters, graffiti,
gunshots, uncut weeds. - fortune smiles upon us all
Fortune smiles upon
us all, though some are apt to
exaggerate it. - cautious to the end
He waited till the
stars aligned and all was just
so. But then he died. - the modern huntress
Equipped with brains and
a smartphone, ready to snag
business deals in heels. - hookup nation
Phones chirp with stalkers
and peers, eroding any
hope of innocence. - unbalanced sheet
With weary eyes, the
accountant retallied the
books soaked in red ink. - it started with a lol
The virtual wink
led to chats and Skyping and
a date IRL. - one last picnic
They packed cold beers and
finger foods for the hike to
watch the pale sunset. - kiss and ride
He decided to
start the kiss part long before
the line’s dropoff point. - triple meaning
The author’s vision,
reader’s interpretation
and the divine truth. - your tax dollars at play
The lawmakers gave
everyone time off for their
own bad behavior. - crazy eights
He typed and typed and
typed at his keyboard, sometimes
getting up to stretch. - eavesdropping out
It does no good to
listen in when all others
talk about is trash. - among the well-rested dead
Their life stories are
told in epitaphs barely
legible in stone. - a march for admission
Huddled masses and
wretched refuse gather in
the park to fight on. - homecoming hurrah
The oldsters trample
the quads in search of a youth
already misspent. - pierce the silence
Stillness. Peace. Calm. All
ruined by dramatic tales
of office gossip. - blackboards and touchscreens
Chalk seems quaint compared
to tablets and teachers on
streaming video. - the city before it was a city
Mine for ore or work
the furnace. Trudge home to rest
this aching body. - where unsaved posts go
The world’s most awesome
library has the best drafts
lost on computers. - the lone barker
In the bowels of
pitch black night, a distant cur
shouts anxiety. - the pothole 423 miles away
She thus drove ever
watchful for nails and speed traps
and minor hazards. - love and rockets
She stole him away
to the asteroid belt and
danced among comets. - vapors, please
The credentials had
all the right flourishes and
seals to be near true. - diet diversion
Once a week, he would
carefully indulge in each
sinful concoction. - not necessarily the weather
Occasional fogs
with partly windy lightning
and chance of sunset. - selfie nation
What happens when the
camera is turned on us? A
flock of duck face teens.
• • •
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