Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 38
By Wade Kwon[Share on Twitter]
- resolution no. 329
To reserve judgment
on fellow human beings.
(Pre-judgment OK.) - after the first workweek
Let’s have a beer or
two to celebrate the first
of many long grinds. - they get it from us
Tantrums rarely suit
adults, who seem to throw them
more often than kids. - a storm’s a comin’
A rumble on the
distant horizon, flashes
in the darkened sky. - states of consciousness
Are we grateful for
mindfulness? Are we mindful
of our gratitude? - deepest freeze
No escape from the
winter’s chill, the sharp, stabbing
gusts of icy wind. - fantasy kitchen
A scaly dragon
for an oven, a porpoise
for a dishwasher. - words for next to nothing
Cheap phrases power
an info-society
to barely knowing. - men in trees
Limb by limb, the old
oak came apart, guided by
upright apes with saws. - the tumor
A cell. Then many
more. A betrayal of the
sneakiest order. - the treatment
Poisons as potions.
Noxious liquids and hidden
death rays here to help. - the aftermath
A missing breast. A
partial lung. And a guarded
outlook. Or the end. - the mayor-council act of 1955
The fiefdom felt no
pressure to change, no voters
to keep satisfied. - peak radio
Stations from coast to
coast. Streaming services with
indentured artists. - a mass of cells
Divide and conquer,
you tiny cell. Become a
gift unto the world. - an estimate of reality
The doctor will see
you shortly. A service charge
will be included. - the invisible locomotive
Belligerent gales
batter trees, topple people
and roar through the night. - the reverse muse
People who don’t write
spew forth word salad brought on
by semi-formed thoughts. - by the morsel
Dishes of dim sum
glided past with promises
of bliss in each bite. - super friendly warm-hearted neighborhood
Greeted at the store,
in the pews, at the diner,
at the shooting range. - sugar sugar
The sweet stuff hangs out
everywhere we shop, ready
to give a brief high. - the long way round
The journey of a
thousand miles begins with a
question to our peers. - scenes from an exhibition
Canvases show a
vision of warped emotions
in oily relief. - eat the baby
Trinket hidden in
ring cake promises either
wealth or choking death. - unsettled sleep
A calm night that is
punctuated by fits of
chest-shaking spasms. - victory party at the coffeehouse
Instead of pizza,
take the team to celebrate
with lattes and scones. - off to the races
Many horses cross
the starting line, but 9 months
till one staggers home. - in like a line of squalls
It was a time of
great flooding, of violent storms
and unceasing gales. - who will be the next internet gertrude stein?
In search of the bright
Tumblr that inspires, the
blog that blares bon mots. - x’s and y’s
The sport of math needs
players on an infinite
field of equations. - a souvenir of less-vigorous times
The cold came and went,
but the cough persists in the
dry nook of the throat. - will write for clicks
Writers plentiful
in age of cyberpundits
and snap reviewers. - the knot to be tied
It starts with a ring
and a question. And maybe
a few happy tears. - winding down to anxiety
The next day is filled
with worries put off by a
long night without sleep. - two colds in winter
Leaky eyes, leaky
nostrils, a betrayal of
the failing body. - a momentary lapse of clarity
The meditation
at the desk always leads to
enormous regret. - the sandwich generation
A husband and two
aging parents and a job
and crises du jour. - the law of the land
Fairness: outdated.
Kindness: overrated. Par-
tisanship: always. - a love between two mammals
One offers kind words.
The other offers nice meals.
They live and they love. - our brand is pathos
Pasted-on smiles keep
uncomfortable questions
at a safe distance. - watching on st. charles
Along the route the
beads fly in graceful arcs to
throngs of waving kids. - lil green peddlers
Girls scout for prime spots
to foist boxes of cookies
on famished masses. - when everyone in accounting has the crud
Empty desks mark the
hours and hours in lost
productivity. - the robotic narrator
She reads breaking news
and digital books with no
hint of emotion. - the pancake man
He spins golden discs
of morning shine to delight
breakfast partisans. - lazy people don’t panic
Lazy people don’t
panic. Let industrious
folk shoulder the blame. - everything is weakness
Showing weakness. Tears.
Brave face. Admitting something.
Disease. Family. - virtual realities
We take baby steps
into this frontier of strange
actors and warped views. - the pit
Wet branches and smoke
bathe the skinned pig for hours
below, low and slow. - bumps in the road
Time for a big change:
Switching to the crunchy style
of peanut butter. - the nobel prize of snapchat
She gathers the world,
not through cuteness or humor,
but through metasnark. - no lives matter
We discard human
lives as easily as we
pretend otherwise. - hollywood’s sure bets
Adaptations and
reboots crowd out the beauty
of fresh ideas. - bonus spin
Do you risk it all
for a chance at happiness
or spend the day safe? - with no say
Some voices silenced
through arcane rules. Others by
apathetic stance. - spring can’t come soon enough
Bring on the flowers
and showers, the breezes and
sneezes and teases. - freedom of silence
More citizens should
exercise their divine right
to shut the hell up. - the jester’s advantage
Punchlines can be far
more persuasive than bullhorns
in an argument. - the masked infector
The waiting room is
crowded with sick people and
germy oxygen. - boundaries
Sentiments shared by
many outweigh the petty
squabbles that divide. - the astronaut’s homecoming
After a year in
space, he just wanted to see
one sunset per day. - laughter is the worst medicine
The election and
the economy and threats
abroad … Stop! It hurts! - scent of a library
Worn DVDs and
pulped tree, with hints of carpet
cleaner and cobwebs. - run the lines
Start out strong, over
the top, then ease into the
patter. Finish big! - run out the clock
Sit and twiddle thumbs,
or try everything in a
fit of agony. - pocketing darkness
Father Time grounded
the night, putting her to bed
an hour early. - easiest packing ever
Grab the essentials
and stuff them in plastic bags
before departure. - the unsent letter
She deserves a full
reply, but the paper stays
blank for the moment. - caffeine and crank
The best inspira-
tion comes from substances both
legal and not so. - rate everything
How was the service,
and the food, and the candles,
and the parking space? - copying the recipe for success
We think it’s one small
thing like salt, when it’s likely
technique and some luck. - the loudest dog whistle ever
Coded racism
has yielded the floor. Overt
racism is back. - the binge effect
Couch potatoes mash
up plots, watching episode
after episode. - a spectrum too far
The vision of a
rainbow blinded him to the
true colors in sight. - the future of cuisine
Whatever three things
we can combine in 60
seconds to clog hearts. - tiny guitar serenade
The ukulele
band plucked away at strings in
tune and of the heart. - all our ethnic foods are lies
The American
version of world cuisine tastes
like a food court died. - spring break for grownups
A little extra
time in the bathroom, more red
wine before bedtime. - we’re all in sales now
Buy my new album,
scarves, jellies, book, self-help course,
beads and honeymoon. - springtime dichotomy
Three days of sunny
bliss, followed by a night of
arctic disturbance. - born to be reborn
He who was once dead
is alive, ascending to
heavenly reward. - the old lech
What crimes would he pull
off, what sour nothings he’d
hiss for his mistress? - clue after clue, year after year
Most disasters we
experience unfold in
a plodding fashion. - disturbance on the homefront
The knocking came from
all sides. Creeps moved in for the
daytime invasion. - bucket list brigade
A dog and hamster
travel the world in search of
adventure and treats. - outdated perspective
˙sn uo sᴉ ǝʞoɾ ǝɥʇ
ʇno ǝɹnƃᴉɟ ɹǝʌǝu ǝʍ ʇnq
‘ǝɔɹɐɟ sᴉ ʎɐp ʎɹǝʌƎ - the oatmeal gesture
Because he prepared
it with love, she took a bowl
for breakfast daily. - spring break 2016
Beaches without beer,
bars to refuel and recharge,
no snaps, no regrets. - no sirens, no flashing lights
Failure doesn’t bring
calamity, only calm.
Peace among shambles. - the magic of cookie dough
You can see little
nibble marks in the lump of
dough for “taste testing.” - capital offense
Her lips cried, “No, no.”
As she pulled back, he roared, “But
I’m the governor!” - this modern world
He was easily
bamboozled by strange coffee
makers and tight knots. - barrel brigade
Little cars and big
rigs creep like ants. The pavers
rebuild their pathways. - the micromanager
The details matter
more than the employees or
customers or soul. - the rules of a meat-and-three
Order quickly. Mac
and cheese is a vegetable.
Get off of your phone. - midway at the science fair
At one end, splicing
genes. At the other end, can
rocks feel emotions? - make alabama great again
Water fountains for
every race. Schooling till eighth
grade. Guns and Bibles. - baseball bonanza
Parading cars and
junk food races keep the old
ballpark at peak fun. - slackergy
The team left it up
to group chat, management by
quips and emoji. - a template for our fears
Patient zero brings
horror and end of world for
brain-dead citizens. - a stroll in the garden
Take in a light scent
of blossoms and beginnings,
of all that is spring.
• • •
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Monday, April 18, 2016, 12:05 am
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