Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 59
By Wade Kwon- happiest of holidays
A nonstop orgy
of gifts, eating, dressing up
and some reflection. - the true cost of higher education
A little learning
can contribute to a life
weighed down with deep debt. - secret windfall
A surprise bonus
pumping up the coffers with
necessary cash. - weeny forecast
Littlest monsters
scavenge streets for sugary
treats and slight mischief. - writers get it, too
Impostor syndrome
rears its ugly head before
I can start typing. - dancing under the stars
We gathered at the
old park to drink beers and hear
the bands play all day. - the darkest highway
The headlights barely
pierce the nighttime before our
car. A light rain falls. - happy birthday, biff
Alive for 50,
friends for 40, a long time
with a good buddy. - before the party starts
Nervously munching
on crudité, waiting for
old friends to arrive. - a few minutes here and there
I need to spend more
time writing in the nooks and
crannies of each day. - modern package tracking
Wormhole. Cleveland, then
Narnia. Drone drops ninja
bot. Wake up with box. - damn kids
They know everything
about what’s in and nothing
about their elders. - the endless race
Brain and body. Sheer
exhaustion. Consequences
of running full speed. - get high, get thai
Grab some gummies and
let the week melt away. Feel
the great weightlessness. - never in short supply
Could we stop making
so many war veterans
and start waging peace? - the sport of scrolling
Looking for hotties.
Need inspiration. Killing
brain cells. Hate-scrolling. - any port in a storm
Lower your standards,
and raise your hopes, for cuffing
season has begun. - the cure for incuriousity
Explore the depths of
the people in your life and
discover wonders. - the quilt
Investing each piece
with feeling, meaning, making
a textile thesis. - the hazards of wordsmithing
Some days the words flow.
Others, they must be pried out
with a screwdriver. - everyone appreciates a good sideshow
To puncture the staid
veil of reality, go
forth and get weirder. - pro dreams in a college town
Birmingham’s quest for
pro status: Cinderella
story or nightmare? - the job interview: the beginner
Fumble for the right
words, make the manager see
you as competent. - a melodious evil
She hums a motif,
giving the composer a
way to score her sins. - if it bleeds, it undermines the fabric of society
If news outlets aren’t
trying to scare viewers to
death, what is the point? - as opposed to shut-ins and boors
Inspiration comes
from having a robust life
and clever instincts. - keeping cool
The fridge wanted a
holiday, but I wouldn’t
budge. Heated exchange. - a country 2021
He lost his girlfriend
and his dog this year, sadness
waiting for lyrics. - the rites of gratitude
Being grateful makes
us happier, so give thanks
every day you can. - every day is black friday
We shop from our phones
and check out on our doorsteps.
It’s retail’s revenge. - ready for any apocalypse
She weaves her fabrics
and raises her hens, prepared
for the fall of man. - midway through dune
The anxiety
waits quietly, ready to
pounce when given space. - hobbyists and practitioners
Should all creations
be interrogated as
Art? Can we stand it? - the plague of drought
As water dwindles,
will we go to war over
remaining droplets? - the extra noel is for spite
May all my friends go
to hell. Noel noel no-
el noel noel. - reflections of van gogh
Projectors beam his
works across expansive walls
while we stroll through them. - a new stadium, gently used
The vocal few packed
half the stands, while the rest stayed
filled with ghostly hopes. - being mortal
What’s harder: dying,
or living on in a world
of indifference? - digital death rituals
We gather to mourn
on Facebook, swapping stories
and pics of the dead. - questions for down the road
Will I have enough
money? Or virility?
Or will to keep on? - ode to a modern dance troupe
They defy the laws
of gravity, with grace, with
physicality. - art pop
Impressionism
for Joe Sixpack, smudges of
paint for the masses. - tidings of great joy
The best present we
have to give is ourselves in
this do-over year. - the end is nigh
Death is coming. We
greet it with awe, with sorrow,
with celebration. - the plan to outlive everyone
The only flaw is
having no one left to talk
with at the day’s end. - mystery dance
They twirl and tumble
onstage, and I don’t get the
movement and meaning. - all downhill from here
The best verse I have
ever written is buried
among published heaps. - afflict the comfortable
We’d rather sink in
the morass of ignorance
than learn painful truths. - a relationship built on uncertainty
It’s a pattern of
not trusting our needs and not
sharing our questions. - the spending continues
Experiences
over things, and yet both use
capitalism. - nations and money, law and society
The fabric of our
reality is largely
based on shared grand myths. - vaccines, critical race theory, nascar
Cannot avoid it:
Everything’s political
though it shouldn’t be. - plague to end all plagues
Five million dead, it
will probably hang out for
a while. Get boosted. - the unpuzzle
Tricky problem less
tricky after time away
and a good night’s sleep. - greet the winter fondly
Before long, the nights
will shrink again and harsh cold
will give way to warmth. - symphony of paper, twine and tape
Nothing beats the joy
and contentment of wrapping
a gift perfectly. - season of loneliness
Togetherness means
nothing to those without loved
ones to draw closer. - the quiet of christmas eve
When kids finally
fall asleep and parents swear
softly building bikes. - how many candles?
It’s someone’s birthday
today. And what a joyous
occasion it is! - resolve to be nicer
“Be kind” might be the
only commandment we need
to get by in life. - the quality of banter
The quality of
banter determines the fun
to be had en masse. - naughty card games
Their innuendo
proceeded with every card
dealt, every brow raised. - she doesn’t do pets
Not on her couch, and
definitely not in her
bed. Cuteness, be gone! - banned words, 2021 edition
Canceled, woke, extra,
deplatform and air fryer.
(Let’s hang on to “vax.”) - eve
A waltz, a kiss, a
toast, a vow, a glance, a shared
look and a new year. - our third pandemic year
Let us resolve to
take care of each other, while
we care for ourselves. - the year of the cell
Will it be a year
of true connection or a
year spent on our phones? - philosophical streaming
Should life be binged in
a mad rush or savored bite
by bite? Gulp, or chew? - wittier by sweat
Wringing laughs from tame
writing, punching up punch lines,
hoping for howling. - hope for 2022
Freedom from worry,
from suffering, from violence,
from things ’21. - a near insurrection
We almost let them
steal democracy when they
stormed the Capitol. - democracy in peril
Are we content to
let the traitors spit lies and
plan another siege? - latest-stage capitalism
Amazon turned our
old mall into a giant
distribution hub. - mall used up
One by one the stores
fled, or worse, sank deeper in
the fetid water. - pennies from hell
The reliable
old Walmart, where cheapness is
the ultimate good. - gastronomic excesses
Course after course, we
indulged in fine wines and some
exquisite dining. - the takeoff of the squadron
A mighty few came
to witness the launch of our
minor league hoops team. - my favorite social media faux pas
She thought Instagram
was private and sent pics of
her butt to all y’all. - a meeting over breakfast
The best time to fuel
up and trade secrets with an
admirable friend. - jonesin’ for dopamine
Notification.
Check status. Alert. Quick glance.
Repeat until dead. - mortal beings
We’re all beginning
to wither year by year till
our ripeness is rot. - a man most reviled
King found little love
among white Americans
as the ’60s raged. - clanton, usa
Come sit a spell with
me beneath the oversize
peach water tower. - post-viewing supplemental reading
I like to binge and
then read up, water cooler
moments on the fly. - finding life’s purpose
Winding down each day,
looking for something to do,
how to fill a void. - the book bandit
She sped through all kinds
of fiction, sharing her love
with literati. - chef nobody
He wanted to cook
more, but didn’t care for the
shopping, prep and wait. - half crazy
It’s very common:
Half will be diagnosed with
a mental illness. - mindscape
The brain is a black
box, able to imagine
and help us sit straight. - scrolling habits
Silent videos,
noisy videos, lovely
houses and train wrecks. - stop, look and listen
Up and down the same
streets, past the same houses, still
seeing something new. - calculus of regret
Possible joy and
minor hazards, divided
by risk and reward. - truth, beauty, etc.
Why do we create
art? To show off? To scratch an
itch? To understand? - a painting, an opera, an nft
Why do we consume
art? To gain wisdom? To feed
the soul? To unwind? - plugged in
You’re either really
in the know or the dumbest
fool in history. - shivering
Despair of winter
is facing brutal cold in
nothing but sweaters. - the camera goes where?
Colonoscopy
day: Prep in the wee hours,
sleep through procedure. - the lens of others
Divining meaning
in a vaguely written verse
while they stare blankly. - the simple joys of a simple diet
Chicken, spinach, eggs,
lentils, beans, more chicken and
eggs, veggies, dinner. - mantras wanted
Boil my complete
philosophy down to a
bumper sticker please. - january’s ultimate joy
Dining room table
surrounded by dear friends on
a cold winter’s night.
• • •
Read more Wade’s 101.
Read more poetry at Wade’s Daily Haiku.
Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku.
