Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 71
By Wade Kwon[Share on Twitter/X | Facebook]
- project 2025 in action
A solid blueprint
eroding democracy
using government. - adventures in air frying
Load the basket with
assorted ingredients
and set dial to blast. - the offer and the counteroffer
A two-step dance to
find out your worth in dollars,
cents and benefits. - the busy season
Lots of work and lots
of fun to be had, if our
time would allow it. - gift of gab
He would greet each one
by name, a friendly start to
many dialogues. - gelato journeys
Take me away to
summer days with bright sunshine
and gobs of ice cream. - making out at the bar
The couple put on
quite a show while we’re trying
to just have a drink. - a delightful smile
She beams happiness
to all around her, laughing
through her hazel eyes. - introvert’s credo
Not every moment
of silence must be filled with
endless jabbering. - who are you wearing?
Let’s dress up and watch
the Oscars in style. Even
in just pajamas. - emotional ambush
She attacks without
warning, feeding on stress and
deep anxiety. - the age we feel
Who we see in the
mirror isn’t the same as
the age in our heads. - the impudent fire alarm
It was hard (SCREEE!) to
hold a conver— (SCREEE!) sation
with (SCREEE!) all that noise. - playtime at the restaurant
Kids would run and scream
and laugh and clamber on the
staircase before lunch. - sitting in the only booth
We share a moment
(and some tots) at the end of
the new restaurant. - a world without meat
Happy chickens, pigs
and cows celebrate diets
without their protein. - back to running
Hitting the streets with
a newfound focus on great
health and more movement. - clogged toilet, clogged sink
Why won’t the water
disappear? Don’t make me call
the plumber out here … - the ban
She vowed never to
work for the white man again.
It worked out just fine. - watching sports
An endless parade
of jocks playing each other
on fields of battle. - the needs of the special needs
Their teachers look out
for kids on the spectrum who
function differently. - parental alienation
One parent uses the
children as weapons in
a sick, twisted war. - the life of a nun
Days spent in prayer and
service, cloistered from the world
as brides of Jesus. - the piracy code
Why pay for stuff when
you can download it for free?
The artists suffer. - a question of luck
Clovers with four leaves
and feet of rabbits … can they
change puny fortunes? - beyond the norm
A most dry wit with
an insouciant devil-
may-care attitude. - exclamatory exuberance
This is exciting!
I’m trying to be normal
here. I can’t help it!! - too short a season
Along comes spring, warm
with budding joy. Let us dance
in rolling meadows. - government “efficiency”
Hack away at slim
pickings while boondoggles slip
through without a fight. - the true cost of eggs
Soaring prices tell
us that we should’ve tried to
save democracy. - disbanding the feds
It’s easy to can
the federal workforce when
nothing is sacred. - billionaires’ paradise
They own media,
corporations, resources
and the government. - rent in america
Through the roof, which is
now impossible on a
regular paycheck. - the worst timeline
We rolled the dice, not
knowing the consequences
of our fickle fate. - can’t get my meds
The same pills each month,
and yet I must get prior
authorization. - territorial at home
We share a household
but can’t seem to agree on
helpful boundaries. - picking our battles
New current events
warrant outrage, but how much
for each occurrence? - touch grass
Every now and then,
we must commune with nature
and drop all our screens. - let’s go walk the cat
Outdoorsy feline
prefers the leash to napping
all day long indoors. - the book of no
Yes. Yes? Yes! Yes … Yes—
Maybe. Could be. How about?
No No. NO NO. NO! - the battle for water
Our earth’s most precious
resource in short supply makes
for bloody conflict. - the stubborn old man
He would rather be
right than do right by his own
family. Hopeless. - outdated dating ideas
Get a mail order
bride. Make sure she’s dirt poor.
Knock her up. Profit! - death of an apple
The ancient laptop
flashed a sign of surrender,
stuck in boot up. - transparency in war
Tell everyone the
troops are on the way and the
bombs are coming next. - schooling by states
So much for helping
the disabled and fixing
inequality. - self care for a reason
All too easily,
we break down, burn out when not
paying attention. - in concert again
He took the stage to
flex his savvy after so
many years away. - the endless buffet
Steam tables loaded
with tempting Asian dishes
all to fatten us. - the best pizza in the world
We shared slices and
beers at this pizzeria
joint on the southside. - view from the outdoor bar
The world strolls by as
we sip our drinks and laugh at
some silly nonsense. - do you know this band?
A few bars in and
you figure out the artist,
even the album. - from the library of wade kwon
The dust jacket is
missing but the book itself?
Perfect condition. - taxable hoods
Make billionaires pay
for schools, roads, research, the arts,
healthcare and defense. - on the sly
Do it where no one
can see it, right under their
collective noses. - what so proudly we hail
Our nation rots. We
careen to extinction at
twilight’s last gleaming. - somebody somewhere
Sam searches for her
true self with the help of her
friends and her sister. - falling behind in my gossip site
I barely know who’s
cancelled, who’s fighting who and
who’s screwing around. - the food court is no longer in session
The chairs are put up,
the guard is locking up, the
cooks are cleaning up. - drinking at the red lobster bar
It’s just us and a
waitress/bartender hopping
around the tables. - stuck in our musical eras
Classic rock is now
ancient. Oldies are from the
aughts. Radios? Dead. - hoarding it all
She had a need to
collect these odds and ends which
had no real value. - beware the bitter
It can destroy all
the happy feelings and leave
you in the gutter. - this could’ve been an email
She didn’t have to
splurge for our breakup dinner.
(Should’ve ordered steak.) - tearing down history
The architecture
alone is worth saving, but
the new owners won’t. - zillow gone wild
Crazy bathrooms and
panther statues, and all for
our nosy pleasure. - echoes of an eclipse
The disasters came
when the moon went in hiding
and the sun melted. - in remembrance of spencer gifts
Rad posters, raunchy
T-shirts, novelty items
galore at the mall. - magic man
Sorcerer attempts
to fool audience over
and over again. - pop donuts
A quaint storefront with
confections galore and a
hungry clientele. - chance encounter
What are the odds that
we meet someone who ticks each
item on our list? - internal turmoil
Roiling agita
churns my guts. Will my conscience
ever recover? - just friends
They made a go of
it but ended up as pals
with no benefits. - the accusation
HR ambushed her
with a 3-hour meeting
and scant evidence. - a symphonic evening
Beautiful music
floated through the theater
with a baton’s wave. - maintaining posture
Sit up straighter in
an effort to line up our
lopsided bones. - a world of texting
Telegram, WhatsApp,
Messenger and Signal have
bypassed SMS. - nerding out
It’s no longer a
cultural faux pas to be
fixated by stuff. - mental breakdown
Bombarded by guilt
and unable to cope with
a strong shame spiral. - all the news that gives us fits
The headlines offer
nothing but overwhelming
fiascos and cons. - the man without a will
He didn’t need a
piece of paper to give up
his worldly trappings. - the new beard
Face has a new do
styled by indifference and
maintained just barely. - robots that can reason
The rising AI
IQ threatens to replace
our society. - roomies: a love story
She came, she stayed, she
started a new family
of two in this house. - pollen nation
Trees be fucking out
here, leaving hot messes and
making us achoo. - the sarcastic
It’d be so great
if you’d curbed your attitude
for the time being. - the appreciation factory
Gratitude is our
business, and business is so
very, very good. - monday dinner
We look forward to
our weekly ritual for
fellowship and fun. - reddit to the rescue
One forum after
another, chock full of snark
and even advice. - slop till you drop
Artificially
generated content tends
to be terrible. - nosiness detector
Knock knock knock. Who’s there?
Nunya. Nunya who? Nunya
damn business, honky. - home of the hornets
Along the railing
of the balcony stood a
small colony nest. - runaway prices
What if tariffs were
the actual culprit for
inflated costs? Nah. - undue process
Send them to prison
in El Salvador and then
let God sort them out. - lost vets, lost freedoms
Did they fight for an
authoritarian state
or democracy? - those poor billionaires
So misunderstood
with their mountains of cash and
their pillaging ways. - learning to be sorry
Apologize from
the heart. Own your mistakes. Be
kind and repentant. - the story of jesus
As told by choirs,
one soloist, one string section
and colorful slides. - ankle angst
Does it need rest, ice,
compression, elevation?
Hope it heals quickly. - the cypher
Encoded message
for your eyes only contains
schematics and plans. - stanning for teddy swims
That voice, that gorgeous
voice, coupled with thrilling songs
defying genres.
• • •
Read more Wade’s 101.
Read more poetry at Wade’s Daily Haiku.
Subscribe via RSS to Wade’s Daily Haiku.
