roster of flags

Saturday, February 8th, 2014

The countries sign in,
one by one, before they try
to crush each other.

• • •

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the bleat goes on

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Her pronouncements had
an air of self-absorption,
with no room to grow.

• • •

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slice patrol

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

The chef’s knife zipped though
mountains of potatoes and
onions. Prep with pep.

• • •

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live broadcasts from early cosmology

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

Every corner of
the galaxy repeated
its cry, “We are here.”

• • •

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a confession in ones and zeroes

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014

He stared at the screen,
the screen stared back into his
soul. End transmission.

• • •

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causes for celebration, february edition

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

Groundhogs, presidents,
black historical figures
and Cupid’s mayhem.

• • •

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will the groundhog see his shadow at halftime?

Sunday, February 2nd, 2014

And will that mean 6
more weeks of spectacular
music and football?

• • •

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everything mustn’t go

Saturday, February 1st, 2014

… but leave behind the
memories, good and bad, as
well as our next dreams.

• • •

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the thermal pendulum

Friday, January 31st, 2014

Super cold. Then warm.
Super cold. Then warm. Super
cold. Then warm. Harsh month.

• • •

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Wade’s 101: Haiku retrospective 30

Thursday, January 30th, 2014

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when insurance and e-commerce collide
The waiting rooms were
empty. A nation was stuck
on the health care site.

caped valets
In a world filled with
superheroes, no one will
snag coffee for me.

mean lean halloween machines
Getting ready for
the big night, spooks and spirits
practice cleansing screams.

the old guard and the new
Traditionalists
and trendsetters vied for sole
control of the world.

sotto voce
“But she’s still ugly.”
“I took the money and ran.”
“Worthless crazy fool.”

the cook at his station each morning
The kitchen would come
alive with classic ’90s
hits and pan-fried eggs.

path of least ridiculousness
Frustration melted
away as he breathed in and
took a step forward.

the triumphant return of the not missing
The wanderer came
back to recount her travels
but misplaced her friends.

for the in-season phantasm
Why should ghosts follow
a calendar when they can
spook a bit each night?

game of threads
Do you dress up as
your hero or your dark side?
Do clothes make the man?

unburied treasures
An inventory
of his soul yielded all sorts
of hidden talents.

shores of autumn
The earth swayed and sloshed
the waters. A turtle left
the sands forever.

the exit that is not an exit
Do not tap on the
still windows of the sleeping,
snoring motorists.

dance of the polka dot sisters
They smile and spin on
the sand, letting the rhythm
unleash their spirit.

post-modern tones
The phone would scream, burp,
quack, sneeze, ping, whoosh, beep, laugh and
clink, but never ring.

the early risers
The sunrise emits
a subtle psalm bringing all
a gracious howdy.

will flip for cash
A splash of paint, a
scented candle, a new rug,
it smells like money.

the sport of knaves
Such combat that robs
men of their faculties, their
dignity, their souls.

laziest verse ever
Cliches are the new
black. Avoid like the plague! The
rest is history.

jailbird breakout
Their death sentences
were nigh. They had to flee. The
turkeys would escape.

veterans’ days
After the parade,
they still need jobs, medical
services, housing.

the arctic plunge
Before the turkeys
could hide, before the chestnuts
could roast, Jack Frost struck.

orphaned peppers
Frost slapped the vines hard
scarring leaves and breaking stems
without witnesses.

cravings
Temptation left his
mind, only to sneak back in
through seductive dreams.

a past that never dies
What nostalgia pins
us to moments when we miss
those for our future?

the littlest hero
It’s not the villains
he caught or the deeds he dared
but the light he shined.

how to learn to save a life
Rows of poor plastic
patients lie with no pulse, no
breath, waiting for aid.

new to the forest
The campers lugged in
giant tents and fancy boots
and vintage canteens.

fester like a sore, and then run
I look at Langston’s
works and witness the struggle
before all of us.

a slow, leisurely lunch
Put the watch away
when we talk business and kids
and all our futures.

the word of 2013
A pic of you shot
by you is a selfie, once
called narcissism.

signs from across
Her hands told a tale
of a love lost and a deep
bitterness that lasts.

the day of the doctor
Running, not from, but
to danger and adventure
and the universe.

dead at 49
He stopped to wish his
Facebook friend a good birthday
but it was too late.

modern urban archeology
Floor after floor of
dust greeted the explorers
deep in the ruins.

stir fry recipe
Chop. Chop chop chop chop
chop chop. Heat wok, add oil.
Cook everything quick.

paw prints in the mud
Cats, dogs, squirrels traipse through
the yard with impunity.
Beasts without borders.

a thanksgiving prayer
May stuffing vs.
dressing be the most heated
argument today.

the fine art of crust
One layer gets the
job done, but two layers are
flaky perfection.

clash of the tigers and elephants
Their mighty forces
walloped one another till
blood and tears remained.

the earliest shoppers
Their lists are all crossed
off, with piles of presents wrapped
and bowed for giving.

dance of the sugar-free plum fairy
The nutcracker was
banished due to allergies
from pecans by kids.

mining sweethearts
He spent his hours
window shopping for a mate,
wary of defects.

last laugh
The comedian
found his audience in a
mob of drunk hecklers.

united party front
The couple huddled
behind the cocktail table
gnawing at hors d’oeuvres.

austrian help wanted
Large harmonizing
family seeks nanny nun
with mad sewing skills.

elfie selfie
Santa’s minion left
a digital trail of pics
flashing his North Pole.

the wish
Years later, she would
not remember that it all
went wrong with a wish.

a missing lottery ticket
It flew out the car
window somewhere between West
Memphis and Vega.

ghost of christmas alternate universe
Ebenezer gawked
at the spectral visitor’s
gluten-free fruitcake.

hoarse
Politely shouting
his intentions made little
difference to his friends.

terrible with names
Everyone was named
“Champ” as far as he knew or
cared. Hey, Champ, what’s new?

rotten luck
A black cat ran past
broken mirror shards in front
of 13 ladders.

biking through the villages
He rode from town to
town with a penchant for good
stories, good people.

the right amount of suck, cinema edition
A screenplay needs time
to work in the kinks and find
its awkward, dull voice.

a special kind of stupid
They will argue, whine,
insult, yell, huff, puff and sulk,
but never be right.

the lost art of smartassery
All the charm of a
third grader shines through with a
dull wit and tired line.

fireball alarm
They awoke in the
dark to find a home without
walls, souls without limbs.

the early riser
The early riser
needed no clanging alarm
to greet the pale dawn.

in search of spotlights
Some can’t live without
attention. The worst deny
their narcissism.

a winter’s hike
The children ran far
ahead, despite the brisk air.
The trail pulled them in.

ruckus two doors down
Thumping bass keeps the
dog up, the baby crying
and us complaining.

shorts at christmastime
What wretched deal did
we strike with Mother Nature
for winter heat wave?

silent not
The carolers made
a noise that charitably
could be called “joyous.”

holly and jolly
Shreds of gift wrapping
flew everywhere in a blur
of children and toys.

inside for a spot of warmth
The bedraggled gent
huddled quietly on a
hard chair for the night.

neat freak
Bills unpaid. Laundry
piling up. Children without shots.
But the house was clean.

king of the cargo container
The tiny house had
a tiny kitchen and a
tiny bed crammed in.

quadruple agent
She worked for neither
country nor agency, nor
even principle.

so 2013
While Instagramming
a selfie, he sent bitcoins
to binge-watch twerking.

promise to a future wife
I will pretend to
like your cat, even as he
stabs my crotch with claws.

a day that marks a month and a year
To some, another
day. To the rest, a chance at
love joy peace friends grace.

no time for reflection
The weary laundress
stacked shirts neatly, not letting
her eyes drift away.

frosty french toast
Extreme cold can be
crippling for Southerners caught
without bread and milk.

the oompa loompas are on food stamps
Charlie shut down the
chocolate factory and moved
it to Mexico.

sportsmanship 2014
Taunting, shooting birds,
killing trees, kicking, punching,
all on video.

winter weather watch
They pressed their little
noses against the icy
panes seeking snowflakes.

after the crowds left
The players took one
last look at the field and dwelled
on what could have been.

the last drop
Inspiration can
be found at the bottom of
a potent beverage.

someone else’s problem
An astute few saw
the bigger issues. And none
lifted a finger.

symptoms include listlessness, runny pancreas
He diagnosed his
malady as either a
mild cold or malaise.

the run-down chapel
A few old timers
creeped along dusty pews as
the service began.

the last noel, five points south
The plastic garlands
fluttered carelessly in the
January wind.

skydiving social worker seeks fly fishing accountant
The personals seem
like a competition in
duck faces and wants.

one week in january, winter in the south
Wet, cold, ice, windy,
warm, cloudy, chilly, fog, rain,
snow, slick, sun, clear, sigh.

two dollars and no place to go
The drifter pulled his
rolling bag beside him, safe
and dry for the day.

this postmodern world
The boogeyman does
not hide nor shock, but merely
points out our failings.

brief getaway
He stared at the glass
of pale bourbon, unable
to shove it aside.

the splat comes at the end
He played by the rules
and took care of others, then
was hit by a truck.

diy sonnet kit
Tell her she’s special.
Tell her she’s totally hot.
Tell her she’s the one.

triumph of the passable
The city’s collapse
came not from corruption but
mediocrity.

looking back, looking forward, looking around
Is life a bucket
list, a cabaret or a
tombstone’s etched hyphen?

the heavens in winter
Frozen noses point
to Orion, frozen toes
planted on hard earth.

the ire next time
He steadied himself
not for the audience’s
scorn, but for his own.

death by pleasantries
Throngs of people close
in and swallow me, drowning
my soul in chit chat.

spiritual harvest
The community
garden nourished bodies and
planted seeds in souls.

crust to crust
The baker puzzled
over the finishing edge
for his latest pie.

rancor in the rockies
Hollywood types and
trust fund kids vs. people
trying to get by.

the rainbow zoo cafe, snow day hours
With school closed, she made
snow creams, enough for seven
skinny harbor seals.

world’s slowest speedway
Motorists leave a
freeway’s worth of cars to the
gray merciless snow.

snow day makeup slumber party
Kids sleep on gym floors
and in classrooms, waiting for
the road home to thaw.

• • •

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Winter Storm Leon freezes Alabama: newspaper front pages

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Many newspaper subscribers in Alabama and Georgia won’t see today’s front page. Not unless their carrier has snow tires or a hover car.

Winter Storm Leon hit Alabama and Georgia Tuesday with an unexpected 1 to 2 inches of midday snow. The sudden accumulation in freezing temperatures created roadway hazards for cities in both states. A reported five are dead, with hundreds of vehicles temporarily abandoned along interstate highways and roads.

Thousands of children in Hoover, along with several hundred in Birmingham, stayed overnight in school with their teachers. (More than 11,000 students statewide remained in their schools.) Motorists who abandoned their cars and trucks found shelter at nearby businesses and churches, while many stuck it out at their workplaces.

Below are today’s newspapers, with front pages showing Leon’s aftermath.