Small Wonders

a potpourri of recent haiku

As I wrote in my last post, I found a cluster of haiku from my recent experiments. These are widely varied, simply a retelling of everyday experiences in this quintessentially spare yet beautiful form, a form which creates a much larger world in the mind than on the page.

Lest I continue to miss sharing these, I’ve decided to publish this small collection outside my usual Monday posting. I hope you enjoy the bonus post this week!

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This first poem is a glimpse from the kitchen pantry.

Silver foil wrapper
pressed carefully around two
last chocolate squares

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One of our neighbors has very bright lights which glow into the canyon at night. The light picks out the tall trunks of massive saguaro cacti which grow there, creating a sense of architectural splendor.

Tall saguaro spires~
nighttime lights build cathedrals
under vast black sky

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The phainopepla is a beautiful black, crested, passerine bird found from southern Arizona into Mexico. Here is the Wikipedia article for more information.

This haiku began as simple spoken lines which I suddenly realized were very nearly pure haiku in form. With minor adjustments the result was this poem.

Yesterday morning
in still-leafless acacia,
three Phainopeplas.

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Of course, haiku can be humorous too.

In this poem the humor was mild while the gratitude was strong. I was so glad to be in a warm place as I gazed up at the beauty of the snow-dusted mountains.

Sunlight falls warm here.
Ah, the beauty of far snow
up on the mountains.

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To read about the background to these experiments in classic haiku form, please see my post Studying Haiku.

Studying Haiku

Or for a collection which includes haiku among many other poetic forms and thoughts, you can purchase The Hillside Diary in print or e-book format.