Traces of SnowThese poems were all written in February of 2011 for the inaugural National Haiku Writing Month, or NaHaiWriMo, which I created in October of 2010. The challenge is to write at least one haiku a day throughout the month of February—the year’s shortest month for the world’s shortest genre of poetry. For more information, please visit the NaHaiWriMo website and Facebook page. With the exception of the three previously unpublished neon buddha poems, all of the following poems were first published in Haijinx IV:1, March 2011.
a trace of snow— the cat’s bell reminds me of you
your hand in mine . . . the sky so full of stars
an urn in my lap— the seaplane descends from snow into rain
a delicate rain . . . the photo of the body passed from hand to hand
a little stone in my sole— from which mountain trail did it travel?
slanting rain— the mall cellist draws us in
a show of hands in the jury room— winter light
broken resolutions— the snowman’s belly drooping in the sun
dusty attic— the old rocking horse without any eyes
Valentine’s Day— a cherry tomato bursts in my mouth +
unfinished basement— it was here where I finished my childhood
skinned knee— my daughter asks me about God
the plums in front of the Egyptian embassy not yet in bloom
first snow— a crow’s distant caw carries me home
the neon buddha keeps hearing the call of the mild
the neon buddha wants to hold a guilty party
the neon buddha hopes his last resort is Club Med |