Holiday Haiku

In November of 2007, at the invitation of Sue Ellen White, I selected a number of my winter, Christmas, and childhood-related haiku for a glass Christmas ornament. Sue Ellen created both the accompanying booklet and the Christmas ornament, with lines of my haiku curled inside on paper of different colours. Copies were sold in November and December of 2007 on Whidbey Island, Washington, as a fundraiser for the 2008 Burning Word poetry festival on Whidbey Island. I’m grateful to Sue Ellen White for her creativity. See also Christmasku and my 2022 Holiday Haiku video installation.

                                                                                                                         fresh snow on the mat—

                                                                                                                         the shape of welcome

                                                                                                                         still visible

                                               first star—

                                               a seashell held

                                               to my baby’s ear

children’s

book

sh

elves

                                               lingering handshake—

                                               the pulse

                                               in our fingers

                                                                                                                          home for Christmas:

                                                                                                                          my childhood desk drawer

                                                                                                                          empty