Rain

Monday morning dawns.
I rise to the sound of rain.
Worms litter the streets.

Poem for the Month

No haikus today. Instead, I am sharing the poem I read today at the Harold Washington Public Library. Happy Poetry Month.


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Chicago Pub

Early spring, after a harsh winter,

Chicagoans are finally out.

Cold breezes off the frozen lake

can’t keep us indoors any longer.

In the pub, chicken wings’ bones

and empty beer glasses testify that

one group has started early, 

conversation so quiet I cannot listen in.

A young couple enters, sits at the next table,

his scent so strong it reminds me

of my son, whose pillow comforted me

long after he left for college.

A young man pushes a babe in a stroller,

looks uncomfortable in his new role,

unaware of future choices that

will define his character.

A family departs. The boy wears a hat

with bear eyes, ears and nose,

The girl wears a tutu over her pants and boots.

Their mother returns my smile.

Too busy

Too Busy

Too busy to write.
Errands of life interfere.
Ideas pass by.

Magdalenian Woman

Twelve thousand years pass.
Magdalenian woman
found in Lascaux caves.

Upon waking at 1AM

The ego dissoves.
There is only this minute.
I breathe in, breathe out.

Two more haikus

Plans

Put my plants outside
Didn't get a lick o' rain
Have to water them.


Easter Families

I remember meals
with mass quantities of food
and family love.

Haikus

Blood Moon

In ancient times an omen
Blood moon, red from earth's shadow
Eclipse in the night.


 Spring snow

Nature trims the trees
Ice on twigs litters the walk
April can be cruel

Fritillaria

In my mother's yard
tiny fritillaria
blue carpet of spring

Four in a Row

Although I've been down with a virus, my real excuse is that I have been healthy enough to quilt. Here are the four haikus for the last few days.

The Bench

I sit on the bench
neighborhood alive with sound
soaking up sunshine


One-inch Hail

One-inch hail is loud
the sound of a golf ball
bouncing off the roof.


Sound of Rain

Our first spring warming
Hear the washing of the roof
Bring the cool air in


Quiet

The house is quiet
Sunday afternoon napping
Listen to the silence

Getting Older

One of the things I miss most is my short-term memory. Because my family has a history of dementia, I worry that I will become a burden to my children. This morning was a typical example. I sat by my city pond full of trash and tree debris. A haiku came to me. I really liked it, but I thought I would have to recite it over and over if I were to remember it. I got distracted by a new bird call from a red-winged blackbird and forgot the original ending. By the time I had gone a block, I could not remember the last line. So here is Plan B:

Spring

I am a promise.
Every April I will come to you
on songbirds' wings.

Cumulo-Nimbus, how I've missed you!

Thinking in haiku,
Water sprinkles on my face
Refreshing my mind.

Haikus for Sunday and Monday

Delight

You're here! Three weeks late.
I've been waiting for you.
Green grass everywhere!


Red-winged Blackbird

Red epaulet wings,
Black body on a tree branch,
Strident sound reveals.

Poetry for April

I am committed to writing one poem a day for the month of April. I have been posting on Facebook, but have decided to post here instead. So here are the first five. I thought maybe I wasn't supposed to name them, so that is why the names changed. Anyone know about that? Anyone? Anyone?

1. Sign of Spring

March winds have no bite.
Winter has finally fled.
Green leaves rise with the sun.

2. Fresh

Red, ripe strawberry,
Sweet as a warm summer day
Awakens the mind.

3. Haiku 3

Raw, rainy day.
Wind gusts whip my umbrella
in all directions.

4. Haiku #4

Winter's bite returns.
The air is cold and bitter.
Where is the sunshine?

5. Brains at Work

Teacher and student
bend to the task of writing.
Imagination.