Ever since the girls were young, I’ve written haikus for them (and my wife) each Christmas. A haiku is a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. (If you haven’t tried to write one, it’s fun!)
Here is a sampling of some Christmas haikus I’ve written for my family over the years:
Brain Trust
Size of a melon,
Squishy home base of neurons —
Seat of our being.
Dendrites and axons
sending hellos back and forth;
Glial cells play tag.
Outdoor Girl
Full moon overhead,
Crickets chirp a lullaby.
Sleeping bag cocoon.
Peek out the tent flap,
Hear the silence of morning
as the dawn arrives.
Horse Heaven
The smell of fresh hay,
of horses in their dark stalls —
Saddle up at dawn.
The Call
My heart looks for fields,
Open spaces for my soul
to run and be free.
Old Orange Cat
He moves slowly now,
Curls in my arms to be close.
Still my faithful friend.
Variations on a Haiku
Pie-ku
A wedge of heaven,
Chocolate cream and tall meringue —
Who wants to diet?
Three point one four one,
Showing what a circle holds —
A sweet slice of math.
Sigh-ku
It seems a soft breath,
of little worth or value —
Yet it speaks volumes.
Another Monday;
Back to school and work once more.
When will Friday come?
Fly-ku
Time to leave the nest —
Take a breath to calm my heart,
spread my wings and soar.
Buzzing near my soup,
swooding down to take a swim.
He starts to backstroke.
Cry-ku
My eyes are leaking,
Flowing from an inner well.
Sadness comes in drops.
Real men are tough guys —
Did my team just win the game?
Please pass the Kleenex.
Buy-ku
Shopping for Christmas —
Are my credit cards maxed out?
Find the cash machine.
Found the perfect gift,
just the color of your eyes.
Reminds me of you.