Five or six weeks ago, at a Neville Brothers concert, my occasional buddy, Bruce, gave me a book of haikus, some of which he’d written. My thought at that moment:
Bruce digs the blues Writes haikus That’s the news.
After reading this wonderful book,
Suspiciously Small
by the Spring Street Haiku Group
I found myself more than ever in love with short poems which may or may not have 3 lines, may or may not conform to a formula of 5, 7 and then 5 syllables, may or may not refer to the seasons and, perhaps most importantly to me, may or may not make sense. Poems like
That first minute in bed The body’s dream come true.
——–or——–
Dad’s Zippo My only inheritance Where is it?
——–or——–
One brief horn honk Thru cool morning rain Reveals the world.
OK, so about a week later I sent out a request to the 200 or so people I usually notify when there’s a new posting here:
Here’s the bit, I say. You write one and send it as a reply to this letter. The only criterion is that it be no more than a dozen words. Do it before July 1st. On or around that date I’ll post them all–unedited–on the blog.
What follows are the results. The truth be told, some of you didn’t adhere to the “one” or the 12 word limit, and, to make things clearer–if only to me–I did do some structure editing.
* * * * *
a Saturday morning run at South Mountain
running
feet and ground
through the damp spring air
infused with honeysuckle
–David Mintz
* * *
if ever a poem I could not see..was a poem as lovely about a tree
A tree with roots as deep as the sea,
without knowledge about my truths,
I’d be dead like a tree without no roots.
–Lew Brown
* * *
Are you becoming famous?
should do-the way you blogon
New York Times.
–Layman John
* * *
This poem will reveal much…but not my own death….I trust you…to speak then…a few true words….
–Andy Mayberry
* * *
Poetry is really not my gig creatively through I have the complete collection of Yeats on my desk…. Like abstract painting better.. sent two along.
–Duncan Campbell
And yet he then sends this:
The way the world ends
Not with a “Bang”
But a “Blurp! “
–Duncan Campbell
* * *
Faint smells of bad food in May
New refrigerator in June.
*****
12 years of wedded bliss
we stated vows already being lived
on the day before Summer
******
Celebrate the day!
Barbecue and soccer games
Oh look! Another tie.
–Bobbie Goldberg
* * *
Oh, Richard.
I suck at poems
–Dan Monahan
* * *
Adulthood is weird.
Young people get really old.
I mean that both ways.
*****
I never get lost.
The way home just goes missing.
I meant to be here.
*****
Young people are dumb,
but young relatives are smart.
What an exception!
*****
So here’s something I found in a fortune cookie that is exactly a dozen words:
“You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.”
(I count eleven words. ‘Must be a mistake.)
–Jack Beaton
* * *
The morning sun
Shines thru a north-facing window.
Summer is here.
–Wayne Wright
* * *
Meritocracy
And then a bureaucracy
Mediocracy
–Jim Kimenker
* * *
Here I sit,
Wondering why,
As my mind travels this great abyss.
–Petersen Gross
* * *
overgrown bus stop
the bench courtesy of
a funeral home
–Bruce Kennedy
* * *
Saint Thomas Haikus
Five thirty A.M,
That rooster’s crowing again,
Will you please shut up!
*****
Pink sand underfoot,
Turquoise, aquamarine mist,
Virgin Island sun.
*****
Hummingbirds whirring,
Suspended in slow motion,
Birds of paradise.
*****
Blazing sun above,
Pink bodies now turning red,
Shade them seagrape leaves.
*****
Geckos everywhere,
Scurrying up the tree limbs,
Looking for safety.
*****
Charlotte Amalie,
A red capped bustling city,
Atlantic’s playground.
*****
Tall shady palm tree,
Scraping against the blue sky,
Make the cool breezes!
*****
Seemed like forever,
But time to wake up and stretch,
To greet the sunlight!
*****
Peeking through the soil,
I look for familiar buds
To share our rebirth.
*****
The Sun knows of Spring,
She allows the day, long light,
To warm Summer nights.
*****
The sand is screaming,
I’ve been baked by the heat wave,
Save me blue ocean.
*****
Franks hop on the grill,
Sizzling juice wets the hot flames,
Mustard anyone?
*****
The sea waves at me,
So lonely I sit on shore,
I’ve met a new friend.
–Lovetta Bryan
* * *
as a reminder
lines and lines of windows
typing
–Feng Ming Wang
* * *
Twelve words or less?!
Now I have only two left!
Why bother!
–the mad russian
* * *
two wheels
wind at your back
clear road ahead
freedom
–Anonymous
* * *
Seduction
the subtle art
of
Forcefully invading
Someones Soul
Let me in
–Titaneisha Miller
* * *
88 degrees
seagulls and sand
oh yeah rockaway
–Annie
* * *
Up at dawn
To mow the lawn.
Searing sun,
It isn’t fun !
*****
Sun rising high
From the mountain side
The sun rising high
Means the Dawning of the Day,
With mellow music in the far away!
*****
Lawn
Dawn
Drawn
Led
Bed
Wed!
–George Carl Kaplan
* * *
She knits a sweater
for an unborn child
sex unknown
****
Water fills the tub,
May it bring peace of mind
cleansing the body
–J. Raices
* * *
Simply This
Sky,
A blank canvas.
Clouds,
Perfect strokes.
Empty,
No brush, no hand.
–Mark Van Buren
* * *
Happiness is … Home
Big sky,
Broad fields,
Winding drive,
Small house,
Blue mountains;
Calming view.
–Emily Beaton
* * *
Shhh!
Circling thoughts on waking
Try to take me over
But I decline their insistent invite
Even before coffee!
–Fran Seigel
* * *
Pregnatal vitamins promote illness during pregnancy
Healthy eating, regular exercise will do.
–Yandouba Monahan
* * *
Welcome! 
