Friday, December 26, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Sisters



someone to talk to
someone to worry about
the house is empty

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Mom's cats have been her companions since my dad died. We said goodbye to Princess today. She is likely racing around like a crazy cat with her sister Mellie in Pet Heaven right now. But mom's heart is sore...and the house is quiet.





Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Old Friends


Visiting old friends,
I'm fifty-four, sixteen, nine:
time melts, blends and swirls.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Blizzard




Roaring monster howls.
Blasting, swirling, drifting snow.
Tea steams in my mug.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Monday, December 22, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Wind


sharp-edged mountain air
gallops east across prairies
leaves a trail of dust

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Sunday, December 21, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- A Trio of Landscapes


Landscape of childhood:
"Do you believe in Santa?"
"I don't know...do you?"


Bailey's -- no ice cube --
the landscape of adulthood.
It's been a long week.


Fallow fields stubbled,
south wind scented with silage,
monotone landscape.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



Thursday, December 18, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Germs


WHAT THE STUDENTS GOT THEIR TEACHER FOR CHRISTMAS

There is no fever,
but there is also no voice.
Thanks for the gift, kids.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014






Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Grief


grief is not assuaged
either by December rain
or holiday lights




grief is a journey
friends walk in the dark with you
but the path is yours


©Mary Lee Hahn





Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Rain


JUST BEFORE I GET WET

I hear the raindrops
coming down through old oak leaves --
patter of applause.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014






Monday, December 15, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Hope


NEIGHBORHOOD LUMINARIAS IN THE STILL DARK OF THE NEXT MORNING

last night's magic is
reduced to a single light --
one flame, flickering 

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014






Sunday, December 14, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- No Regrets



NO REGRETS

Scallops with capers,
bubbly wine, thick chocolate cake.
No sleep. No regrets.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014






Saturday, December 13, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Today


twelve thirteen fourteen --
a once in a lifetime day
like all the others

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



Friday, December 12, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Warmth


in the chill, I rub
my hands together for warmth
and my words for fire

©Mary Lee Hahn



Thursday, December 11, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Decorating Cookies


Yes, I do believe that's Ronald McDonald you see there...


Decorating Cookies

rolled sugar cookies --
31-year tradition --
end-of-year icing

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Tomorrow Will Come


ENGLISH MUFFIN ON THE MORNING BEFORE A KNOWN UNKNOWN

Half has Nutella,
half, chunky peanut butter.
Tomorrow will come.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Ripples




Each of us -- a stone.
Our lives -- the drop, the ripples.
What we do -- matters.

©Mary Lee Hahn



Today I will celebrate with a student who can trace his degree in Environmental Policy back to his experiences in my fourth grade classroom. It's rare to learn how the "what we did" became the "who they are." 



Monday, December 8, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Sneaky Cat




HE THINKS WE DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S BEEN

sneaky cat comes up
from a basement adventure --
cobwebs on his head

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Sunday, December 7, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Kettle




Grease-spattered kettle
does the job day after day.
Sunday, is polished.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014





Saturday, December 6, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Chickadee


Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Elliot Gilfix

Rain streaks the window --
chickadee at the feeder
cracks another seed.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



Friday, December 5, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Today

Cross-posted from A Year of Reading.





this is the best day
--really the only day--
of my precious life.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014





(scrub to 4:52)


Anastasia has the Poetry Friday roundup at Booktalking #kdilit.


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Creativity



TWINS

Creativity,
conjoined at the hip with fear.
Which do you love the most?

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Inspired by the fourth segment (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of EAT, PRAY, LOVE) on the TED Radio Hour "The Source of Creativity."



Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Jack the Cat


out of the darkness
white whiskers, raspy miaow --
my friend, Jack the Cat.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



Jack and I go way back. He lives a couple of blocks away from us, in one of the little houses that encircle Selby Park. We met about 15 years ago, when we first moved to the neighborhood and I started walking a route that takes me past his house. He is the friendliest cat ever. He runs to greet me. He rubs on my legs and purrs and arches his back -- rubs and purrs, rubs and purrs. He has a funny little miaow that he squeaks in greeting and in pleasure. He is all black with a white chin and white whiskers -- a goatee and mustache. He's getting old, and I hadn't seen him for months. Then, today, like a gift from the universe, in the dark of my early morning walk, I spotted a thin black shadow crossing the street from Selby Park toward his house. Thin, no big tail, no stripes, no waddling..."Jackie?" I called. The shadow's head came up and, "Miaow!" It was him.






Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Quiet


appreciation
needs slow, needs quiet, needs you:
alert and aware

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014




Inspired by the fifth segment of this TED Radio Hour show entitled "Quiet."



Monday, December 1, 2014

Haiku-a-day -- Rain



rain makes the street shine
polishes unraked oak leaves
unlocks spicy scents

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014