April 20: Poem 20

Awake at four ten
Dress rehearsal in my head
I still love to teach.

Bonus

On that humid night
the Eagles up by seven
my hand first found yours.

Notes

The first poem is a true story. I was up at four in the morning thinking about today's lesson and writing poems in my head to use as models in class. Then I thought I must still love teaching if I'm awake thinking about it. The bonus poem is the one I wrote to use as a model for students today. Two haikus for the price of one! Although, technically, all my poems are for the price of one, since the price is zero.

April 19: Poem 19

Like boys from the sea

to the beach of Normandy
I am back to school.

Notes

For a haiku, this went through a number of mental edits. I was going to put the boys on something (a barge?), was going to be 'towards' the beaches or 'upon' the beaches, and the last line might have started 'I go back'. However, I wanted a sense of inevitability to the whole thing. Fate is somehow driving the bus here. Wish I could have fit 'unto' into line 2 but couldn't get it down to 7 syllables.

I realized that 'haiku comics' would be a fun project. I Googled it - someone already did that :(. However, mine would be a lot different. Haikomix? Haikumic? Something like that. Hmmm.
Anyway, as the poem tells you, I'm off to school.   

April 8: Poem 8

My dog with legs splayed

Wet sock dangling from his maw

Taunting me to play.

Notes

Today started with a heavy draft of something, but I wasn't feeling it. Then my dog ran into the living room and challenged me to play. Okay, then. There it is. It's a haiku! (to paraphrase Kung Fu Panda - I love haikuuuuu!!!!!). I have now decided that haiku has to be one of the tags, since it's only eight days and about half of my poems are haiku.

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April 5: Poem 5

The skin of my neck
peeling like a serpent might
lost layers of me.

Notes

Another haiku! My radiation burns are pretty painful, and I'm peeling like no tomorrow... so, this is what's on my mind today. There you go.

April 4: Poem 4

A coating of rime

glistening in the new sun

ephemeral still.

Notes:

My first haiku of the series. The last few days have been some emotional heavy lifting for me, so I decided to go a little simpler today. Drinking coffee and looking out my back window, this is what I saw, so thought I'd record it for posterity. Or something. I like the word choices in the final line - ephemeral is such a great word, and still is so indirect here. Stillness or a continuation? Yes to both.