Poetry Walk: Morning Haiku with Pictures

Penngrove, California

Bovine reverie
Horse, humanlike silhouette
Sevenish sunrise

Crimson berries blur
pumpkin and pomegranate
Eucalypt branches

Cow-like communion
Everything depends on it
barnyard red cliche

Wooly friends frolic
Skunk, unmistakable scent
Geese honking homeward

Lichen splash, collapse

Quince, fig, apple, persimmon

Nostalgic glance back

Thanksgiving dinner, 2010

Thanks to state budget cuts and school furlough days, I've got the whole week off from my day job. Since my chin is now chubbier than to my liking, I've taken to traveling the rural roads at dawn. The animal-laden pastures remind me a bit of being in New Zealand, and the 3-mile walk gives my mind time to meander. The rhythmic cadence keeps company with my impressions, turning senses to syllables that alter 5-7-5. Each stanza stands alone, but they also add up to something altogether.

Try this: Take a walk with yourself or someone else. Talk or think only in haiku. Say it aloud or record it to remember. Use all of the senses.