The Herald News | Taunton Gazette | Daily News Transcript | Daily News Tribune | The Enterprise | MetroWest Daily News | Milford Daily News | Patriot Ledger | Wicked Local
Garden Haiku
GateHouse Media
Wed Apr 04, 2007, 06:41 PM EDT
MotherTown -
April is National Poetry Month, as well as the month that spring actually starts to show its many faces in our gardens. In honor of both events, I thought I might share some of my haiku written about the progression of spring in my garden and the neighborhood. A haiku is a Japanese style of poem, written in 17 syllables: five in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third. It usually refers, either directly or indirectly, to nature or the seasons.
End of Winter
Tired green pine boughs
tossing in frosty March wind,
sweeping out winter.
March Thirtieth
Golden crocus blooms,
fragile petals in cold wind:
first portent of spring.
April Showers
Gentle splash of rain,
reaching deep into the ground,
prodding sleeping roots.
Galanthius Nivalis
Demure snowdrops bloom
with ankles encased in ice.
Stalwart little gems.
Acton Swamp
The herons are back:
gawky, gangly, twigs in beaks,
rebuilding old nests.
Every Spring, Like Clockwork
Moderate, debate,
legislate, procrastinate.
Small town Town Meeting.
Robins?
Balanced on tree fork,
brown twig bowl lined with soft grass
cradles three blue eggs.
Early Spring/Dreaming
Laundry fluttering.
Sheets chasing after long johns
in the crisp spring breeze.
Spring Planting
Mossy pink oak leaves,
barely the size of mouse ears:
time to plant the peas.
Chirp!
Tightly squeezed in nest,
three baby robins wait for
mom. Oh, so hungry!
Ladies’ Mantle
Raindrop: clear prism
caught in verdant, pleated leaf,
reflecting dawn’s light.
Fritillaria
White checkered lily,
parasol for a fairy,
fleeting, fragile flower.
May Orchestration
Daffodils march in
circle – white, pink, yellow, gold —
trumpets sounding “Spring!”
Spring Gardening
Fingers in damp dirt –
placing, poking, planting deep.
Willing plants to grow.
Wind-powered Music
Wind chimes pealing in
delight, joyful laughter from
puffs of passing breeze.
Cynthia Furman is a regular columnist for MotherTown. She writes from her garden in Shirley.
Original content available for non-commercial use
under a Creative Commons license,
except where noted.
under a Creative Commons license,
except where noted.
Copyright © 2006–2008 GateHouse Media, Inc. Some Rights Reserved.
