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Haiku Quintets
Sunset Musings from Five Palms Press Enjoy these audio haiku performed by Shakespearean actor Alan Brasington.
Explainer of Life Snippets: The core of my memoir, these are a novel variant of haiku quintets, stylistically inspired by Ernest Hemingway's minimalist iceberg theory. They are true and accurate depictions of actual events as I recall them. Sign up for my blog "Dan's Occasional Haiku" to receive choice morsels in your inbox. Note to publishers: Purveyors of print and digital media may request permission (gratis) to reprint selections from this volume. Journalists may use content in their reporting or features. Interviews welcome. Contact Five Palms Press Poems are listed in chronological order of their creation, most recent on top. Sequence has no other significance, excepting, perhaps, as a disjointed autobiographical tale with excursions into esoterica of personal interest. If revisiting this page, please refresh your browser, as creations continue to marinate in my brain juice, changing flavor occasionally.Browse ..... Let your mind wander ..... Follow it there ..... Repeat Memoir supplement: Haiku in this section were created after publication of my memoir and will be included in volume two.
413. My Obituary ~
An early draft
412. My To-do List ~
My haiku muse dies
411. Being Dead ~
Nothing to fear
410. Ode to My Sandals ~
Two good soles, gone bad
409. Are You My Father? ~
Did you write this book?
408. Slippery Slope ~
How did your mind work?
407. Managing Differences ~
We must find a way
406. Books ~
She thanked me
405. How Is Life Good? ~
Tell me again
404. Maestro de Pelo ~
Best haircut ever!
403. The Right Side of History ~
When it is written
402. Lucky Life ~
1945 - 2025
401. Memory ~
As long as I can
400. My Muse Shall Not Be Denied ~
Her time is not my own
399. Judih ~
Israeli haikuist, murdered 7 October 2023
398. Hanging Memories ~
Pretending to be art
397. Confirmation Bias ~
I still think I'm right
396. This Side of the Glass ~
I watch the world's horrors
395. With Eyes Wide Open ~
Preface: Love, Death, and Atheism: a Chorus of Haiku Quintets
394. The Quarter in the Bank ~
Paying dividends for a lifetime
393. Festivus ~
For the rest of us
392. How Do You Not Ask? ~
The inescapable question
391. Sugar and Joe ~
Reincarnated childhood pets
390. My Old Country ~
England, rediscovered
389. Inmate Trump ~
How did we do this?
388. My Lai ~
I wept by the ditch
387. Nihilism's Cure ~
The company of friends
386. Redemption ~
I know what I've lost, you don't
385. Roy and Edna ~
We live in your shade
384. Until My Next Haiku ~
Legacies die too
383. Dennis the Menace ~
Charismatically quirky
382. Alzheimer's Dream ~
Seemed too damned real
381. The Toll of Slavery ~
America's shame
380. Betty Boop ~
Birthday Girl
379. Is It Any Wonder? ~
Why conspiracy theories thrive
378. Three Mothers ~
Happy Mother's Day
377. My Sell-by Date ~
Memory's slippery slope
376. Haiku's Homeland ~
Just coincidence
375. Falling ~
Keep looking down
374. Les Downing ~
In fond memoriam
373. Post-op ~
I will recover, he may not.
372. I Got Off the Farm ~
85 countries and counting
371. Manatee ~
We should be more like you
370. My Deathbed ~
I will die in this bed
369. Beneath These Words ~
Less is more, sometimes
368. Bittersweet Gimlet ~
This journey's last chance
367. Christian Cosmologists ~
Science and/or religion?
366. Snowbirds from Kansas ~
Presidents Day weekend, 2023
365. Postcards ~
From now and then
364. Jimmy Carter ~
My human rights hero
363. Cyborg ~
I will live forever
362. Femininity ~
A force of nature
361. No Van Gogh ~
Verbal impressionism by curious wordcraft
360. Gazing ~
To see what can't be seen
359. What Is Nothing? ~
Why is there something rather than nothing?
358. Glue ~
Reciprocity's soft nudge
357. Fixer-Upper ~
Or is it love?
356. Big River ~
Approaching the sea
355. You Are Beautiful to Me ~
In you or in me?
354. Amazon ~
God of genesis, or devil's twin?
353. Springtime ~
Dandelions and snowbirds
352. Nature's Killing Machine ~
Evolution's tool
351. The Most Moral Choice ~
Antinatalism
350. This Is What I Do ~
My pointless pastime
349. Descendancy ~
Those hapless creatures
348. Far Future ~
Things will change
347. Paul ~
Survived the Budapest ghetto
346. Unprepared ~
I was not ready
345. Yesterchristmas ~
Life was good, back then
170. Happy Holidays ~
Stonehenge (revised 1 December 2022)
344. How to Choose a Spouse ~
Compatibility factors
343. An Endless Ocean of Objects ~
Beyond South Dakota's sky
342. A Whimsy of Fate ~
On the cosmic scale
341. Mashed Potatoes in My Ear ~
Unusual punishment
340. Statement of Purpose ~
I would be your rock
339. Recall Is Overrated ~
I'll stay here-and-now
338. The Bridge ~
I've lost my balance
337. Around the World in 48 Years ~
Am I there yet?
336. Ravi Shankar ~
Masala curry in Woodstock stew
335. Glidepath ~
The ground is rising
334. I Walk Funny ~
Listing to starboard
333. Who Were You? ~
A coin across the ages
332. What Is Gravity? ~
A metaphor, or fundamental reality?
331. As We Are Told ~
To serve greater good?
Material in this section has not yet been published 327. Hear the Other Side ~ Audi alteram partem 295. The Ultimate Question ~ Why is there something rather than nothing? 286. Staring into the Abyss ~ We had a chance to change course 281. Lived Experience ~ What's it like to be you? 276. No Whining on the Yacht ~ Curb your privilege 275. Thanks for Working ~ Expressing gratitude to workers during the pandemic 273. Joan Didion ~ Reflections on her book of essays, The White Album, and other works 268. New Year Predictions ~ Foretelling hopes and fears Reason Revolution, second edition Oldies moved here for further editing 265. Pick Your Holiday ~ Be kind and have fun 301. Mormons ~ Nice folks, like secular humanists Material below this line has been published in A Life Mostly Lived (my memoir), Haiku Quintets, or other collections. 330. Hurricane Ian ~ A thoughtless guest 329. Struthof ~ Nazi concentration camp 328. Ancestral Cave ~ I have returned 326. Resilience ~ Your softness is strength 325. Westport Landing ~ My grandfather landed here in 1843 324. Surrender, Move On II ~ What should have been cannot be 323. Dancing Queen ~ She coulda been a Rockette 322. Pitch Tales ~ Our family's card game 321. My Relief Generation ~ Dedication to A Life Mostly Lived 320. My Ticket to Ride ~ I'd be somewhere else 319. Growing MTI ~ With a little help from my friends 318. My Birth ~ I was a preemie 317. Teaching Lessons ~ Seven years and out 316. I Am Neanderthal ~ And you are too 316a. consensual ~ 316b. nonconsensual ~ 315. American Rubles ~ How to buy a grade 314. Clerks Ran the Army ~ I could do favors 313. My Dad and Roosevelt ~ A bit of family lore nearly lost 312. A Father's Day Regret ~ I will never know 311. Have I Made a Difference? ~ Now I do haiku 310. We Got Covid ~ No big thing 309. Man of the World ~ At 22 308. January 6 ~ Will the coup succeed? 307. R&R Leave ~ Uncle Sam thought of everything 306. Bulgarian Shakedown ~ We were just passing through 305. JFK Is Dead ~ A moment in history 304. Am I a Viking? ~ Or a gentle Norwegian? 303. My One Night in Jail ~ Crime in the Conch Republic 302. Hanoi Haircut ~ One hundred percent tip 300. Roots ~ You have made me me 299. My Last Hike ~ I'll hike flatter trails 298. What of Me Is You? ~ My first cousins 297. Why My Name Is Dan ~ It might have been Cornelius 296. The Great American Eclipse ~ A once-in-a-lifetime experience 294. Mile High ~ Life Snippet: Obama's acceptance speech, Denver's Mile High stadium, 28 August 2008 293. My Schizoid Compromise ~ Preamble to my memoir "Snippets of a Life Mostly Lived" 292. Skin Therapy ~ When there are no words 291. The Chicken ~ Life-snippet: Between cornfield and pit silo on our family farm, Ray County, Missouri, August 1961 290. Now ~ Life-snippet: Full moon setting over Sarasota Bay, 18 March 2022, 8:00 am 289. The Swing ~ Life-snippet: Bayfront Park, Sarasota FL, 9 March 2022 288. GOAT or GEFN? ~ Life-snippet: A sunset muse on ambition, 3 March 2022 287. The Brief Voyage of Resolve ~ Life-snippet: My congressional campaign, 1998 285. Encounter Groups ~ Life-snippet: NTL Institute (Bethel, Maine) and other venues, from 1972 284. I Once Shot a Bird ~ Life-snippet: Near Jefferson City, Missouri, 1969 283. Watching War Begin ~ Life-snippet: Watching CNN, lead-up to 23 February 2022 282. Earthquake ~ Life-snippet: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Colima–Jalisco earthquake, 9 October 1995, 9:35 am 280. Bigoted Goats ~ Life-snippet: The Connor mini-farm near Woodstock, Connecticut, 2022 279. Minting Money ~ Life-snippet: The fireplace hearth in my childhood home near Knoxville MO, early 1950’s 278. Knoxville ~ Life-snippet: Knoxville MO (population ~ 30), near my childhood home, 1950's 277. Tavistock ~ Life-snippet: Group Relations Conferences, Longmeadow, Massachusetts, 1979-1985 274. A Decision Deferred ~ Life-snippet: Freshman year at University of Missouri-Columbia, 1963-64 272. My Dad's Afterlife ~ Life-snippet: My dad's death and its consequences, 22 April 1955 to present 271. Paper Trail ~ Life-snippet: Sarasota FL to Woodstock CT, winter holiday 2021 270. Maple Tree ~ Life-snippet: My childhood home near Knoxville, Missouri, circa 1952 269. What If? ~ What might have been? 267. Big Guy ~ Life-snippet: Sitka, Alaska, July 2010 266. Kissing Quandary ~ No, you need your rest 264. Haiku Pun ~ A collaboration with master punster Barry Zack 263. Hitchhiking ~ Life-snippet: The highways of America, 1963-1966 262. Marathon ~ Life-snippet: Newport, Rhode Island, November 1979 261. Motorcycle Mishap Sequel ~ Life-snippet: Nacaome, Honduras, January 1969 260. Escaping a Killer ~ Life-snippet: Hitchhiking from Belize to Panama, January 1972 259. A Tree of Wonder ~ Life-snippet: I first saw Russian edition of my 1988 book, September 16, 2021 258. Strategic Retreat ~ Only one path remains 257. My Mid-life Crisis ~ Life-snippet: From Connecticut to Kansas, October 1991 256. Wrapped in String ~ Life-snippet: My childhood home, near Knoxville, Missouri, circa 1950 255. What Did Paul Believe? ~ Life-snippet: Ephesus (Efes), Turkey, summer 1981 254. Woodstock (Being There) ~ Life-snippet: Woodstock Festival, Bethel, New York, August 15-17, 1969 253. Woodstock (Getting There) ~ Life-snippet: En route to Woodstock Festival, Bethel, New York, August 1969 252. Helado ~ Life-snippet: Bogotá to Chiquinquirá, Colombia, summer 1972 251. Grandmother's House ~ Life-snippet: My grandmother’s house in Knoxville, Missouri, 1945-1963 250. My Pakistani Seatmate ~ Life-snippet: Aboard non-stop flight from Chicago to Istanbul, September 3, 2011 249. Discovering Workplace Mediation ~ Life-snippet: US Department of Education (then HEW), Washington DC, late 1977 248. How MTI Got Its Website ~ Life-snippet: At home with Susan in Prairie Village, Kansas, 1996 247. Underestimating My Mom ~ Life-snippet: My childhood home near Knoxville, Missouri, circa 1954 246. Night Train to Kiev ~ Life-snippet: Aboard train from Moscow to Kiev, June 1990 245. Mandela ~ Life-snippet: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, May 11, 1994 244. Papa Smurf ~ Life-snippet: Peru, August 1995 243. The Wrong Susan ~ Life-snippet: Miami International Airport, August 25, 1995, 5:00 am 242. We Chose to Hike ~ Life-snippet: Machu Picchu, Peru, August 1995 241. I Tried ~ Life-snippet: Knoxville (Missouri) Methodist Church, 1945-1960 240. Mowing Alfalfa ~ Life-snippet: Ray County, Missouri, family farm, summer 1962 239. Finding Myself ~ Life-snippet: Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico, January 1969 238. Escaping Saigon ~ Life-snippet: Aboard Seattle-to-Sydney cruise, October 16, 2017 237. Finding Her ~ His arrow struck gold 236. 9/11 ~ Life-snippet: Prairie Village, Kansas, September 11, 2001, 7:46:40 am; New York, 8:46:40 am 235. The Pickpockets ~ Life-snippet: Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 2017 234. Iceberg ~ Life-snippet: Qaqortoq, Greenland, September 1, 2016, 10:05 am 233. A Bridge in Cairo ~ Life-snippet: Cairo, Egypt, 1991 232. I Rite Perdy Good ~ My secret sauce 231. Price and Me ~ Life-snippet: Ray County, Missouri, 1953-1963 230. The Grasshopper Plague ~ Life-snippet: Humboldt, Kansas (father's childhood home, 1874), circa 1953 229. Getting Short ~ Life-snippet: Qui Nhon, Vietnam, 1967-1968 228. I Forgot to Ask ~ ... before it was too late 227. Landing in Leningrad ~ Life-snippet: Leningrad, USSR, June 1990 226. Milking Old Red ~ Life-snippet: Knoxville, Missouri (family farm), 1951-1955 225. Motorcycle Mishap ~ Life-snippet: Nacaome, Honduras, January 1969 224. My Bucket List ~ Scratched off 223. In Mommy's Eyes ~ Love is all there is 222. Afghan Girl ~ Misogyny rules your world 221. Did You Get My Note? ~ Is this haiku about you? 220. Misplaced Grief ~ I'm not the one who will grieve my death 219. Jay ~ No ordinary mensch 218. Newborn ~ Love swaddles you 217. Identity Precedes Ideology ~ Let voters decide 216. Five Seconds Left to Live ~ Is this how I die? 215. May We Long Endure ~ Lincoln's hopeful words 214. Inexpressible ~ Do you know what I mean? 213. Existential Borderland ~ We're near, but not one 212. A Bouquet of Senses ~ How our garden grows! 211. Soar, Claribel, Soar! ~ Your world awaits you 210. Fresh Start Cafe ~ Scribes at brunch 209. English Is Best for Haiku ~ We're a shameless sponge 208. This Haiku Journey ~ What lies ahead? 207. Lucky Planet Mars ~ Cancel life's blueprint 206. Certified Adult ~ I am what I am 205. Please Don't Read This Haiku ~ A blunt paradox 204. Peace Is Possible ~ Prepared for MTI's 2021 Conflict Resolution Conference, June 22-24 203. Flight of the Haiku ~ Icarus has crashed 202. A Date in Spacetime ~ When and where shall we meet? 201. Decrypting Woman ~ What is your password? 200. Bicentenary ~ Celebrating this 200th haiku quintet 199. Our Phylum's Caste System ~ Live the Golden Rule (beyond humans) 198. My Dream ~ Awaking from a nightmare 197. Whither Sisyphus? ~ I will write haiku 196. What's That Word? ~ On the tip of your tongue 195. In Your Hands Now ~ Take this worn baton 194. Collective Nouns ~ All together now ... 193. Peace Is Possible ~ Supporting Hungarian mediators 192. First Things First ~ Sharpen my axe 191. Anything ~ Anything, anything at all 190. Access Denied ~ Watching my brain think thoughts 189. Only a Mother Can Know ~ Her soul-crushing loss 188. Humanists ~ Good without gods 187. Be a Simp ~ Advice for boys and men 186. Pedicure Bobbi ~ My toes' hottest date 185. My Valentine ~ There's something about two 184. Why I Write ~ Art as antidote to existential solitude 183. A Spring Haiku ~ But first, a definition 182. (How To) Be Here Now ~ OK, "be here now," but how? 181. Be Here Now ~ My most ambitious non-goal 180. Darwin Day ~ Nothing fails like prayer 179. The Hill We Climb ~ Excerpts from Amanda Gorman's poem recited at President Biden's inauguration, January 20, 2021 178. Voice of a Nulled Child ~ A billion years of suffering averted 177. Promise Unfulfilled ~ What follows? 176. Covid Chicks ~ A hatching project 175. The Young Widow ~ A son's belated tribute 174. Joe Takes the Wheel ~ Whither America? 173. To Grow a Haiku ~ From seed to flower 172. Poor Man's Philanthropy ~ Most humanist bang for modest bucks 171. Thanks, Daniel ~ About last night ... 169. You are my afterlife ~ My stuff will go on, and on, and on ... 168. L5-S1 ~ Ode to back pain 167. Bob ~ We grew each other. 166. Final Moments ~ So, this is how it ends. 165. Perils of Haiku ~ Words disturb my peace 164. Fear & Greed ~ In the marketplace of everyday life 163. Transactional Love ~ We each think we are winning 162. My Piano Teacher ~ A melody in my life (by Susan Dana) 161. A Coding Error ~ What I heard is not what you meant 160. The Crime of Killing Time ~ I sip slowly now 159. Haiku Hack ~ A little haiku helper from gestalt 158. The Joy of Nihilism ~ I will write haiku 157. Hanging by a Thread ~ Whither democracy's noble experiment? 156. Aging in Quarantine ~ Then is gone, but now is sweet. 155. I Forgot My Mask ~ Necessity is the mother of invention. 154. Pandemic on the Serengeti ~ Report from the Maasai by Saruni 153. 2020 ~ Existential year 152. Bon Voyage ~ Dedication for Songs of the Pandemic (January 2021) 151. Along for the Ride ~ For as long as it lasts 150. Bertrand Russell ~ A dedication 149. Saruni ~ Our Maasai friend 148. A Study in Metaphor ~ If you get my drift 147. Quarantine Cuisine ~ Good fortune's sour taste 146. Six-Word Sentences ~ Is this the weirdest haiku quintet ever? 145. Is Atheism a Faith? ~ Is not collecting stamps a hobby? 144. Three Magic Words ~ Harnessing the reciprocity reflex 143. Impeach Trump Again ~ Letter to the editor of USA Today, submitted September 21 142. Molting Art ~ These words were never truly mine 141. A Matter of Scale ~ Reflections on September 11 140. How To Go To Sleep ~ No drugs required 139. Writing Between the Lines ~ Can you read between the lines? 138. Captain Simon ~ Please do not retire! 137. Unspent Wealth ~ A lifetime of gems 136. Blacks Get Shot ~ Why? 135. Journey of a White Liberal ~ Racism's persistent stain 134. Elect Women to Public Office ~ Science says women are better leaders by their nature 133. John Lewis ~ You changed the world 132. This Haiku Is About You ~ Can you find yourself in it? 131. Police Mediation ~ Use a softer touch. 130. Kamala ~ Identity politics might save America this time. 129. This Haiku Missed the Boat ~ No worries, it's booked on the next sailing 128. Dystopian States of America ~ Dateline: 4 November 2020 All haiku below are included in Haiku Quintets, a free ebook. Several were further edited for publication. See finished works at Five Palms Press. 127. About the Author ~ Haiku-style bio-page for upcoming ebook 126. Life ~ Will Perseverance Mars Rover prove the obvious? 125. VOTE! ~ Democracy is on the ballot 124. The Novel ~ A haiku whodunit 123. My Race Against Time ~ Will I finish this before fate intervenes? 122. The Wolf and the Sheep ~ Time to get a new sheep? 121. Simple Magic ~ Mediation is a life-skill 120. Execution by Hubris ~ Who will be the next victim? 119. Susan's Not Done Yet ~ There's a pattern here. 118. Acknowledgements ~ No one writes alone. 117. Dedication ~ My vectors to the future 116. Dylan Thomas and Me ~ Go gentle, or rage, rage? 115. Tet 1968 ~ Life-snippet: Cu Chi Vietnam, January 31, 1968 114. Adrien ~ Gender pioneer 113. Who Writes This Stuff? ~ Metaphysics at play? 112. Ode to Pablo Neruda's Ode ~ On socks and poetry 111. Shrinking City on a Molehill ~ America's mortal myth 110. Edda ~ Primal playmate, oldest friend 109. Remembering Lucy ~ Migrant of the mind 108. I am African ~ And you are too 107. Perspective ~ I Rest in Peace ... now 106. If I Were Black ~ Where can I breathe free? 105. Perfect Storm ~ Will the Rubicon be crossed this election? 104. Branches of the Human Tree ~ Name the trunk of this tree. Please. 103. I Have Survived, Somehow ~ So many close calls, but I'm still here 102. My Shrinking Island of Privilege ~ I dream Martin's dream 101. Nurse Tarin ~ You're my hero, too 100. Jim's Last Gift ~ He illuminated the road ahead 99. That's the Mystery ~ Failure of imagination 98. Relationship Black Holes ~ Energy goes in, none comes back out 97. Autobiography in Haiku ~ To be continued ... 96. Mutual Muses ~ My friend and I inspire each other 95. Organic Haiku ~ Read it in good health 94. 85 Syllables ~ Coloring between the lines 93. Water ~ The molecule that built us 92. An Old Flame ~ I want to learn about myself 91. Quarantine Coiffure ~ Paradigm shift in men's hairstyles 90. Richard, King of Reframe ~ Discoverer of the secret of life 89. Comet Covid ~ A seismic event 88. Unpoetic Poetry ~ Hmmmm ... wondering about these haiku quintets ... 87. Pondering Infinity ~ My tiny brain hurts 86. Surrender, Move On ~ What should have been cannot be 85. Epidemiology ~ Pass the course ... or die 84. This Defining Moment ~ Where does this triple-threat strait in history lead? 83. Right to Privilege? ~ Is empathy enough to balance the scale? 82. Introverts Unite! ~ What's so bad about self-quarantine? 81. Invisible Enemy ~ Beware the Trojan horse 80. BC ~ Before Coronavirus, when life was simple 79. The Black Swan Has Landed ~ Our surreal new normal 78. Self-Quarantine Report ~ Home confinement works for me 77. My Haiku Machine Is Broken ~ My muse is gone ... or is she? 76. Hidden Common Ground ~ Interests underlie 75. Supermoon ~ So near, yet so far ... so far, yet so near 74. We Are Accidental People ~ If a different sperm had reached the egg, what of human history? 73. Coronavirus ~ Have another beer 72. Poetic Science ~ Brushing word-art's colors on science's canvas 71. Cosmic Boundaries ~ What's on the other side? 70. Life Is a Movie ~ View from the peanut gallery 69. How to Make Love ~ This isn't what you think it is ... it's better 68. Cousin Taco ~ My moral dilemma 67. Mack's Vision ~ When visions diverge 66. Malecon Buskers ~ Strollers' seaside entertainment 65. Diez Pesos ~ How much can this small coin buy? 64. Homeleaving, Homecoming ~ Two homes on two bays 63. The Bridge Between ~ This span shall stand 62. Superbowl 2020 ~ Your haiku sports reporter is on the job. 61. Thin Silver Lining ~ End of young life may not be all bad. 60. Refuge in Art ~ I think I'll write a haiku. 59. The Edge of the Universe ~ There's nothing on the other side 58. Woke? ~ Racism's tricky wiles 57. Ode to Mrs. Mason ~ The Universal Mrs. Mason, teacher of children, worldwide, throughout time 56. Microeconomics of Love ~ Do lovers keep score? 55. First God ~ Grandaddy Deity 54. Brush Strokes in the Sky ~ Reflections on time 53. Haiku Quintets, the Craft ~ What is a "good" haiku? 52. Woodstock Souvenir ~ Life's a trip 51. Cosmic New Year ~ Who moved my galaxy? 50. Angel on Earth ~ The kindest person I've ever known 49. Annular Eclipse ~ Photography-as-art mic drop 48. Animal Friends ~ Not so different you and me, my pet 47. Just You and Me ~ The bottomless depth of a mother's grief 46. Gravity Makes Things Round ~ The curious shape of things that float in spacetime 45. Chicxulub Asteroid Impact ~ Our lucky day? 44. Lexophilia Haiku ~ Word-play can be pun. 43. Susan's Family Story ~ Three sister-moms, seven cousins, two losses 42. Why vote? ~ Can you resolve this logical paradox? Yes you can. S� se puede. 41. My Nigerian Atheist Friend ~ He must hide his truth 40. Democracy Grief ~ Despair leads to apathy, democracy dies 39. The Morning After ~ Newspaper headlines, November 4, 2020 38. Puerto Vallarta ~ Our Mexican home town 37. Absurdist Haiku ~ Sometimes meaning is found in unlikely places 36. Ambassador Bobbi ~ Appreciating a key team member of our condo association 35. On Antinatalism ~ Is life good? I mean, really, is life good? 34. My Mom ~ It takes a village to raise a child. But first, a mother. 33. My Dad ~ A Father's Day tribute 32. American Expat ~ An alien in my homeland? 31. Mediation ~ A life's calling ... and its afterlife 30. Useful Idiot? ~ One must wonder 29. Richard Died Today ~ Our friend is with us no more 28. Smorgasbord of the Mind ~ A gathering of word-nerds 27. Climate Crisis ~ Whether to postpone Earth's certain fate 26. Carpe Diem ~ Time flies, life is short, grab it 25. Natural Art ~ All art by human hands is not made 24. Sibling Love ~ Aging siblings celebrate our lifelong bond. 23. Math = Nature? ~ Why does mathematics describe the natural world? 22. Time Flies ~ Could we just slow this runaway train down a bit? 21. Kit ~ One classy lady 20. Susan at Play ~ Play on, and on, and on ... 19. For Whom the Art Trolls ~ What's art to you? And who says so? 18. Puppies in a Box ~ The secret sauce of easy marriage 17. Is This Art? ~ "Verbal impressionism by curious wordcraft" ... unless a real artist corrects me 16. Sketches in Haiku ~ Mutating and evolving an ancient art form, boldly going where acolytes fear to tread 15. Whence Reality? ~ Cosmology's sublime mystery: Why is there something rather than nothing? 14. Universe ~ Blow your mind on the cosmos, peer into the Hubble Ultra Deep Field 13. Daughter of Basho ~ Imagining the times of haiku's bygone creator, and an equal span into our own future 12. Haiku or Not Haiku? ~ Is Basho rolling over in his grave? 11. Moonset ~ As past becomes present, what choices do we really have? 10. My Aging Brain ~ Celebrating the benefits of aging, tempered by certain nuisances 9. On Dying ~ A lucky atheist's approach to death, dying, and choice 8. A Grandfather's Lament ~ Perhaps shared by other grandparents 7. Idealism vs. Realism ~ Inspired by The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Powers 6. Reunion ~ A moment that will be remembered for a lifetime 5. Song for Susan ~ A love story 4. Trump ~ This poet's fearful bias 3. Saturn ~ The pearl of our solar system 2. Vietnam ~ This veteran's reflections 1. Sunset ~ My first haiku quintet, the prelude to those that follow Poems 4. Why Me? ~ An ode to scientism 3. We Chose Us ~ An appreciation of my partner 2. Two Puppies in a Box ~ The simple secret of true love 1. Just You and Me ~ A mother's grief Soliloquies 4. Generating Poetry ~ "Don't push the river; it flows by itself." 3. Mother's Day 2019 ~ Celebrating my Mom ... and all mothers 2. American Expat ~ An American expat living in Sarasota, waiting to return to America 1. Our Local Star ~ A non-anthropocentric perspective on our place in the universe All content � 2019 by Dan Dana |
Haiku explainer: I strive to pack maximum meaning into seventeen
syllables in three unrhymed lines in 5-7-5 format, adopting the 17th
Century Japanese style. Intentionally ambiguous words and phrases prompt
the reader to project personal idiosyncratic significance onto the
verse (think Rorschach inkblot). Diverging from tradition, and
committing other poetic heresies, I compose a quintet of haiku under a
single umbrella idea, which, as an ensemble, comprise a narrative theme.
A photo or image illustrates and completes the finished piece. I dub
this novel art form "poetic impressionism by curious wordcraft."
Apologies to Basho for my unorthodoxy.