There’s a story behind my haiku "forsythia". A very long time after noticing a widowed neighbour peek through her blinds one day, it occured to me that perhaps she was looking at our forsythia bush when it was in bloom. I started to work on a haiku. I knew my protagonist, knew my imagery, but was having trouble deciding the sequence of their appearances. The widow first, or the flowers?

the widow

peeks through her blinds . . . forsythia

Realistically, this may be how the actual event happened, but…

Kala Ramesh

Oct 13, 2022

Replying to

Lovely, Chuck. Thank you.

Disha Upadhyay

Oct 11, 2022

Just one word, beautiful. Simple yet so many layers, and hidden meaning. What I saw in this haiku was healing. It's spring time, harsh winter has passed, and someone is finally ready to open their window. L3 tells me that it is just the first step and that's a good start. Beautiful!

dipankar (দীপংকর)

Oct 10, 2022

There is only one way I can describe this poem. It's absurdly beautiful. It has no right to be so wondrously touching. It generated a whole lot of images in mind, going back to the origins of haiku in haikai no renga. Widows kept on showing up in those works, but they were projected in a hopelessly crude manner. Most degrading. When I read this poem, I saw a total metamorphosis from those horrors. This poem reminds me also of the classic movie Zorba the Greek. If you have watched it, you will immediately see what I mean. You have produced for me the image of a lonely widow, young perhaps, and her suitor. I see the suitor waiting with…

lakshmi iyer

Oct 09, 2022

Minimum and yet so effective!!

Amin Jack Pędziwiater

Oct 08, 2022

lifting eyelids if

starts eighth protocol

is system online