Being well-versed in parental haiku
If they were alive today, the ancient haiku masters would have been experts at Tweeting.
I can just imagine Basho-san laughing, "140 characters is concise? Try 17 syllables."
For fun, I have tried my hand at capturing parenting moments using the shortest form of poetry in the world. My apologies to any literary gurus — they will instantaneously ascertain that I grew up in an age of free verse and haven't followed all of the traditional haiku rules (e.g., including a seasonal word to convey a sense of time). However, these poems do follow the typical 5-7-5 syllable, three-line pattern (I put our preschooler to work counting to double-check).
Entering the world
Mini, new, one-of-a-kind:
Our miracle.
At ease and at peace,
Your head rests on my shoulder —
Paragon of trust.
Falling in love with
A bald, fat, toothless munchkin.
Now who would have guessed?
Angelic slumber:
Closed eyes, curled up, soft breaths.
May I share your dreams?
Chubby cheeks, round eyes,
Smiling so innocently . . .
As you make a mess!
The big day arrives.
Mouth open, spoon in, spit OUT —
Your first taste of food.
After each meal
A distinct smell arises —
Diaper changing time!
First push up, then roll;
Next sit, crawl, stand, cruise, walk, run . . .
You (and life) move fast.
Better than my car?
Foot rest, music, full recline:
New tricked out stroller.
Teaching you to walk
Means letting you fall sometimes.
Wise — but hard to watch.
Are toddlers like teens?
Independence, moods, and "no" —
Your favorite word.
Testing limits, you
Run until I can't be seen,
Then return fast: "Waaah!"
Children in the house
Noise, messes, clutter, chaos —
Would never trade it.
After work, come home;
Keiki shout, "Daddy!"; give hugs.
All cares melt away.
When did you go from
Babe to walking and talking?
Seems like days not years.
What's ohana love?
Through the ups and downs of life
Being together.
