Global Haiku • Fall 2020
Dr. Randy Brooks

sentence memories

by
Maggie Kusar

One of the first lessons we learned in Global Haiku Traditions was that a haiku encompasses the beginning, middle, or end of a moment. I took that to heart when I wrote my haiku. Throughout these pages are moments of silence and moments of noise, moments of loneliness and moments spent with others. These are moments that have had an impact on my life, moments that were turning points for better or for worse. These are the moments that I remember and cherish.

Another first lesson taught me that a haiku isn’t born until someone else connects to it and finds meaning in it. I took that to heart as well. I hope that you can join me in these moments and share fragments of my life with me, and I hope that you are also able to find pieces of your own life in my words even if they aren’t the same as the moments I wrote them for.

The title of my compilation is sentence memories. It encompasses both the structure of a haiku—as short as one sentence—as well as the aesthetic of my haiku—bits and pieces of memories throughout my life that have meant something to me. Haiku preserve my precious moments and let me share them with you, and I hope they inspire you to create some of your own.

concrete steps
the porch light
replaces the sun

honey lamp
the porch aglow
with fireflies

walking empty halls
the only voice
is mine

tufts of fur
the house is silent
without a dog

wiggling caterpillar
still
in her hands

wicker basket holds
paper stories
origami

scraped hands
we jump
onto the roof

lightning storm
we push the bed
together

chapstick tissues
just a little
            glitter

high ceiling
the swift breeze
moves with the dancers

curly hair
I realize
like a sister

dappled path
we talk about
dogs

blanket fort
stay until
fully charged

alleyway thoughts
and
then
I

fall

again

my heart is out
(always yours)
claddaugh ring

powdered sugar smile—
all I want is
you

toy jail
the plush cat hidden
under my thighs

porch swing
my sister
sits with her book