Global Haiku • June 2016
Dr. Randy Brooks

Faded Ringlets

by
Mackenzie Larrick

The concise style of haiku writing is one of the most intriguing, yet difficult parts of the tradition for me. In reading and in writing, I enjoy the complexity of small details that attract attention and create vivid imagery for the reader –imagery that can put the reader directly into the scene and allow them to become emotionally invested and to make deeper connections to the work or the author. Studying haiku, I have learned that, as authors, we do not have to tell the whole story ourselves nor give every detail to create this connection. The carefully crafted short lines of the haiku allow the reader to become immersed in the scene, but leave things open just enough to allow imaginations and interpretations to run free. This selection of haiku is a mix of reality and fiction. While some are based on important pieces of my life and memories that I cherish, others simply stemmed from my own spark of imagination. I hope you will read them with an open mind and open heart, ready to create your own stories and connections.

silver heart
dangling
the chain broke

pink and purple hearts
the smell of crayons
for me?

sparkling lips and splotches of pink
mirror in hand
she giggles

warm vanilla in the kitchen
only one
but don't tell

wrinkled hands
tight in mine
the demanding clock ticks

tiny fingers
tiny toes
not a peep as he sleeps

sweat soaks
through my shirt
how many more to go

blood red knuckles
stain the wall
she exhales

first date – be a lady
perhaps a salad
no thank you
steak

laced fingers and nervous lips
just lean in
first kiss

faded ringlets
on the table
the stories of our friends

orange flickers
from the candle
dance wildly in the dark

the bouquet lands
in her lap
he asks her to dance