lightning flashes
chains of the old porch swing
creak in the dark

first new bike
so many styles
any will suffice

Jerry Bobbett

I remember how excited I was on my tenth birthday when I got my new bike. I think I began asking for a bike about 2 months after Christmas and my birthday was in May. The wait was excruciating! I was tired of the hand-me-down green beast with the banana seat that my sister had already run over with the car a couple of times. I pleaded with my parents that I needed a grown-up bike because, after all, I was going to be ten years old. I wasn’t a baby anymore. When my parents took me to K’s Merchandise to pick out the bicycle I wanted, the row of them seemed endless. It was a silver Huffy ten-speed and I couldn’t wait to ride it. I felt fast as the wind as I rode bent over the curling handlebars on my shiny new bike. Less than three weeks later, I felt something entirely different… PAIN! Showing off for my friends, I was demonstrating how I could easily switch from the top part of the handlebars to the lower grips. Just as I made an elegant switch from one to another, I hit a spot of pea gravel on the road and down I went. My first trip to the emergency room revealed a hairline fracture of my right arm. No, I never will forget my new bicycle and one of the first experiences with it. Kara

wedding gifts
packed in boxes
the divorce is final

first cold rain
muddy paw prints
across the wooden floor

cotton on the water
the heat of summer
without a breeze

crying baby
the crowd applauds
another firework

Kara Manning (2)

one firefly
in my room
just one

Annie Jones (3)

I used to love to chase fireflies on a summer night and collect them in a jar or a plastic butter tub my mother would give me. I used to think they were magical little creatures that were having as much fun teasing us as we were having chasing them. Even now, a drive through the country on a summer evening at dusk takes me back to a time when running barefoot was the norm, mosquito bites were badges of honor, and fireflies were a game waiting to be played. Reading this haiku, I can imagine a house out in the country, windows open, no screens, and a little girl lying awake in bed with no nightlight. Just as all those little girl fears started to creep up into her mind, one lonely firefly lights up her room and puts a smile on the face where tears were just about to fall. He flits around the room and she watches him, waiting for the next flash of light. She feels as though this firefly is there as her own secret friend. Tired, comforted, and relaxed, she finally drifts off to sleep. Kara

on a journey
the ride so short
the dream far

Jerry Bobbett (4)

This haiku takes me back to the memories I have as a child. One of my childhood memories was that of getting a new bike. I remember as a young child, taking the bus uptown to our local sporting goods store that sold the best bikes in town. The bus ride wasn’t that long, and the dream of getting my bike was pretty close. I can remember wanting nothing more than to spend my 30 cents to ride the bus just to go look at the new bicycles of which one day I hoped to get. Jerry

This haiku reflects to me as being an imagined journey rather than actually traveling. I see the journey as being an effort or a goal that someone is striving to accomplish. Since there is no traveling, the quote reads; “the ride so short,” meaning it sounds easy to get there. The last line although reads as if the goal or dream really is not so easily obtainable. This person is driven to reach this dream regardless. The first line tells you that they have already set their course and they will keep pushing until they reach that dream no matter what it takes. Wayne

I was taken to an individual who is a big time dreamer. He is working for a large company and is on a journey to climb the corporate ladder with this organization. He has had a short ride with this organization, but it has been a big dream of his to become a top executive there. He is a really hard worker and deserves better than what he has. He has come a long ways and will continue to work hard and continue to gain success. Shannon

soft morning light
our first kiss good-bye
after the honeymoon

Kara Manning (3)

I was taken to a newly married couple who had just returned from their honeymoon. They are in their new home and the sun is beginning to rise just as they are and they kiss each other good-bye as they leave to go back to their normally life routines. This does bring some sadness, but they are both full of joy and are excited to have begun a life together. Shannon

stars on the water
fireworks explode
in the night sky

Kara Manning (3)

Every 4th of July as a child, the family would drive to grandma and grandpa’s house just a few blocks away on the lake. You could see the fireworks in the sky from their house. The evening would start with a picnic of salads, meat, watermelon, and homemade ice cream. The adults would talk and laugh and the children would chase each other around the in the grass playing tag and performing acrobats. When the sun finally set and the crickets began to chirp, my cousins and I would lay blankets along the shore to get the “best seats in the house.” The grandchildren visiting next door did the same. When the fireworks began, our eyes were on the sky. If the fireworks were good we would clap and cheer. If a particular firework was bad, we would cup our hands around our mouths and boo. All the yelling usually led to a sore throat, but it was fun. Kathy

black skies
lightening cracks
fire flies

First I see the calm before the storm. It is dusk and the fireflies have just begun their mating calls of lighting up at night. Everyone has been outside enjoying the warm summer evening. The wind suddenly begins to blow in a mean and frightening way. This setting sun still barely lights the sky. From the west, where the sun is setting are fierce black storm clouds moving rapidly our way. We all begin to pick up our things and head for shelter. The fireflies have all vanished, being run off by the high winds. As we pick up our last items and place them in the garage, bright lightning flashes and horrid claps of thunder begin. We barely tucked into the garage as the hard rain begins to fall. Wayne

First signs of peer pressure
single file, no pushing
through the mud puddle

Kathy Carter

in the backyard
fishing pole in hand
the summer heat

Wayne Longwill (2)

This haiku reminds me of where I am today. I have a pond in my back yard, and one day I can see my children standing, holding a fishing pole, waiting for me to take them down to pond to fish. I image a hot summer day, my kids begging me to take them to the pond. The day only gets warmer, and the humidity sets in causing us to soak in our own sweat. One day I know this will happen, and to be honest, I can’t wait. Jerry

my wife enjoys
a fishing day
no breeze

lights off
in the basement
firefly lamp

Shannon Williams (4)

This reminds me of childhood memories of playing outside with the neighborhood children all day in the hot sun. Then at dusk you would ask mom for a jar to store the lightning bugs. We would run around in the cool grass barefoot waiting for a flicker, usually seen from the corner of your eye. You would run up to the flicker, stand like a statue to get the exact location, and carefully cup your hands together. One of the other children would unscrew the jar filled with grass and you would place the bug inside. After an hour or so, it would be time to come in for the evening. Not wanting to leave the lightning bugs outside, my sister and I would sneak the jar inside to our bedroom. In the bedroom, we would take the jar and slip it under the bed. After mom came in to say her goodnights and the lights were out, we would take the jar and set it on the nightstand between our beds and watch with amazement. Kathy