PACE Global Haiku • PACE November 2012
Dr. Randy Brooks

Family is a Gift

by
Sandy Dunn

Before taking the Global Haiku course at Millikin University, I had never heard of haiku and wasn't sure about what I was getting into. However, shortly after the first class started, I already knew I loved reading, writing, and reflecting on haiku. Haiku is enjoyable to go to forgotten places and reflect on emotional or sentimental experiences; some happy, some sad. Reflecting on special memories allows an escape from the daily craziness of everyday life, while offering opportunity for enjoyment as new memories are made.

The following collection of haiku and rengay, entitled Family is a Gift, was written during reflection on memories revolving around my family and our lives together. My husband Joe, my 18 year old son Dylan, and my 10 year old daughter Malea were my inspiration during much of my writing. There is an emphasis on Christmas in my writings, much because my haiku was written during the holiday season. The Christmas season is a special time of year for me, therefore, I naturally gravitated to these life experiences during my reflection and writting. Enjoy!

Reader’s Introduction by Dylan Dunn

I wasn’t surprised that my mom wrote so much haiku about family relating to Christmas. Every year she puts our Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving because she loves that time of year. The haiku below was one of my favorites because the ornaments she’s describing are those made while my sister and I were in kindergarten. Every year the kindergarten teacher Mrs. Bagley helps each of her students make over a dozen Christmas ornaments to take home as gifts to their parents. Even though my sister is eight years younger, we each made exactly the same ornaments while in kindergarten. All of our matching pairs of ornaments are hung side by side on our "kid tree" in the family room. She admires those ornaments each Christmas as if they were brand new.

more precious
each Christmas . . .
old kindergarten ornaments

he has your nose
she has my eyes
. . . God's miracles

hiding place discovered
no one will know . . .
quick peek!

tiptoe down the stairs
in the dark . . .
Christmas magic!

car ride to Grandma's
in the backseat
. . . she’s on my side!

they never met
but he asks . . .
can grandma see me from heaven?

home for the holidays
Christmas dinner
. . . one empty chair

final hours
leaving the vet
. . . with only his collar

ice storm’s destruction
lineman's wife
is home alone