Global Haiku • Spring 2019
Dr. Randy Brooks

Glancing Back

by
Benjamin Woodcock

Many well-known haiku poets will tell you that their best work comes from writing in the moment, from gathering inspiration from their surroundings. While I will admit it is easier to write about the sights, sounds and smells of the world around you, I find that some of my best work comes from looking back at memories, both good and bad, recent and distant. I think this has a log to with the fact that as a senior, I find myself reminiscing a lot. Through writing these haiku, I have gained a surprising amount of clarity. Events that might have seemed confusing or meaningless now have a new meaning due to the thought I put into writing the haiku. So while observing your surroundings is important, don’t forget to look back at the journey so far every once in a while.

evening mist
melancholy night walk
through the park

catching up
over some hoops
old friends

she tells me 
stories from her childhood
the sunroom

crack of the bat
pop of the glove
my first love

old friends
we struggle to remember
what made us laugh

Polar Pop
filled to the brim
with bad decisions

country summer
taking my horse
to the old town road

walking away
not today
girl scouts

quiet evening my roommate watches a flat-earth documentary