Global Haiku • Fall 2010
Dr. Randy Brooks

No Training Wheels

by
Edward A. Pluhar III

Haiku is one of the most beautiful artforms ever created. It is structured, yet surprisingly open and free. I feel that the best haiku come from raw, uncensored emotion. Emotion is what brings a haiku to life. Emotion is what takes words on a page and transforms them into a connection between the author and reader. My title is based on one of my favorite haiku that I have written. I chose it because it has a very deep meaning and emotion. I feel it is a perfect metaphor for life, which is what this book is about—my life, in so many words.

he blows out the candles
asking for a real family—
his birthday wish

I hold her hands
and try to still them—
wanting more time

credits roll—
an abrupt ending
to our happiness

a gentle shove
from behind
no training wheels

walking down the hall
in my former high school
my own red carpet

gym commons
I see the man
who told me to be great

on the car hood
our hands join
under the stars

summer sun
heats the black car—
funeral procession

a parade of police cars—
they all salute
the man I hugged

lying on the grass
we dive
into the sky

I see you
for the first time in a year
can’t. look. away.

the familiar song
brings me to tears—
amazing grace

strangers stare
as we sing—
our song

raindrops fall
all around us
as our lips . . . touch

shivering and wet
your body becomes
my blanket

Corn Maze

Around my hometown, cornfields seem to roll on forever once you get outside of the city limits. Naturally, one of the local parks has taken advantage of a local cornfield and turned it into a money making opportunity. For five dollars, anyone can wonder around the maze with friends or family for hours of fun on those chilly fall nights.

This is the place where one of my happiest memories took place. My high school crush, a group of ten of my friends, and me decided to go to the cornfield one fall night. I was still too young to drive so my mom had to drop me off at the park. Knots filled my stomach. The anticipation was killing me. I knew she would be there and I wanted to desperately impress her.

I hopped out of my mom’s car, and was hit by a blast of cold fall air. The scent of freshly harvested corn filled the air. It was musky, deep, nauseating, yet at the same time, it was fresh and beautiful. A slight fog also hung in the air, making the air heavy, adding to my intense feeling that I couldn’t breathe. Finally, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity, my crush arrived.

We silently made eye contact. Together we held our eyes on each other for a half second longer than we normally would. We made small talk, awkwardly trying to seem like there was nothing there. We tried to make it seem like we didn’t have the feelings for each other. We waited, waiting for the other to make the first move. I motioned towards the corn maze and we walked together. Slowly, I lowered my hand, and our fingers brushed together. Gently, our hands clasped together, fitting together like pieces in a puzzle, like our hands were meant to be joined together.

friends smile
at our joined hands
my hand warmer