Global Haiku • Fall 2012
Dr. Randy Brooks

Up, Up, and Away

by
Ryan Fraedrich

My experiences with haiku have been a profound adventure of discovery and emotion. I have learned that to write a good haiku takes careful reflection and an eye for balance, because the art is an art of contradiction. Haiku must be short but descriptive. It must be simple yet profound. It must tell a story based on the writer, while connecting with the reader and allowing them to paint their own picture. It can only be done with strict word economy, ensuring that each word has a direct and intentional meaning. But it also must be broad enough in its description to allow the reader's memories and feelings run with it.

Through my writings I have learned the struggle of conveying exactly what to say, and doing so under very limited parameters. I was given the opportunity in this art to explore what I have left untouched for years, while deepening my love for this world by materializing it. For that experience I will be forever grateful.

With love and hopes for enjoyment, Ryan W. Fraedich

12-13-12

an empty seat home
memories of push-up’s
in the mud

briefcase forgotten
the phone booth opens
up, up, and away

a red umbrella
bratwursts
pop on the grill

bright blue sky
nets-full of slime
in search of frogs

red and yellow swirls
an autumn ballet
in the wind

songbirds
herald in the sun
I conclude my thesis

her hands loosely
placed on my chest
mid-day siesta

marshmallows melt
as I take a sip
the warmth spreads

summer stars
interlaced between our fingers
the universe

high-rise cities
trapped in their towers
smog

from the great hole
in the mountainside
miner’s blackened face

a calm rain
hits my face
revelations

the storm settles
water drips
from old-world pines