Global Haiku • Spring 2014
Dr. Randy Brooks

Opossum in the Road

by
Adam Falask

Copyright © 2014 by Adam Falasz

Dedication

Dedicated to my parents, Brian and Lisa Falasz. Thank you for always being there for me, for your encouragement, patience, and perseverance.

Grateful acknowledgement to Dr. Randy Brooks for his dedicated work
in educating students in the art of Global Haiku.

Reader’s Preface

In the two years I have known Adam Falasz, I have found him to be one of the most hardworking people I have ever met. He puts his whole heart into everything he does, which includes his art of haiku. Although many people look at Adam and think, “Oh he’s just one of those science guys,” he has proved that his way of writing haiku touches people’s hearts while making them reflect on their own past memories.

a young boy watches
his bobber
a proud father watches
his boy

Due to the shortness of haiku, it's important for the writer to convey as much emotion and detail into as few of words as possible. When the haiku is too long, it takes away from the meaning and intimacy of the message. Adam is able to tell an entire story, with only three short lines; something that many people are not able to do.

eroded lettering
    on the headstone
        “INFANT”

While most men like to express their “manliness” at any time they are able, Adam is not afraid to show his more sensitive side when writing haiku. He is able to take special moments, and use the perfect phrasing for the reader to see the image completely, along with feeling the exact emotions he’s trying to portray.

my beautiful girl
eyes closed, gently breathing
a slight finger twitch

Being his first book of haiku, “Opossum in the Road” showcases Adam’s vast forms of haiku. Although many people would not expect it, Adam’s haiku are funny, touching, realistic, and beautiful. He takes a form of writing that can be difficult for most, and writes it with ease. If anything else, this book shows that Adam is far from just being, “one of those science guys.”

~Caitlin Husted

Author’s Introduction

As a chemistry major, I spend the majority of my time in Leighty-Tabor Science Center learning about Nucleophilic Acyl Substitution or what chemical reagent will produce the product I need. However, my real home is in the great outdoors. My stress relief always involves a pair of boots, exciting company, some fresh air, and a simple activity. I work hard so that I can play hard too.
Like a typical young man, I enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, dirt biking, driving, playing Frisbee, going out with my girlfriend, hanging with friends, relaxing with family, and overall appreciating life. The activities I love in life are evident in many of my haiku as they mainly surround my major experiences both past and present.

My core values can also be deciphered from the title of my collection, “Opossum in the Road.” I believe this title relates to many aspects of my life. First and foremost, it includes nature. Second, it shows that circumstances are not always as they seem and how everything in life does not always work out as expected. Finally, it proves situations can be turned into something positive or looked at with a different light.

I love finding haiku in places where I wouldn’t expect them. It is nearly impossible for me to create a great haiku simply from my imagination. Based upon this, it is probable that each of my haiku have a story associated with it. The story may be a happy, disheartening, or be entirely cryptic to everyone who reads it, but they all mean something to me. I wish I could write haiku that are meaningful to everyone, but art is not about being perfect. If even one person connects with my haiku, I feel I have accomplished what I set out to achieve.

I will continue to create haiku for the rest of my life. Even if I never write them down or share them with anyone else, I will use what I have learned to produce a piece of art not many people can. I am incredibly thankful for all the opportunities I have earned and been afforded in my life, including learning about the literary art of haiku. As long as I continue to discover and use my knowledge, I know I will find enjoyment no matter where I go or what I do.

~Adam Falasz

opossum in the road
not just playing
dead

following my dad
his prints too big
his stride too long

I drive to the lake
to be alone with
      . . . my thoughts

a rusty bicycle
the last stall
of the creaky barn

a shadow falls
through the timber . . .
morels

cell phones
sit silently on the table—
backyard baseball

eroded lettering
    on the headstone
        “INFANT”

doing the laundry
I would be nothing without
my loving mother

tiptoeing past
    nanas armchair . . .
        the cat meows

dad’s text
to my mother—
wish I hadn’t looked

long legs
straight brunette hair
What is my name?

kissing her on my bed . . .
my father
clears his throat

she catches him
admiring another girl’s
yoga pants

Valentines Day:
flowers, chocolates, dinner, jewelry
        . . . empty wallet

dear customers,
I am a cashier
not a therapist

the shower—
where I become
a philosopher

they said
yoga is relaxing
they said

Spring Break . . .
    I was hoping for
        sun and bikinis

my reflection stares back
just like the fish
behind the glass

homeless man
on the city bus
        snoring