Ben's Haiku

Sat, 10 Dec 2005

The Bride
From all directions,
red glows and bright white flashes
shine on the bride's smile.

written at the wedding of Brian and Erin Fife

05:55 | permalink


Mon, 05 Dec 2005

Snow Sneaks In
The evening was clear,
but a white blanket snuck in
over the city.

05:55 | permalink


Sat, 26 Nov 2005

Winter in New Hampshire
The clear and sharp cold
of the winter night. Dark sky,
the stars bursting forth.

05:55 | permalink


Thu, 24 Nov 2005

Patriotism
The gas station has
countless American flags
and very cheap gas.

the gas at this station is $1.99 per gallon,
which is low right now

05:55 | permalink


Thu, 03 Nov 2005

Fireworks
With deep crashing booms,
the fireworks shake the house
like bombs exploding.

written during the Diwali celebrations in Kisumu, Kenya

05:55 | permalink


Sun, 30 Oct 2005

Riot
The eyes of the crowd
are fierce, violent, and strange
during the riot.

written after the riot in Kisumu

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 29 Oct 2005

Dying Monkey
The monkey screeches
and its entrails glisten red
as it slowly dies.

04:55 | permalink


Mon, 17 Oct 2005

Autumn
Atop the green tree,
a solitary leaf has
become pure yellow.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 15 Oct 2005

Small Miracles
On a crowded street
I find a parking space with
time on the meter.

written after finding parking near
the C-Side-G in the middle of the day

04:55 | permalink


Thu, 13 Oct 2005

Just Shaven Chin
Cold refreshing air
touching my just shaven chin
unfamiliarly.

04:57 | permalink


Wed, 12 Oct 2005

Bus
A stopped bus belches
thick dark solid smoke. It hangs
as the bus drives off.

04:55 | permalink


Tue, 11 Oct 2005

Art Museum
The heat and stale air
of hundreds milling about
looking at the art.

written after seeing the lovely but crowded
Ansel Adams exhibit at the MFA

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 08 Oct 2005

Geese
The geese stand still, or
walk slowly, flapping their wings
without taking off.

04:55 | permalink


Tue, 04 Oct 2005

Vaccine
The sharp stinging heat
of the disease injected
into my forearm.

written after receiving a yellow fever vaccine

04:55 | permalink


Mon, 03 Oct 2005

Panic
The panic in her voice--
hot and sharp--as she calls out
for anyone's help.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 01 Oct 2005

Sunset XII
It's an explosion--
radiant color bursting
in all directions.

04:55 | permalink


Fri, 30 Sep 2005

Cleaning the Field
Ten people appear,
with brooms, reordering
the dirt on the field.

written after seeing the baselines
at Fenway Park raked between innings

04:57 | permalink


Tue, 27 Sep 2005

Ebbing Life
Its twitching has stopped,
and yet the moth I just crushed--
I can feel its life.

04:55 | permalink


Mon, 26 Sep 2005

Anger II
The wary drawn eyes
and mouth clenched in a grimace.
She's filled with anger.

04:57 | permalink


Sun, 25 Sep 2005

Bathroom Break
During the brief break,
the urinals flush without
rhythm or comment.

04:55 | permalink


Sun, 18 Sep 2005

The Big Dig
Long well-lit tunnels
winding under the city--
man-made and yet real.

04:55 | permalink


Sun, 11 Sep 2005

The Waves
The ocean's water
slips through the sand, as if it's
not solid at all.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 03 Sep 2005

A Vision
She moves back and forth.
Lush, languid, and feminine,
her breasts sway softly.

04:55 | permalink


Tue, 02 Aug 2005

Lightning
Lightning's vicious crack
as it strikes deafeningly
so very nearby.

04:59 | permalink


Sun, 31 Jul 2005

Rolling Lettuce Chicken
The sweet crisp lettuce
surrounds a thick sweet sauce and
the tasty chicken.

written after visiting Chef Jia's,
my favorite Chinese food restaurant

04:55 | permalink


Thu, 14 Jul 2005

Pedestrians
People walk so close
that any sudden move will
cause them to bump you.

written in New York City

04:55 | permalink


Tue, 12 Jul 2005

Homeless Woman
A small old woman,
face dirty and eyes distant,
singing to herself.

04:55 | permalink


Tue, 05 Jul 2005

Master Chef
The quick precision
of a master chef cutting
the tails off of shrimp.

04:57 | permalink


Mon, 04 Jul 2005

One Among Many
A new wave begins
its crashing sound, adding to
the ocean's white noise.

04:55 | permalink


Fri, 01 Jul 2005

A Luminous Cloud
A luminous cloud
juts into the sky, catching
all of the sun's rays.

04:57 | permalink


Flies Hovering above Carrion
The flies hover near
their prey, only eating when
they're alone and safe.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 25 Jun 2005

Eclairs
Machine-made eclairs--
their sweetness is pure and bland
and it strikes at once.

04:55 | permalink


Wed, 22 Jun 2005

Human Odor
Rich, pungent, and sour,
the smell of human odor
in the hot summer.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 18 Jun 2005

Fireflies
The fireflies flicker
on, off, dancing with the dark
and with each other.

04:57 | permalink


Country Road at Night
The streetlight's straight light
catches the curves and texture
of the country road.

04:55 | permalink


Thu, 16 Jun 2005

Squirrel IV
No more squirrel corpse--
only a tuft of fur, an
outline in the mud.

04:55 | permalink


Mon, 13 Jun 2005

Squirrel III
Now the dead squirrel
has holes eaten in his chest--
grey fur, black nothing.

04:55 | permalink


Sun, 12 Jun 2005

Humidity
The air is solid,
its humid weight slowing
all except the cars.

04:57 | permalink


Fri, 10 Jun 2005

Squirrel II
The same dead squirrel
on the city street, now his
fur matted by rain.

04:55 | permalink


Wed, 08 Jun 2005

Squirrel
Squirrel on the road,
upside down, dead, mouth agape,
one paw curving in.

04:55 | permalink


Sun, 05 Jun 2005

Sunset IX
Green has no business
in the sunset. There! It hides
by yellow and blue.

04:57 | permalink


Sun, 29 May 2005

Slip and Slide
Naked and sliding
on the slick plastic runway,
with soap up my butt.

04:55 | permalink


Wed, 18 May 2005

Flowers
Comely white flowers
hiding behind a black fence
so I can't smell them.

04:55 | permalink


Sat, 07 May 2005

Life Goes On
Near the house of the
war-mongering commander,
the flowers still bloom.

04:55 | permalink


Wed, 27 Apr 2005

Bribery
Brazen spring flowers,
their nectar bribing insects
who carry their seed.

04:55 | permalink


Thu, 31 Mar 2005

Haiku VI
Observe the beauty
'til you can write a haiku
and then you are done.

05:55 | permalink


Fri, 11 Mar 2005

Takeoff
The gentle firm force
of the plane's rising speed, then
the ground falls away.

05:55 | permalink


Sun, 27 Feb 2005

The Gates
Bubbly and disarmed,
New Yorkers wander the Gates,
tourists near their homes.

05:55 | permalink


Mon, 07 Feb 2005

Sunrise
Cold yellow sunrise
after a long strange night of
vicious partying.

05:55 | permalink


Mon, 24 Jan 2005

Two Feet
The whole world just stops
as everyone marvels at
two feet of new snow.

05:55 | permalink


Thu, 20 Jan 2005

Fresh-Falling Snow
The fresh-falling snow
dawdles in the air and then
sparkles on the ground.

05:55 | permalink


Fri, 14 Jan 2005

The World Is Hidden
From the bridge I see
only the unbroken grey
of the opaque fog.

05:55 | permalink


Sat, 08 Jan 2005

Three Points
The boys' three point shots
arc languidly through the air,
then swish...or hit rim.

05:55 | permalink


Sat, 01 Jan 2005

New Year's Morning
New Year's morning,
sun rising over the Charles,
the dawn's old quiet.

13:00 | permalink


April 2005
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