Day 26: Z is for Zaire

Let's Go

Let's go far and near,
Alaska, Belgium, Zaire.
Let's go. Everywhere!

Day 25: Y is for Yet

A New Day

I wake up again
leaving behind yesterday.
I am not done yet.

Day 24: X is for Xenophobia

Xenophobia.
I suffer this fear of all,
alone in my world.

Day 23: V is for Vulture

Where Was I?

I almost missed you
vulture. You were circling.
I was someplace else.

Day 22: W is for Woken

We will backtrack on the trail tomorrow to visit V, the first letter of both Amy's and my last name!

The Weight of Day

Dawn lifts its weight
off the night, nothing is broken.
Then, I'm light. Woken.

Day 21: U is for Urge

Reciprocation

When the urge to give
comes over you, don't forget
the urge to receive.

Day 20: T is for Teepee

My Place

I love my teepee
My place to dream, sing, write, pray,
sleep when I'm sleepy.

Day 19: S is for Silver

My hair

My hair is silver,
I say, not grey. Do I care?
Yes, silver I say.

Day 18: R is for Restore

Lesson

The trees tell me this:
sunlight and water do well
to restore a soul.

Day 17: Q is for Quaint

My Quiet Place

Tucked up in the hills,
a refuge where I think, paint.
My place: quiet, quaint.

Day 16: P is for Prescribe

Dear Doctor

Prescribe me a cure
for writer's block. Should I wait?
No! Write now, right now!

Day 15: O is for Over

Morning Vision

The deer ran over
my back lawn, seven of them,
white tails bobbing.

Day 14: N is for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Let us go today
to roam along the rocky
shore where selkies play.

Day 13: M is for Macaroni

My Ideal Meal

I will fill my bowl
with macaroni. Best when
eaten with a friend.

Day 12: L is for Lively

Lively Love

Lively love lingers,
loves through every up and down.
Lively love lives long.

Day 11: K is for Knickknack

Poet Dog

Knickknack patty whack!
Give a dog a poem to chew.
He barks in haiku.

Day 10: J is for Jamaica

Spring Dream

Today's cold spring wind
makes me crave sunshine and sea.
Jamaica calls me!

Day 9: I is for Inflation

Deeper Meaning

Inflation expands.
Think not the economy
instead, elation!

Day 8: H is for Habit

Kite

Kite catches the wind,
unavoidable habit
to go up, aloft.

Day 7: G is for Ground

Sub-Atomic Dance

Our molecules
know the drill: come-bind, unbound.
Flame, water, air, ground.

Day 6: F is for Felt

To My First Friend

Do you remember
how it felt to hold my hand?
Yes. Of course you do.

Day 5: E is for Exponent

Exponent

Rise to the power
of the value by your side.
You will get bigger.

Day 4: D is for Draw

Connect the Dots

Draw a line from moon
to sea and back to the place
where our two hearts meet.

Lisa Vihos

Day 3: C is for Case

Question

Let your journey start
today, in this wild, spring rain.
What is in your case?

Dictionary Hike

I got turned onto the idea of doing a "distionary hike" by a new friend, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater. Check out her fabulous blog, The Poem Farm. Each day during National Poetry Month, Amy is letting her finger fall on a word in the dictionary, and she is then creating a poem that must include that word. She has begun at A and will work her way to Z as each day goes by. Hence the "dictionary hike" concept. I caught the bug and have determined that whatever word she picks each day, I will use the same word in a haiku. After 26 days, between us we will have 52 poems. (Mine will generally be way shorter!)

We have thus far completed A and B. My first two haiku appear together here. To see Amy's poems, go here. I am very much looking forward to C tomorrow. Visit each day and see what we have created. Hey, that starts with C. Cool. Oh, so does that. Ciao...oy, this is contagious! Signing off now before I am covered in C-words...

April 1
Day 1: A is for Ancient

The ancient soul aches
for one more undoing or
doing of the heart.


April 2
Day 2: B is for Bluegrass

Mystery

Bluegrass, green-sky. Why?
Why not? I wonder as my
day turns up-under.

A Poem for April

Recipe for Calm

When you feel
out of sorts,
grab an onion,
clove of garlic,
sprig of parsley.
Chop, dice, slice,
and then, filet
a nice cut of meat.
Use carrots and lemons,
olives and almonds,
and don't forget
something sweet.
Sit down at your table
with a bottle of wine,
a sharp cheese,
and a friend.
Raise your glass.
Lift your fork.
Lean back at the end
and allow for a belch;
a calming measure
to mark your pleasure.

Lisa Vihos