by Alison

the age of Pisces

gives way to the wild, wild age

of Aquarius

by Kelly

Watching Han Min play

Hubby says, “Maybe in a

month we’ll miss tonight.”

by Kelly

Hubby Muses on Mid East Riots

“We’d be better off

if everyone in the world

was Buddhist,” he says.

“Then we’d all compete

to see who could own the least

and be most humble.”

by Kelly

“Twenty-three bucks for

a Vikings jersey?” I gasp.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“I never had one,”

Hubby says. “We were too poor.”

I open my purse.

by Alison

“Jessie’s Girl” playing

inside my neighbor’s garage –

autumn comes to soon

by Kelly

somewhere in between

scrubbing pots and folding laundry

she breaks down in tears

he doesn’t notice

his head in a video game

his wife’s frustration

I composed this haiku couplet many weeks ago. It felt so true to my experience of new motherhood at that moment in time that I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote it down. And yet, as it reveals my utter exhaustion and angst, I never found the time to post it until now.

At the time that I was living it, and right now as I’m posting it, I’m thinking of you, dear Alison, my haiku partner. I just know you will relate to in in your bones.

And even now, weeks later, as I type it up here and reread it, I too have a visceral reaction to it. It makes me angry and sad and angry again as–unfortunately–too often these feelings bubble up when I’m chopping vegetables or folding laundry. Will the laundry ever go away?

Please don’t answer that question. I already know the answer.

by Kelly

leaves crunch underfoot

Han Min starts preschool and I

return to haiku

It’s been four months since I last posted a haiku. It feels like an eternity. So much happened during those summer months that I don’t even know how to begin describing them. In short — I became a mom. My husband and I adopted a little boy (2 and a half) from China.

I had high hopes that I would haiku throughout this major life transition. Alas, my plans fell short. In the beginning, I couldn’t have found the time (or the energy) to compose a haiku and post it even if I tried. And then, well, once I started to have the energy — and even composed a few haiku in my mind — between the laundry and the grocery shopping, I just couldn’t figure out how to make it to the computer and log into the site to post anything.

And now it is fall and my little guy is off to preschool. His academic career is starting slow; he’ll attend just two days a week. But I’m so excited to have some time to myself to organize the office and post haiku!

So here’s hoping this is the first of many “motherhood” haiku from my point-of-view.