Selected Haiku by Eva Greenwald

For the Night Stand: Selected Haiku
by

Eva Greenwald

Global Haiku Tradition
Millikin University, Spring 2000

Eva Greenwald

All of my haiku come from real experiences. A childhood memory—when I got my first cello I was more interested in "taking a bath" in the styrofoam packing than I was in the actual cello. A recent encounter—beer cans scattered all over campus after the weekend. A friend's unexpected pregnancy.

The haiku that i consider to be the best are the ones that really affect me . . . The ones that make me smile outloud or force me to sop and re-experience the moment. I have put pieces of Me into each of these haiku. Snippets of my life are in each one. I hope that you do take time to savor them . . . like little chocolates.

back to school,
brand new lunch box

left at the bus stop

under the blankets
click of the flashlight.

Mom in the hall

I rip off his shirt
the phone rings,

Mom

sitting on the edge
of the bathtub—
pink line

three weeks late,
she picks up the phone
to call Him

in the closet
I cover my ears . . .

yelling down the hall

Sunday morning,

bra and beer can
in the campus snow

flapping in the wind
one staple still holds

last month's garage sale

"taking a bath"
box half full of styrofoam
the rest on the floor

©2001 Randy Brooks, Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois || all rights reserved for original authors