April in North Carolina haiku

/ Fran Haley

For Day Ten of National Poetry Month

blossoms hang like grapes
wisteria decadence
threaded through the trees

finches chirruping
five pale blue eggs in the nest
on the front door wreath

grass, fresh-cut fragrance
green carpet for morning sun
not yet grown brutal

Wisteria decadence. Took this photo four days ago. I love wisteria and its whispers of bygone days. I have even written a short story in the voice of a wisteria vine, set in rural NC in the early part of the 20th century. Plants, after all, are said to have memory and feelings…

17 thoughts on “April in North Carolina haiku”

  2. Confession: In the distant past, I thought of haiku as the poem one wrote when one had to “write a poem” and just wanted to get it over with. It’s only been in the last few years, though, that I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for them. (Certainly someone has earned a PhD studying cutting words.) This is a good example of why I love them, and I appreciate you sharing yours with us today.

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    • I get it, Tim. I once thought haiku were just easy little snippets that could be obscure or just pretty on the surface…but I’ve since seen some that rattle my soul with their power and beauty (in 17 syllables! Amazing). I could keep tinkering with this one but am ok with these little linked stanzas for now. Cutting words… that’s seriously hard work, a whole art form; done well, the writing shines like polished gems. I like what Joan Didion and others have said about “playing by ear.” Most of the time try go for a sound or rhythm or sensation… but anyway, thanks so much for your words. You’ve written some lovely haiku and tankas – truly.

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  5. I have never beheld a wisteria in person and oh how I wish I could! The photos I see are glorious. We have lilacs and irises but I think wisterias are breathtaking. But that heat of your summer might be too much for me! Though we have visited NC a little. (Think Pinehurst years ago, which we loved.) Your haiku poems are a lovely, evocative trio and I am guessing you must use the side door these days. Where does your mail go? I am sure the finches are rather protective. (I love the first comment about the ‘sweet-talking to the plant” experiment!)

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    • Janet, I’ve loved wisteria since I was a child. I find it glorious. It bothers some people’s allergies (“hay fever,” my grandmother said) and as it’s a mighty, invasive vine, everyone isn’t enamored of it. This year the flowering is particularly abundant and spectacular; the blooms don’t last long. Summers here are terribly humid – I say it’s like walking outside into bath water. And trying to breathe it. Suffocating. This time of year here is so lovely though. Yes, I have signs on the front door, inside and out, warning everyone away from my bird sanctuary. We do use the side door and the mail is delivered at a box by the driveway. I expect hatchlings this coming week! Stay tuned! Will post pictures. Yes, that talking to plants… it shouldn’t be underestimated. We do not live as “close” to the earth as we once did. Thanks for all your thoughts!

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      • Just a quick note based on something on another blog about walking and its benefits (except for you in summer, you would need a new invention ie an AC’d transparent walking house!!! Ah yes, Michelle Schaub’s Poetry Boost poem video today. Have you been checking those out? https://nicolebianchi.medium.com/how-a-daily-walk-can-boost-your-creativity-a29a236582d2
        I think your finches know they have found a wonderful bird nursery and host!!! Lovely.
        Oh that invasive quality. I was just reading about the Bradford Pear Trees which are wild on the Delmarva Peninsula but I wonder where else as I saw a lot of white blossoms on the side of the road in western NJ yesterday. Those trees have really miserable spikes on the branches….as lovely as they are.

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  6. Congratulations on the finch eggs! Are they house finches or gold finches or…? I love your use of the senses and alliteration, which make the haiku come alive. I wish I could see and smell wisteria, but it doesn’t grow here. I love your simile “blossoms hang like grapes.” I also love “wisteria decadence/threaded through the trees. That haiku is perfect for the photo, but it also seems to go beyond the photo capturing the essence of wisteria. Thank you for sharing your April NC beauty.

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