
In Time: A Haiku


What has kept me warm
The sheath wrapped ‘cross my shoulder
Your hidden footprints
My feet finally rooted
I dare to the window to watch
The funny ol’ man who wanders with a triangular kind of walk, steady though
I listen faithfully for his footsteps, just because
Just because he almost never makes a sound otherwise
Except that he talks to the sunrise
And I’ll hear him again later when I sit for breakfast
Afternoons, while I’m in the yard, there’s the clickety-clack of his feet heading home
Amusingly, and not often enough, he shouts random thoughts to the flowers, who he seems to love so well
Once, at breakfast, I got brave
I asked whether he was in need
I whispered actually, but he heard, then did at once oblige and set a spell
Now, at night, he knocks
I wake to talk, but he hides
Funny ol’ man
I am dust
You are dust
Gold Dust
Pulses rush
Pupils rush
Gold Rush
Opened flood gates
Hearts that know one gate
Golden Gate
I wonder if birds keep calendars
And whether they’d pencil me in
We’d all leave our nests
And wander Where’s Best
To catch up on belated breaths
With wings this rusty
I’d ask them
“Teach Me
Of calm flight
In silent valleys.”