17 X 17 = 289 syllables, The Haiku Project

The haiku project began 4 months ago when it was lemonade, not hot chocolate, we were sipping. My wrist has healed, there's a vaccine on the horizon AND I've distilled In the Shade into 17 haikus; all cause for celebration. Similar to the excel spreadsheet that organized our zigzag hiking route into a tidy chart that starts at Queenston and ends at Tobermory, this post places the poems in an order consistent with the book. Hmm. I sort of prefer the mishmash. 

If you are new to the blog, or the book, and have time on your hands, click on the link beside each title to get some context. You'll learn a little more about me, and a little more about Friendship, Loss and the Bruce Trail.

Introduction (Aug. 20 post)

spreadsheets, a journal.

reflecting on hikes cleared space

to rest, grieve, and heal 

I - With (Sept. 22 post)

we flipped maps, made plans

as if good health, friendship were

permanent. cheeky 

II - Despite (Aug. 27 post)

inactivity

causes me to wilt. any

trophies? medals? Nope.

III - Along (Oct. 13 post)

me: here's one. then her:

another. pulled through the unknown

as if by magnets

IV - Inside (Nov. 2 post)

lumpy pockets stuffed

with cookies. oats, nuts, chocolate.

our fossil-free fuel

V - Underneath (Sept. 9 post)

frost-covered stone steps,

the obstacle course of grief.

both are treacherous

VI - Amidst (Nov. 26 post)

don't assume life starts

with bliss and ends in chaos.

lean in. they are linked.

VII - Without (Oct. 19 post)

her doctor once placed

ice on a friend's dry tongue too

advice? brace yourself

VIII - Between (Nov. 9 post)

offer those who grieve

uncut pies. stop eyeing the 

crust, the crumbs. listen

IX - Beyond (Oct. 26 post)

the dead persevere,

linger, love after what we

assumed was the end

X - In (the Shade) Nov. 17 post

come, rest in the shade

let ferns, hostas hold despair

‘til light, warmth return

XI - Among (Sept. 3 post)

each bloom, each petal

was distinctive, cherished, then

tenderly released

XII - Within (Sept. 16 post)

this wild ribbon

weaves through outer/inner terrain

upshot? resilience

Afterward: Friendship (Sept. 30 post)

initiate. build

a diverse scaffold

lean on and lift up

Afterward: Loss (Aug. 13 post)

grief shows up as drained,

unfocused, twitchy. did you

expect only sad?

Afterward: The Bruce Trail (Oct. 5 post)

take poles, map, layers

check that boots, like companions

are a proper fit

Acknowledgements (Aug. 6 post)

doubt, deprecation

were gagged, placed in a corner

by those listed here