SPRING Occasions

A Dictionary of Haiku
Jane Reichhold

April Fool

no April Fools
these crocus buds closed
against the snow

Ash Wednesday

the guru speaks
evening steals upon us
with wide-open eyes

baptism

stained glass
above the baptismal font
a babe spotted red

decorating graves

canning jars
overflowing among the graves
roses

Easter bunny

Easter bunny
leaving a basket
of kittens

Easter eggs

Easter Monday
finding a solid chocolate egg
under fake grass

Earth Day

earth day
my pencil bounces
as a tree falls

Easter

high mountain village
church organ reedy as willows
the noisy brook

telephone call
the addressed Easter card|
not to be sent

Easter morning mountain
my shadow crosses
Death Valley

Easter Sunday
hikers arrive
in Cathedral Canyon

after the storm
a sunny Easter morning
finds opals

atheists' vacation
Easter weekend
in Death Valley

Fathers' Day

Father's Day
he names his son
after me

late again joke
gift-wrapping popcorn
for Father's Day

Father's Day
she mows the lawn
and whistles

Good Friday

Good Friday
buying Easter candy
the second time

Graduation Day

Graduation Day
sweat and mothballs
grass so green

graduation
where green banners wave
grass grows long

graduation night
the owl printed on a balloon
seems the wisest

gun salute

gun salute
from a hilltop monastery
monks chanting

Lent

religion
on the remote coast
buoy bells

May Day

May day
removing her wedding band
the last cloud

Memorial Day

Memorial Day
so many flowers broken off
on the ground

Memorial Day
wild flowers overpower
the flags

cloudy
a crowded sky
Memorial Day

Memorial Day
the passion flower opens
wholeheartedly

Memorial Day
the honored guests slept
through the parade

Mothers' Day

Mother's Day
giving the old cat
a dish of cream

Mother's Day
the daughter's call
about her divorce

Mother's Day
wearing the silver earrings
from Mexico

Mother's Day
deciding the cat
must be spayed

Mother's Day
all of her flowers bloom
along the road

Mother's Day
the photo of her
afternoon

Mother's day
give-away puppies escaping
the banana box

Mother's Day
seaside restaurant special
crab balls

Saint Patrick's Day

wearing of the green
for a real Irishman
a black & blue eye

toy rabbits

during the hailstorm
the stuffed Easter rabbit
clutched in her arms

wedding

last day of frost
buying the bride
a bread box

rehearsing vows
in the middle of the night
frogs

honeymooners
boats in the harbor
anchored together

smiles leaving
her bridal jitters
at the altar

Continue to SPRING Celestial.