
to wish you “Happy Birthday!”,/
just wear a cool hat.

The following banter between a friend and I is the result of a long-standing peeve of hers that my haiku … aren’t.
DS: First off, happy birthday! Hope it was a good one. Second: THOSE AREN’T HAIKU!
DK: (Moi)
I write these Haiku,/
girlfriend, just for you./
A tisket, a tasket,/
You’ll blow a gasket/
at the poetry I do.
(a limerick).
DS: ok…I like that one, but c’mon…you’re talented! You can do REAL HAIKU. I challenge you.
DK: My birthday called dawn./
Light swept, bright, down mountain slopes./
My life’s before me.
DS: YES YES YES!!
DK: She’ll oft criticize./
I’ve seen ducks’ moist backs before./
She still makes me laugh.
DK: She smiles, radiant./
A bright bouquet reflects her./
Miracles happen.
DK: (do you want me to stop?)
DS: Yes you can stop now. But please keep writing them correctly!
DK: If I stop the flow/
of protoplasmic verse, I fear/
my nucleus’ burst.
DS:NO NO NO!! NOT HAIKU!!
You can’t just put a /
Where you want the line to end.
Thought must be complete.
DK:
I understand that./
My words freeflow like rivers./
They tickle my mind.
Been rollin’ dirty/
For so long I don’t recall/
what drivin’ clean’s like.
On my birthday, it’s/
only appropriate to/
thank her for life’s gift.
Or
… love’s gift.
When you are on blood/
thinner, use caution. Don’t be/
hasty when shaving.
Why ask what I want/
to do if you’re just going/
to do something else*?
OR
to do what you want?
AND
Unknown Culinary Delight
Who knew, as the chard/
grew, what boiling, olive oil,/
lime and herbs would do?
AND
I Could Yodel, It’s Sooooo GOOD!
Italian herbs and/
seasonings meet Swiss chard for/
a Alpine taste treat!
AND
She’d Never Had Before
At 84, she’d/
never had Swiss chard before./
But now, she wants more.
Shopping in SoCal/
swap meets lets you expand your/
t-shirt collection.
4 a.m. wake ups/
leave little room for later/
creativity.
When she heard about/
Kindness, she nodded because/
She always is that.