Haiku

Tattered on the pole --
That flag has seen better days,
much like our country. - Jeff Barnes

Haiku

This hazardous street! Squirrel on a power line crosses it safely. - Jeff Barnes

Haiku

House where that dog lived -- realtor sign by the old tree, tulips by the walk. - Jeff Barnes

To Hymen (A poem for National Pencil Day)

It was on the 30th of March, 1858 that a stationer named Hymen Lipman made the pencil great by patenting a model with an eraser attached so that errors could be rubbed out instead of merely scratched.

So let us all give thanks to dear Hymen

for making writing more facile.

It's because of him that correcting errors

is no longer such a hassle. - Jeff Barnes

Haiku

Late February --
Crow walks the newly thawed street,
drinks from a puddle. - Jeff Barnes

The Death of Death (With apologies to Emily Dickinson)

Because I would not stop for Death he chased me down the street. Clackety-clack-clack went the sound of his bony feet.

People stopped and stared at us as we passed them by. A jazz musician waved his hat which looked like a pork pie.

Death raised his scythe up high,

intending to strike me down,

but a passing dog tripped him up

and he fell hard upon the ground.

He broke apart on impact. His bones scattered every which way. Every dog in the neighborhood enjoyed a treat that day. -- Jeff Barnes

Haiku

Ghosts hang from branches,
dance and wave like real spirits --
late October wind.  - Jeff Barnes