Today’s poem is “Winter Haiku” by Kristen Lindquist. Kristen lives in her hometown of Camden. She received her MFA from the University of Oregon. She's the author of three collections of poetry, including the chapbook INVOCATION TO THE BIRDS, TRANSPORTATION, and TOURISTS IN THE KNOWN WORLD: NEW & SELECTED POEMS.
She writes, “Feeling frustrated that I wasn't making time for my writing, I began a blog in 2009 with the intent to share a haiku a day. Seventeen syllables seemed like a manageable way to sustain a regular, if not daily, creative practice. And it worked! Then, a few years into it, a fellow poet introduced me to the very active world of contemporary English language haiku, where I learned that a good haiku in English has nothing to do with counting syllables. I'm still deeply immersed in understanding what it does have to do with: how to convey particulars of time, space, and the dynamics of life itself in three short lines using ordinary language and none of the usual poetic tricks.”
Winter Haiku
by Kristen Lindquist
milkweed pod
an empty boat drifting
to winter’s end
snowy trail
my only companions
fly away
frozen in place
string of prayer flags
blessing the icicles
moon-viewing
zig-zag of a stream
under snow
fresh fallen snow
still the river
doesn’t hesitate
snow moon
plum branch blooming
in my kitchen
winter finches
again the crabapple
in blossom
snow disappearing
on the egret’s back
white magic
arranging
the grocery store tulips
fresh snow
Poem copyright ©2019 by Kristen Lindquist.