In 2005, I resolved to write a daily haiku. The project lasted through May or June and then I just stopped. It’s like the photo-a-day project. Eventually I ran out of interesting things to write about. Since then, I’ve written a few haiku whenever I feel inspired.

One of those times was last Friday after reading Marie’s haiku about the royal wedding. In the comments, I shared my own response in 17 syllables. I’ve been doing daily haiku since then. Let’s see how long this lasts.

04.29.11
Dear, I must confess
Slept through the ceremony
Ogled the lace dress

04.30.11
Hit snooze many times
Started long run at high noon
Punished by the sun

05.01.11
Suppose bin Laden
Was taken out by a kid
In a liquor store^[1]

05.02.11
10K tempo run
At half marathon goal pace
Totally kicked ass

05.03.11
Andre extends streak
Singles in 29th game
But Dodgers still lose

05.04.11
Doctor appointment
To fix a nagging problem
But first, need some tests!

05.05.11
Four tacos for me
Five of carnitas for Sean
Full bellies for both

05.06.11
Know what I did wrong
Never connected with peers
Now they are all gone

05.07.11
Thor in the morning
Comics in the afternoon
It’s a geeky day

05.08.11
Dresses were a hit
They fit my mom perfectly
She looks beautiful

Notes:
^[1] If you get the reference, please don’t spoil it for others.

For Tin, whose family is going through some changes these days.

Detrás de nubes
Luce un sol brillante
Saldrá, amigo

A rough translation:

Behind the gray clouds
Shines a beautiful, bright sun
It will come out, friend

sunday uniform:
frilly lavender dress and
patent leather shoes

such a lovely look
ruined by a tear-stained face
and ear-splitting screams

young frazzled parents
struggled to calm lil’ cindy
they failed miserably

maybe it would stop
by the time they arrived home
her dad wondered, hoped

but cindy cried on
forgetting the denied cone
that sparked the tantrum

her mom suggested,
remember what mary said?
it can’t hurt to try

her dad just nodded,
kept his eyes on road ahead
tried to keep his cool

five minutes later
they pulled in to the driveway
with screaming daughter

her mom left the car
daddy stayed with his lil’ girl
she needed silence

back in the caprice,
the battle intensified
neither relenting

get out of the car,
he commanded his daughter
she kept on screaming

frustrated at last
he picked up his daughter and
marched in to the house

he passed his bedroom
where the leather belts were stored
they weren’t needed

his wife followed him
knowing his destination:
the hallway bathroom

cindy never stopped
not even when she found herself
clothed in the bathtub

dad turned the cold knob
cold drops rushed down and soaked her
but it didn’t work

as her dad sat stunned,
she howled, ¡mi vestidooooo!
and stomped in the tub

fearing his anger
he decided to just leave
he needed a drink

[Thanks to Kris for suggesting I write a story about my or someone else's childhood in haiku format.]

The good thing about being part of the Puro Pedo Magazine project is that it gets me working on writing that’s neither for my blog nor for classes. Weird, I know. I’ve always had it in the back of my head that I’d like to be a writer, but never done anything about it aside from take a class, read a book on the subject, and go to graduate school where I’m forced to research, think and write.

Thanks to Puro Pedo, I’ve been writing haiku again, something I did daily for the first half of 2005 (remember that project?). We’re planning to include Chicano haiku from readers in the next issue.

I wrote more than 30 today… 31 to be exact.

We love Chuck Taylor’s
Oh, simple, canvas tenís
Such a timeless sole

Chicano Studies
Classes where we’re all experts
But nobody reads

Middle class raza
Invade East Los eateries
Men reek of cologne

A poem recipe:
Equal parts caló, Spanglish
And Nahuatl to taste

His deep, dark secret?
On more than one occasion,
He’s shopped at Wal-Mart

Chilango rockers
Slow to produce new album
Yet still draw huge crowds

Still don’t understand
Obsession with Morrissey
I’m not from East Los

Cinco de mayo
Sponsored by beer companies
Ignored by Raza

Rule: never admit
You grew up in the suburbs
Teasing will ensue

La Ugly Betty
Lacks power, respect, works hard
Yup, she’s Mexican