Four Days of Haiku: Childhood Memories

One of the most popular assignments for our Haiku-ca-choo! group was "favorite childhood memories." It was this assignment that caused me to toss off piece after piece without pausing.

When I realized what I had just done, I had the same shaky exhilaration that any kid who has ever mastered riding a bike feels that first successful solo trip. There I was, halfway down the alley thinking someone was still running alongside me keeping me upright, before I realized I was doing it all by myself. I was so pleased that over the next few days I went on writing ("Look, Ma, no hands!") and ended up with 28 childhood notes.

Below are eight haiku from that fateful assignment.

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The blue print dress

Childhood Memory #1: School Days

Warm spring sunshine day-

Teaching how to be a horse

to Jill. "Neigh like this."

Childhood Memory #2: Street Play

Throw the rock like that,

flicking it to 5 and then

hopscotching past it.

Childhood Memory #5: Barbie 

(or "Thanks a lot, Tonya, for Reminding Me!")

Days playing Barbie

with Kim. Just what was Barbie

up to exactly?

Childhood Memory #9: Perspective

The Flax Street hill was

huge, gigantic-too much to

climb. When did it shrink?

Childhood Memory #14: Play

The Alamo set

in the sandbox. We had the

Americans win.

Childhood Memory #16: Summertime Two

Hide-and-seek in the

dark, fireflies showing us the

way to a good spot.

Childhood Memory #20: Car Trips

Riding backwards in

the Plymouth wagon, one of

us always threw up.

Childhood Memory #23: School Clothes

Mom made my dresses

first, second grade. What became

of the blue print one?