Haiku round-up: Week of January 22

This group of haiku has taken a while for me to share. I don’t think I’ve been holding off consciously, but this particular week was a tough one—on the 24th, my dad had open-heart surgery to fix a faulty aortic valve. It was his first major surgery ever. He had plenty of time beforehand to research and ask questions, so he was well-informed and ready, but also palpably vulnerable and anxious.

The week was full of every emotion: fear, dread, nostalgia, tenderness, love, and ultimately, thankfully, relief and gratitude when the surgery was successful.

Maybe these just needed some space to breathe before making their way into the world. Whatever the case, here they are.

January 22

Dread hovers above
as mind teems with things unsaid,
heart heavy with love

January 23

I’ve longed for a change
but with a crossroads in sight
I lose all my nerve

January 24

You, small and sleeping,
bruised and battered but still here
And me, overcome

January 25

A slow, rainy day
whose only requirement is
to be present here

January 26

From home back to home,
family to family,
grateful for it all

January 27

“You’re back in your spot”
feels like acknowledgment that
my small world is well

January 28

Thirty-three staples
running the length of a chest:
map of bravery