Here are most of my daily haiku (poetry in 17 syllables) from our time in India! It will mean a lot to me if you leave a comment or question about one you enjoyed!
Please subscribe to my blog if you have enjoyed the haiku; I am planning to publish 2 or 3 books of haiku in the coming months and will announce them here! One of them will include the full body of my World Race haiku, including those from travel days and the ones I omitted from my blogs.
I’m currently stuck in the Delhi, India airport with five squadmates! We missed our flight to the States following the worldwide Microsoft error that played a role in delaying our flight from Mumbai by four hours. Our new flight home is booked, but it cost us big.
can we safely cross?
two lights blinking, one solid
possessed traffic light
watercolor pens
“as a deer pants for water”
Psalm illustration
two months left on Race
examine Tuckman’s stages
are we still forming?
gift wrap unraveled
small, colorful sticky notes
World Race timeline
bright papers on walls
prayer requests inside handprints
words of prophecy
crying together
no parents, damaged friendships
solidarity
Bible college tour
brought into family fold
intimate worship
swami leads singing
sky bleeds red behind Shiva
cobra lanterns lit
flame-roasted onions
classic hymns, Johnny Cash style
Emma’s dad twirls her
long wait for tuk-tuk
driver mistook route to church
should have just walked here
dad hugs, mothers’ tears
several rounds of farewells
no more social vim
crowds, trash, slick stone walls
concerningly gray water
wade through narrow gorge
stomach pain, fever
power goes out, fans shut off
I melt in my bed
alley packed with shops
incense overpowers us
search for umbrellas
boarding school bustle
intern jackets around necks
teens provide a tour
can’t see, sure can sing
monkeys watch blind girls guide us
Braille typing demo
church harmonium
selfies with the congregants
Sunday school cookies
Bonanza then Hearts
first two hands, the moon is shot
favorite pastime
scrambling and giggling
limited English lesson
acting out Jonah
a listening ear
nets Indian meal, dessert
experienced gained
salty lemonade
laughs about future dating
time well spent with friends
local eyes scour us
the women feel them invade
even police stare
marigold welcome
church stereos screech and pop
worshipers don’t mind
bare feet, sweat trickling
prepared with ear plugs this time
so many photos
ride with three strangers
“don’t cut the cake,” I am warned
nightlife envelops
two hour kids program
group games, skits, songs with motions
we came with a plan
nectar pool glistens
Golden Temple at center
prayerful Sikhs abound
hold tuk-tuk seat tight
hold our breath crossing the stream
hold a cute baby
flags waved, note sustained
Pakistan border opened
symbolic taunting
fast food delivered
free French fries with my order
card game by the pool
disturbed church service
shaking, shrieking, falling down
discern the spirits
role playing strangers
nod off into the aisle
back seat full of laughs
veranda couches
peace and comfort in the heat
ceiling fan on max
teammate’s friend stabbed, killed
Phil arrested in protest
enemy strikes home
seated behind screen
pacing up and down Rajpur
lastly, pillow talk
negotiate fare
banyans cooley shade sidewalks
slowly putt uphill
metal detectors
intermission commercials
huge popcorn buckets
red pews and kneelers
reasonably volumed hymns
peaceful communion
intros one by one
name, home city, drug of choice
overcoming shame
narrow, puddled street
phone case shop every ten feet
haggling is an art
winsome schoolyard ox
pink roses, tiger lilies
clouds visibly form
uniformed children
bring me all kinds of flowers
decorate their hair
nearly boiling pool
“sign clearly says no women”
steamed local complains
seafoam hillside home
tiny impressive coffee
share testimonies
trek ‘cross leechy lands
rain intensifies cascade
between green mountains
bumpy back of bus
cherished conversation place
and sometimes nap spot
black ink pen buzzes
AC jingles chandelier
artist concentrates
former teams gather
prayer journey through the months
lifting up the hosts
team time disrupted
by Arabica samples
to our confusion
uniformed kids swarm
“Sir, high five please! What’s your name?”
Forty shouting this
twenty signatures
framed photo of us with him
birthday gift for host
“roast” mashed potatoes
“pan-seared” fish, likely just boiled
overpriced, tasty
one by one, summoned
on shoulders, prayer shawl draped
blessing words, spoken
dangling clothes village
dioramas of Gandhi
India’s Gateway
police station set
no costumes, improvised script
next Bollywood stars?
art tour, Hindu lore
museum explorer, learn more
out the door, feet sore
The entirety of this blog and its contents were written and published without any AI assistance.
