WHYY’s Morning Edition listeners honor National Poetry Month through haiku

In celebration of National Poetry Month, WHYY’s Morning Edition listeners have submitted haiku about their neighborhoods. Haiku, of course, is a traditional form of Japanese poetry with three short lines — the first and third with five syllables, and the middle with seven. The lines rarely rhyme.  

—

Martha MacIntyre of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania

Beneath snow, Wyndmoor
shimmers. Neighbor’s son shovels
Our drive unbidden.

—

Chris Goldstein of Parkway Spring, New Jersey ‏

Crowded aurora
A flower, dense garden drive
in spite of the state.

—

Sara Hertz of Ambler, Pennsylvania

Ambler What a Town
Friends and neighbors all around
Visit Ambler soon

—

Annie Chase of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

(This haiku is specifically about the Cynwyd Heritage Trail)

Trail’s end just starting
Something bending into branch
blooming heritage

—

Helen Mangelsdorf of Roxborough

People walking dogs,
SEPTA buses pass them by.
Harold mows the lawn.

Joe walking Russell
Going past Len’s empty porch,
as Carl plays his saw.

—

Sarah Black of East Falls

Black Friar, Hawthorne
Buckingham and Lowry’s Lane
Old Oaks, Barley Cone

“1950’s love”
We can almost fill a bus
Be kind, show grace, love

Scooters, bikes, laughter
Capture the flag, Basketball
“Old Oaks” is the BEST!

—

Jay Robby Lassiter of Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Wawas & strip malls
Wegmans Whole Foods Acme too
Suburbia yaaaaSSSSSS

—

Lisa Konigsberg of Media, Pennsylvania

Trees lean good neighbors
Across the pike cars blossom
Media is home.

—

Claudio Kuhn of Rose Valley, Delaware County

Rose Valley, Del Co
Sylvan and quiet, alas
No trick-or-treaters

—

Jonny Meister of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

How to put Life and
Its many wonders into
Seventeen syllab

—

Erin Brennan of Three Bridges,  New Jersey

Pizza from Luna’s
Neighbors watching over me
Three Bridges NJ

—

Kathy Wemer of Mount Holly, New Jersey

Downtown Mount Holly
History, food, music, Beer
Everyone fits in

—

WC Trust of Chester County

Summer meadow night
Strung with dainty lustrous pearls
and cricket gossip

—

Colette Speakman of Havertown, Pennsylvania

Hockey goal in street
Eyes dart, challenge – need to pass?
Guilty I drive through

—

@HaikusByIsaac of Merion Station, Pennsylvania  

The grand mansion’s stead
Black iron spikes now protect
Eight suburb-castles

From midnight to dawn
Three rabbis rotate shuls for
Cheesecake-fueled learning

—

Zetta Elliott of West Philadelphia

Wind chimes and church bells
baptize us; in the gutter
blossoms blanket grit

—

What do you love about your neighborhood? Can you write it in 17 syllables? Send your haiku to newsroom@whyy.org.