Apr 9

Apr 9 EARLY SPRING HAIKU by Valerie Eitzen

Valerie Eitzen

Snow-covered ground thaws

Waking tulip bulbs from sleep . . .

The promise of spring

* * *

Spring begins again

Fragrant wind drifts fresh and cool

Sweet chirping of birds

* * *

Early spring daybreak

Warm rain wakes sleeping flowers

Warblers sip dew drops

* * *

Pale, transparent moon

Dissolved in the azure sky

The advent of spring

Note from author: Haiku poems are a major form of Japanese verse written in 17 syllables—divided into three lines of five, seven, and five syllables—employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons. The poems are fleeting impressions that illuminate the poet’s awareness. The poems are not related to each other, except by being about spring. Each haiku is independent of the other haiku.

Valerie Eitzen

First published in The Redwood News, writing current events for her high school class, Valerie Eitzen moved to southern California for college, where she graduated from CSU Northridge, with a BA degree in Anthropology. After marrying Ron, and raising four children, she honed her skills as a copy editor and ghostwriter. She is the long-time moderator of the Hemet Interrobangs writers, a critique group for advanced writers and published authors that meet weekly. Previously, she was an editor of a quarterly publication for twenty years. Valerie writes haiku poems and short stories, some of which are featured in the Interrobangs’ Cat Tales and Shifting Gears Car Stories anthologies. Her poems have appeared on e-zine sites, and she has four books of haiku and a trilogy of Contemporary Western Romance books in progress.