birthday haiku - ten AND eleven

follow my life's path

permanent ink stains my skin

icons mark the road

haiku

for Jon Dunlap

in this world there are all kinds of people...some people (like me) don't have any tattoos, some people (and i'm sure they're out there) have one tattoo, some people (like my wife) have multiple tattoos and hope to get more. then there's dunlap. he's covered. some fine artists have left their mark on my friend. dunlap's diversely colored skin includes such iconography as the three-eyed fish from "the simpsons" to a photorealistic rendering of kurdt cobain. his skin is etched with flames and band logo's and even the elfish inscription found inside tolkien's one ring (that one's around his wrist like an unmoving watchband). in all, dunlap has a story for every one of them and if you fill him with enough of his poison he'll tell you each story multiple times. dunlap's the man. the illustrated man. i wish we had invited him over tonight...

 

yesterday has passed

tomorrow's yet to be made

i'm looking ahead

haiku

for Erika Benson

i knew erika a lifetime ago when she had a different name but all the same cool. i'd pick her up on a saturday morning and we'd go check out the thrift shop and look for records, after we picked up hitchhikers of course. the hitchhiker thing only happened once and we both were left with a memory and the knowledge that we helped someone out. i've got lots of amazing memories of erika and i hope our paths cross again, whether there's a hitchhiker or not. although those halcyon days are gone i know her future is there for her to write. i wouldn't be surprised if one day erika ruled this world with her little peach at her side. she's just that cool.

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - nine

bonds formed instantly

tightened and strengthened through years

bonds never broken

haiku.

for Lori Rice and Jerome White

what stronger bond is there than family?

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - eight

rivers in my heart

with memories floating by

bringing me the past...

haiku.

for Kristina Hilaire

i remember the eighth grade like it was yesterday...

the seeds of not only who i am but who i want to be were laid in those class rooms. i remember listening to run dmc and watching "yo! mtv raps" before anyone in my little town knew what rap was, all the boys i grew up with were into acdc. i remember discovering ice hockey when no one in my little town had even seen a game, let alone understood why i was wearing a oilers jersey ("is that a football team in texas?"). mrs. jones, the librarian, would dig out old copies of sports illustrated and let me read the hockey articles. i always felt like i had plenty of friends but, although i have always been very comfortable with who i am, i never really felt like i fit in.

these days i'm still very much into "different" types of music and the recent olympic gold medal hockey game made me cry uncontrollably, even my feelings of isolation are still very real. i guess even time doesn't change who we are.

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - seven

freedom comes with time

years of knowledge now built up

choose your path in life.

haiku.

for Jim Landfried and Matthew Ellison

for quite a while now i have told my wife that i embrace each passing year with the feeling that i have gained more freedom through the past years experiences. each day we are alive we make choices based on the things that we have experienced in the past. those choices, while not all correct choices, are more informed and intelligent as we grow older making life that much easier and exciting and filled with hope. while the body may be breaking down we have a better understanding of how to make the best choices for that body. looking back on past mistakes only allows us to see what path we should best choose...and we always have a choice to change paths or not.

age. aging. aged. each stage increasingly invigorating!

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - six

happy days are these...

times when life calls out our name.

listen closely now.

haiku.

for Jimmy Rader.

 

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - five

singing happy songs

dancing round with abandon

such is joy in life

haiku.

for Marcus Gibbs.

my friend marcus is a youth pastor and a drummer. we used to play together as "shakespeare" and later "the wayback machine." i had so much fun playing with him. one show we played was in the parking lot of a rite aid in buckanon (i think it was buckanon, maybe weston). marcus had been toying with the idea of not using a bass drum. instead he rigged a kick pedal to a floor tom (that had been placed on its side) and rocked it out. for most, if not all, of this show he didn't use a drum stool. he stood behind the kit and played. marcus always had a blast when he played. even though marcus never missed a beat or a cue, i remember he would come out from behind the kit at the oddest times for no real reason other than because he really enjoyed playing. sometimes he would dance around, sometimes he would step to a mic for a well timed backup vocal. he just always made it back to his kit at just the right time. it was always a blast playing with marcus. he is a very talented and creative musician. maybe one day our paths will cross again and we'll gig together some more.

i've played music with so many different and talented people over the years. i'm very thankful. music has always been a complete joy in my life.

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - four

join in adventure

with your wits and master sword

a new heart you'll win

haiku.

for Laura Phalen.

clearly so (or maybe not to everyone), this haiku is about the legend of zelda. i've been playing a lot of the ocarina of time game with chloe. all these years and i've never beaten the game...still haven't even played majora's mask, for those of you that must know. compared to the other zelda games (that i HAVE beaten) this is most difficult. im only about halfway through and i'm finding certain things very challenging. since i've been playing so much and it's laura's birthday, i thought a zelda themed haiku would be appropriate.

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - three

cold winds will soon cease

changing seasons bring new life

even birds will sing

haiku.

for Stacey Canterbury.

i'm a big fan of winter but this one has been quite difficult. it's so nice that, while we're never sure what tomorrow brings, we can look ahead to a new season.

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.
 

birthday haiku - two

as winter rages

passion bursts in with a smile

guide it through the storm

haiku.

for Shawn Light.

another birthday, another haiku...

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.

birthday haiku - one

years mount up on wings

taking flight in sunset skies

memories will soar

haiku.

for S.D. (Samuel) Smith.

back in january i posted a simple birthday greeting on my friend mike's wall (note the implied facebook reference, assuming that we "all" know what "mike's wall" is referring to). he jokingly replied that he had hoped for a haiku. so i wrote him one and sent it to him. now that i have this blog i'll attempt to write haiku for all the birthdays that appear on my facebook friends list. yes, i'm trying give everyone a deeper sense on why this blog is called "geekstyle."

about the haiku: haiku is a japanese form of poetry that contains a metered verse in seventeen on (equivalent to an english syllable). generally, but not always, the english haiku consists of three lines with a five-seven-five syllable structure. the best examples of haiku paint a detailed picture using the fewest words possible, often only revealing a portion of the subject so as to give the reader something to ponder.