EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Randall’s call to haiku (see link below) reminded me that Barbara McLaughlin had shared Chuck McLaughlin’s haikus at his celebration of life, and I had always wanted to enshrine them here on the Pioneer among his other writings. AND, in his very Chuck way, they are arranged by season, starting with Spring. So without further intoduction, on this beautiful Spring Sunday, let’s dive into a few haiku from Chuck McLaughlin.
If you are so inspired, as I am by Chuck’s (and Mike’s) haiku – please share yours with Pioneer readers – editor@tillamookcountypioneer.net. After reading through Chuck’s Spring haikus I’m heading out to the garden for photos that mirror his words.
Happy Spring everyone! May you find some time for nature, gardening, flowers, love and light.
PREFACE
Haiku to me is a verbal portrait of a non-verbal moment in time … a moment on occasion evoking an intuitive response transcending the obvious and, on occasion, providing a non-dualistic oneness with what is seen. The latter is exemplified by Soseki’s famous Haiku “The White Chrysanthemum:”
“The white Chrysanthenum
Not a speck of dust to meet the eye”
However, often the seeming mundane scene may evoke a hearty laugh or silent smile of awareness of its humorous synchronicity.
Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for forty seven years, most of my Haiku were inspired by the region’s diverse flora and fauna. In writing them I have chosen the common three line 5-7-5 syllable form and no other formal restriction or customs are necessarily applied.
Chuck McLaughlin
August, 2023
SPRING
DENSE GREEN WOOD SORREL
CARPETING OLD-GROWTH FOREST
HUMUS FILLS THE AIR
FAINT THE SILVER SPOOR
MARKING SLUG’S SILENT CROSSING
OF THE FOREST’S FLOOR
O’ER THE PLACID POND
HOVERING BLUE DRAGONFLIES
STRIDERS FLOAT BELOW
LUSH YOUNG UNDERGROWTH
LONE TRI-PETALED TRILLIUM
HERALD SPRING’S RETURN
https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/trying-to-see-in-troubled-times-revert-to-haiku/