Akira Yoshizawa, March 14, 1911 – March 14, 2005
Happy birthday to
Akira Yoshizawa
Magic in creases
Knew when to fold ’em
— And how! — the modern master
Of origami
“Resting with the angles” haiku
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Category Archives: Honorable mentions
Happy birthday, James Taylor
Born March 12, 1948
Minstrel wandered through
Fire, and rain, out of life’s fog
To bring us his light
Women’s Day haiku
Dignity to claim
Power to tap — Women’s Day
International
The truth for millions
Obscene beyond all telling
But truth should be told
Pains of oppression
Rape, mutilation, bondage
Poverty, hunger
Mothers and daughters,
Sisters, men who stand with them
Rally on this day
Imagine a world
Of liberty, justice,
Non-violence, peace
Education, hope
Freedom, opportunity
True equality
Slogans are just words
But if they move us to act
They have done their work
And so much good work
Awaits to bridge the canyon
Between real, ideal
International
Women’s Day — power unleashed
Dignity reclaimed
March 6 haiku
March 6: Michelangelo born (1475), Missouri Compromise (1820), Dred Scott decision (1857), Bayer patents aspirin (1899)
Gazing at ceiling
Reminds me: Happy birthday,
Michelangelo
Devil’s day doubled:
The Missouri Compromise,
Dred Scott Decision
Bayer gets patent
Excellent pain reliever
Lousy birth control
Speaking of Missouri …
Missouri shows us,
Picks Limbaugh for Hall of Fame,
Reverts to “Puke State”
And at random …
While meditating
I wait for enlightenment
To speed the heck up
“Instant (Plastic) Karma” haiku; “Sweet Dreams” haiku, redux
March 5, 1963: Hula-Hoop patented; Patsy Cline dies in plane crash
Patented proof that
What goes around comes around:
Wham-O’s Hula-Hoop
And these, written on her birthday last September:
Patsy Cline, Sept. 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963
Patsy Cline sang ’em
Just right every time — a voice
That never gets old
“Country-politan”
Arrangements didn’t help her
Still, her vocals shined
Honky-tonk, heartaches,
Come hither, her voice conveyed
So effortlessly
Didn’t need music
She could sing it all by ear
And with perfect pitch
But most of all she
Could cut through a song’s layers
And lay its heart bare
“I Fall to Pieces”
“Why Can’t He Be You?” “Heartaches”
“Crazy” — crazy good
With just the right pause
She brought down revelation
Singing “She’s Got You”
Last gig, KCK
Then a plane crash took her life
Falling star heartbreak
So tonight let’s go
Walking after midnight, say
“Sweet dreams, Patsy Cline”
One -koo, two -koo, low -koo, haiku
Theodor Geisel, March 2, 1904 — Sept. 24, 1991
Theodor Geisel
We knew him well — not a moose
Our pal Dr. Seuss
Neither goose, caboose
Nor mango juice — books never
Called a rhyming truce
The Cat in the Hat,
Green Eggs & Ham — ate them up
Like hot toast and jam
He wrote with delight
And that was just half — wrote so
We would learn and laugh
Wordplay was worthy
Made kids see — lesson lives on
For big kids like me
With words and rhymes what
That man could do! But never,
I think, in haiku
Short stack haiku
Felt flat till I heard
It’s National Pancake Day
Make mine blueberry!
“Ex- chromosome” haiku
Double helix found
Gene genie unleashed this date
Watson, Crick get wish
“Double Helix” book
Tells story, not all agree
Watson, Crick quarrel
Double helix splits
Bad feelings replicate till
Watson, Crick divide
“This Date in History” entry is here.
“He walked the line” haiku
Johnny Cash, Feb. 26, 1932 — Sept. 12, 2003
In the cotton fields
Pickin’ bolls, singing Gospel
J.R. Cash began
In the hospital
Ready to meet Jesus, June
Johnny Cash did end
Between, what a life
Did that man live, so much pain,
Hurt, love, redemption
God Bless Johnny Cash
Man in black with weathered voice
For all those held back
Material world haiku
George Harrison, Jan. 25, 1943 – Nov. 29, 2001
Something in the way
He moved up was so human
So much of the flesh
Hare Krishna George,
Vegetarian, gardener
Loved cigs, women too
He was a real guy
However much he thought life
A mystic movie
He loved the music,
All-night ukulele jams
And No. 1 hits
From his Fab Four fame
To Bangladesh, Wilburys
He made such sweet sounds
Let’s toast all of him —
A good and talented soul
And flawed flesh and blood
Greg's Hack-u 