Author: Mark

  • Haiku No. 62

    Wispy whites and grays

    Obscured view of vague foothills

    Bright peak shines on high

  • Haiku No. 61

    Gliding across ice 

    Crowd roars, teams chirp, guard the puck 

    Slap shot, siren blows 

  • Haiku No. 60

    Snow falling on snow

    Drifting up past window sills

    No signs of stopping

  • Smile at Me

    Happiness is cheap

    It can be bought with a smile

    Smile at me today

  • Haiku No. 58

    Paw prints in fresh snow

    Cutting deep into the woods

    I am not alone

  • Out of the Blue

    I can’t explain why airplanes
    sometimes fall out of the sky.
    Even after half a lifetime
    spent learning to fly.
    Aerodynamics, meteorology,
    jet engines, and hydraulics.
    Oxygen, electrical systems,
    fuel and avionics.

    Fortunate to attend,
    lucky to complete training.
    Spent a season flying the around world
    and complaining.
    Then I got called back
    to where it all began.
    Creating new aviators
    from pedestrians.

    I’ve been rolled upside down
    by mistake.
    But my plane flew out of it
    once clear of the wake.
    One autopilot tried diving us
    straight into the ground.
    But emergency procedures kicked in
    and we went around.

    So why do some airplanes
    simply break apart?
    Raining down with men and women
    dear to my heart.
    Watching the flight recorder
    and hearing the tape.
    Why did God chose them
    but let me escape?

    Billions of dollars
    and millions of hours.
    Over-engineered
    and often over-powered.
    But sometimes things go wrong
    and good people die.
    And I cry out loud
    and still wonder why God, why?

  • Successful Scrum

    Locks drive from behind

    Front row holds, flankers’ eyes dart

    Eight man traps the ball

  • Into the Scrum

    Crouch bind set and drive

    Scrum-half rolls ball to hooker

    Loose-head prop holds ground

  • Haiku No. 55

    Ball out of the ruck 

    Catch and run through arm tackles 

    Diving for the try 

  • Haiku No. 54

    Wind howls through windows 

    House groans as gusts test its strength 

    Sleepless night again