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Seventeen haiku by Andrew Hamlin

The fact of flies on ferns

Heat of the blanket,

cool of the pillow...

long sun

Low sun...

the fact of flies

on ferns

Two thumbs

to the weave of the sock...

cold sun

Cap and gown,

she boards the bus...

by the bums

Birdsong...

squawk anxious

at the fire engine

In twilight

I become...

the crow’s caw

“Flag Day”

reads my phone...

unassuming

The night...rich...

the tide, stolen half

of the wind

A broken heart...

and a little girl

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with a stuffed seal

Broken

down; green bow

on her backpack

Spring,

curly red hair—

overhead catch

Cold room

cannot quell...

lilies in a pot

Pond...

frog plop scrambles

summer moon

Bus glass, low sun...

“Exit” backwards

on her skin

Pigeon,

head-bobs implacable...

tunnel station

Cold breeze...

old man holds out his hand

from the bench

Gnat

at the emperor’s tomb,

expects company

Andrew Hamlin

Andrew Hamlin likes to photograph shoes and write about dog shit. He was born and raised in Seattle, where he resides today. He attended the Evergreen State College, where he wrote and edited arts coverage for the Cooper Point Journal. He is the film critic for the Northwest Asian Weekly, and he’s published arts coverage and criticism in the San Diego Reader, Village Voice, Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Goldmine, and other publications. He misses Helen Wiggin. Hamlin’s website is www.andrewhamlin.org.

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Heat of the blanket,

cool of the pillow...

long sun

Low sun...

the fact of flies

on ferns

Two thumbs

to the weave of the sock...

cold sun

Cap and gown,

she boards the bus...

by the bums

Birdsong...

squawk anxious

at the fire engine

In twilight

I become...

the crow’s caw

“Flag Day”

reads my phone...

unassuming

The night...rich...

the tide, stolen half

of the wind

A broken heart...

and a little girl

Sponsored
Sponsored

with a stuffed seal

Broken

down; green bow

on her backpack

Spring,

curly red hair—

overhead catch

Cold room

cannot quell...

lilies in a pot

Pond...

frog plop scrambles

summer moon

Bus glass, low sun...

“Exit” backwards

on her skin

Pigeon,

head-bobs implacable...

tunnel station

Cold breeze...

old man holds out his hand

from the bench

Gnat

at the emperor’s tomb,

expects company

Andrew Hamlin

Andrew Hamlin likes to photograph shoes and write about dog shit. He was born and raised in Seattle, where he resides today. He attended the Evergreen State College, where he wrote and edited arts coverage for the Cooper Point Journal. He is the film critic for the Northwest Asian Weekly, and he’s published arts coverage and criticism in the San Diego Reader, Village Voice, Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Goldmine, and other publications. He misses Helen Wiggin. Hamlin’s website is www.andrewhamlin.org.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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