Fall Equinox Haiku & Senryu

A Time of Balance and Growing Darkness

Photo by Aiden Rosewell on Unsplash

Remember the wonderful imagery and magic in the old fairytale about the Mother of Winds? Her sons were the North, South, East and West wind and they all lived in a cave together. I am a fan of this sort of anthropomorphism in make-believe stories, and so I wrote these “serial haikus” with the fanciful notion that the Seasons themselves as well as Earth have human-like qualities and intentions. I am reminded of the old Gods with all their intrigues, flaws and meddling…and it occurs to me that we humans have been busy anthropomorphizing the Divine for some time now.

Fall is the villain in my piece, the “strutting dandy” who breaks Mother’s heart with all his gaudy fanfare (gorgeous, like most of his kind). Because you know, without Her brief, yet ultimately disappointing fling with him, she would never have agreed to accept Winter’s advances.

Farewell sweet Summer, until we meet again!

A tunnel of leaves
Makes an autumn cathedral
A scandalous hue!

Just a quick, cool breeze
Puts sweet Summer in her place-
Burning leaves smolder.

Daytime now seems rushed,
A strutting dandy appears
-Mother Earth blushes.

The balance is tipped, 
Autumn's dark, cool kiss is strong
Harvest moon rises.

Fall's a gigolo!
Far too quickly he leaves Her
- Winter seeks Her hand.