I was introduced to haiku as a child; then reintroduced as an adult when my daughter was in elementary school. I like the shortness and the framework of haiku. It’s fun to play with. And the fact that it usually involves a natural theme—I enjoy that.
I’m a veterinary pathologist, trained as a veterinarian; so animals, plants and natural history have always been important to me.
For this haiku, I wanted something related to downtown, and I wanted to incorporate nature. I’ve seen cannas planted at Columbus Circle, and I thought that would be a fitting topic. Cannas come in many colors, but I love the vibrant red ones best. I’ve grown them myself. I dig up the tubers each fall before the freeze, and replant them every spring, and I’ve done that most every year for about 15 or 20 years.
The city circles,
Fountains and cannas glint, and
Columbus surveys.
