The daily haiku

January

the very first time
there is a long road ahead
and that is the joy

existentially
i have some questions
but no time to ask

the clock is ticking
we hear it in the present
which is now the past

the curious things
we haven’t imagined yet
could become real

who absconded the
pop-tart that had been toasted
breakfast was ghosted

there were retractions
of the redactions hiding
legal infractions

sorry we could not
pay attention. our accounts
have been overdrawn

representatives
are standing by, please press one
until they sit down

a light extinguished
abruptly stopped, left no trace
but we remember

this hullaballoo
cacophanous balderdash
all mumbo jumbo

icy epitaph
of previous days frozen
a graceful stasis

please dear never mind
the right words i could not find
dropped out of my mind

empty shelves out of
stock markets breaking all time
record low morale

all the commuters,
computers, distributors
remotely working

these unusual
times have become usual
to abuse you all

sadly risible
a problem divisible
and invisible

we did not care for
your thoughts but you still put them
on this damn web site

phone rang three more times
unknown caller voicemail
pyramid scheme grift

our company is
like a family except
we will control you

a saturday night
fever dream imagining
alternate futures

if somewhere there is
another plane of spirits
i hope i see you

i want to go home
but this place is no longer
the same as it was

cracks in the plaster
looking up at the ceiling
is that a new one

hey i just met you
and this is crazy so here’s
a retraining order

hallucination,
imagination, or in
a simulation?

the robots have tracked
you and tried to distract you
it worked they hacked you

ambiguity
in all the words that you said
left me feeling cold

reflective sunrise
blasting through the cracks in the
curtains awakened

peering into a
dewdrop mirror image of
infinite spaces

off in the distance
past all the trees, did you see?
capitalists

feeling uneasy
burnt coffee tv static
water left running

February

all these sycophants
devotees and followers
attention hungry

hyperbolic noise
undulating through brainwaves
like stinging nettles

loading loading please
wait loading loading please wait
loading loading please

rainbows and meltdowns
unicorns and malady
glittery sadness

timely just in time
time out losing track of time
timeless out of time

eyeballs and hive minds
wasted on cheap bravado
polemic bombast

ringing in the years
wringing hands in latent fears
ringing in your ears

these unexpected
surprises snuck up like thieves
of our intentions

transmissions and codes
linking distant souls like a
ouija board seance

lost my mind somewhere
in aisle nine next to the
pickles and regret

chasing success and
grinding vanity hustle
bloodshot consequence

current resident
you have been selected to
throw away junk mail

confederate flag
urban assault vehicle
parked at chick-fil-a

image degraded
specific memories now
unfathomable

you irascible
scallywag with your crackpot
theories and grousing

staring into the
middle distance you left me
these obfuscations

running uphill you
appeared like magic and we
both ran together

what things did you see
before all this existed
when you were brand new

sacrosanct rules
built on indefensible
careless positions

psychedelic hues
maximum velocity
eyes closed spinning dark

self esteem self care
self conscious self aware self
loathing self despair

tiny little man
desperately trying to be
a really big deal

way in the future
wave from your flying car and
remember these days

grasping at straws or
gasping for air, parked out on
this bridge to nowhere

feeling sheepish
we did not anticipate
your savage actions

mountains sliced in half
streets carving up the river
vehicle worship

imperceptibly
subtle changes happening
slowly but quickly

March

stumbling backwards
repeating history for
deluded glory

the frenetic flap
of a hummingbird’s wing
to achieve stillness

what luck and fortune
to have a charmed life was it
karma or privilege

blast radius shock
waves crashing in from the sea
shell artillery

incredulity
institutionalizing
animosity

we taught the machine
to teach itself so it could
manipulate us

words words words words words
inundation of way too
much information

is this really a
worthwhile use of your time
shouting on facebook

the living dead heads
of state of mind your business
acumen at work

password secret key
finger print face ID i
am not a robot

all hopped up on corn
syrup and jingoism
crowds chant USA

star dust assembled
spontaneously grateful
you are here with me

hung out to dry with
your laissez-faire attitude
and banal ennui

quarterly metrics
targets and strategic goals
while burning the earth

walking a tightrope
dodging lacerations from
this porcupine mood

swig another drink
in a blustering brain fog
going through motions

moonlight obstructed
radiating light shadows
hazy silhouette

making excuses
petty justifications
soothe fragile egos

hark! forsooth! crikey!
dagnabbit! bollocks! blimey!
gadzooks! tarnation!

i don’t recognize
the aged visage looking in
the rear view mirror

pea pods paw pads see
saws crawdads meemaws doodads
scrimshaws TV ads

business man on a
corporate retreat slinging
pie charts and cocaine

magic god truth or
lies 5G conspiracy
what do you believe

between consciousness
i left all my best ideas
inaccessible

a slight objection
to your deflection which was
gaslight projection

dropping connection
weak signal breaking up
we lost each other

i’m trying to get
this over with but i still
can’t get over it

claustrophobic fog
of unreasonable pressure
you put on yourself

stop speaking in codes
nonsense jargon and lingo
two plus two is five

April

restoration or
intrusion, chemtrails or clouds
nature or human

dull stinging heartburn
residual from caring
more than we should have

drugstore fluorescent
sterile bottle painkillers
$21

clouds part sun ray bolts
squint eyes look down touch soft ground
pulse race head throbs crash

hollow claims punching
down ginning up outrage with
alternative facts

the rattling air ducts
a pencil stroke on paper
distant road noise hums

emotions hung up
like pressed shirts in the closet
languishing unused

electric lamp beams
disrespectful light into
the sacred dark night

system entropy
chaotic armageddeon
let’s go to the mall

confrontations and
escalations drumming up
these palpitations

fading sun light on
the horizon remember
all those times we had

spinning lately in
circumspect spirals lacking
confidence or spunk

jumping the tracks and
leaving pennies to get smashed
thrill of breaking rules

unacknowledged
despair left silent, buried
is eating at me

constant wavering
assertive indecisions
permanent changes

biding time until
the collapse or renaissance
villain or hero

spotted a UFO
watched a sea creature rise up
no one believed me

smoky orange scent
acidic metal taste of
adrenaline fear

freefalling into
unexpected dimensions
the ripcord has failed

casting lines off the
roof of the parking garage
late summer sundays

trying to silence
the noise within and look calm
so no one can tell

buzzing frequency
vibrating off of your head
nagging subconscious

stop invading my
headspace like a stray dog who
jumped over the fence

press this series of
buttons and you will control
all of the puppets

hey let’s make a deal
door number one two or three
sorry they’re all traps

worn creases on your
denim jacket, lines on your
forehead, past present

accept all cookies
terms of service I agree
skip ad like subscribe

take a break in half
just keep your head down the drain
carry on fire

your circuitous
twisted logic lighting gas
and blowing whistles

hot steam rising off
the pavement billowing haze
wilted humid minds

May

16 hours grinding
left catatonic and numb
8 hours silent

alarms and sirens
honking horns and blinking lights
but nothing changes

lavender hand soap
cotton candy sedative
kiwi root canal

i’m keeping busy
appearances of progress
calendars booked up

coffee left on a
little too long but drinking
the burn anyway

the gilded age of
anxiety influencers
desperate hustling

exit door blast off
hurtling through great heights until
concrete reunions

the sweet relief of
hot sun pouring through a cracked
sullen hazy gray

memories faded
in blurry outlines of past
love and adventures

we did not bother
to follow the rules due to
distrust and boredom

the temporary
silence projects visions of
future loneliness

oh hello we have
some news for you. everything
is pure chaos. haha

ring ring ring ring ring
ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
smash the snooze button

i will not abide
this divide over which you
preside amplified

gumdrop rainbow bright
tie dye circumstance skate shop
lilac escapade

there is a lot of
hot air blowing out your mouth
are you a balloon

chipped away at all
the energy we once had
now a burned out husk

hot cinnamon bun
sugarcoated dragonfly
afternoon mai tai

forgot why I wound
this string around my finger
so not to forget

phone rings computer
dings oven sings dryer bings
always nagged by things

carbonated air
conditioned pressure treated
shrink wrapped bleached and starched

all aboard this ship
never mind those loud sirens
please ignore the leaks

trading hours spent
at this glowing rectangle
to pay for free time

edits of updates
of revisions of changes
to all the edits

setting reminders
to schedule future events
to feel productive

please pass the mustard
this stale hot dog tastes like
diesel gas and wax

fog fog fog fog fog
lacking energy to think
or think of thinking

tunneling to the
other side of the world
to escape despair

interrupting worms
digging into habitats
for vegetables

blistering rays of
moonlight dancing on the roof
of your toyota

stop asking questions
about this self anointed
empire in ruins

June

brushing the dirt off
the sprouting of a seedling
hello bright white sky

breaking news reports
the same horrible thing that
just keeps happening

thou shalt not break thy
rules or thou shalt regret thy
deserved comeuppance

serenade infused
melodious energy
into my brainwaves

melted hot concrete
fried eggs and exhaust fumes
sun imposition

leftover sandwich
used to taste better but now
a soggy remorse

how are you doing
how was your weekend how are
your intrusive thoughts

dear sir or madam
we regret to inform you
nonstop for profit

bionic tonic
supersonic mnemonic
stereophonic

effervescent fizz
refreshing when you cracked the
bottle on my head

pouring chemicals
for grass that shouldn’t be there
killing weeds that should

bonded magnetic
effect surprisingly still
unbroken through years

crossed lines frequencies
ricochet word salad mush
across the wires

acquisitions and
contracts very cool very
legal very cursed

corporate julie
from downstate stuck alone in
fluorescent spreadsheets

purchased butts estates
a lovely gentrified place
full of total butts

little bird perched on
a blue plastic tube waiting
for the end of this

the applicants and
supplicants beseeching the
grants and sycophants

honest bulletin
announcing the lies framed as
truths by the liars

we won’t tolerate
that which offends our strong
righteous tolerance

AFAIK
IOU ASAP
JK IDC

trading cash for memes
fake coins and frauds made up to
make money and run

disclaimer fine print
everything we said was false
hope you were convinced

why did you eat that
gastrointestinal rage
stop belly aching

why this unforeseen
lethargy taking over
is it apathy

chartreuse turquoise smile
charcuterie tortoise smell
charcoal target small

horizontal line
stillness without inertia
pain interrupted

choke down these six pills
for the next five days so that
you will keep breathing

July

broken fever dream
collapsed in a frozen pool
unable to swim

rendering any
original thought will take
too much energy

wheeze and sleep this day
away while contemplating
mortality thoughts

what price will you pay
for the indefensible
freedom you worship

oh hello this is
another report from here
it’s all just the same

lingering inside
these four walls I can access
the world but not you

negative nay no
zip zero zilch nothing none
nada nary nope

this sunlight above
feels radiant and warm like
old friends forgotten

substitute candy
a valiant attempt but tastes
like disappointment

misconduct and greed
in twisted sordid scenes like
hieronymus bosch

intractable fool
obstinate ignoramus
indelible dolt

eternal robot
reincarnated again
as a new robot

what is this strange noise
emanating from this phone
why are you calling

rubber neck steel toe
glass house wood chuck gold star stone
wall chain mail string cheese

what random access
memory retrieved this lost
old note from beyond

the last sliver of
daylight disappears behind
the horizon, blue

hey siri hey google
alexa! can you hear me
please stop listening

the smell of burnt toast
lingering in this kitchen
butter sitting out

your neutrality
is maddening please decide
you’re not switzerland

this machine is not
accepting cash deposits
unclear what paused it

that bulwark stalwart
walmart pop tart matriarch
porch plastered hallmark

circling in place
passing by points visited
pretending they’re new

monsters hiding in
your mind’s attic waiting for
rude interruptions

synthetic parties
and prosthetic emotions
posted to insta

heart accelerant
fast forwarding rapidly
hanging on for life

shopping mall yoga
vitamins and supplements
schemes to get rich quick

poltergeist haunting
the sock drawer inconvenient
horror laundromat

August

trading your life’s time
for numbers in a spreadsheet
amid restless nights

32 winters
since the old river ran dry
this desert wasteland

checking your schedule
looking for blocks of free time
you’re not free at all

cantankerous joe
rides a miniature bike
on the submarine

why is the tv
advertising volume cranked
up to eleven

hi hello good day
a new opportunity
to stay in this rut

smooth saxophone jazz
wafting from the loudspeaker
while the bombs rain down

deadlines killing me
need a lifeline to keep from
lyin dead on the floor

dramatic mambo
dancing aliens from space
popping by for cake

some dull engine roar
off in the distance bleating
toxic atmosphere

the fear of regret
left a bitter aftertaste
resentment stasis

all the vibes are off
nothing works when you need it
works fine when you don’t

impenetrable
fortress government building
intimidation

microscopic drops
of pop atop mop top cops
coke crimes chop shop flops

skipping stones off the
pier watching waves roll in from
speedboats far away

popcorn popping on
raindrops dropping on (the roof)
bops bop bopping on

holding on for me
nothing left to give to you
selfish introspect

backache radiate
dull twinge of electric shock
in nervous networks

this indecision
calling attention to your
lack of bravery

waves in lockstep with
the orbiting moon sending
sultry vibrations

pachinko machine
chirping sweet persuasions and
taking your money

unexpected frog
appearance showing up by
surprise in this room

texting five feet from
each other separated
by air and drywall

September

hi mister cool guy
ray ban sunglasses sun tan
linen pants yacht rock

conspiracy schemes
posted on 4chan riled up
the nerds and memes

glued to devices
forgot how to think clearly
can’t pull to refresh

melancholy breeze
passes by summer’s last gasp
portending the end

legal proceedings
shouting negotiations
peanut gallery

seismic pressure broke
cracks in the pavement patched by
dinosaur petrol

wrong left turn left me
alone left out to dry left
behind in left field

conflicted worries
mixed into confusion soup
noodles of panic

torrential waves pour
over coffee subconscious
background mind freakout

wicked bingo game
disclaimer five in a row
summons the spirits

administrative
bureaucratic cubicle
autocratic rule

wearing a mask to
hide the truth or protect the
others from knowing

that nonconformist
t-shirt you like is half off at
urban outfitters

4am jolted
awake by uncertainty
spinning in the dark

permanent mellow
unending apathetic
consistently meh

revelatory
optimism of what has
yet to be explored

never mind the brain
sending rational commands
working against you

busy bulls buzzing
big bad business bureaucrats
belching beta bets

October

we changed when our
trust fell apart and couldn’t
be reassembled

we have considered
all the facts and concluded
you are an asshole

please insert card now
do not remove card do not
REMOVE CARD RIGHT NOW

hyperbolic hell
hysterical heightening
hyperventilating

we had objections
your dishonest deflections
feigned disconnections

is escapism
healthy self preservation
or just negligence

felled a redwood tree
to craft the furniture that
went right out of style

lemon rose spirits
sprinkled onto bacon wrapped
gentrification

when you changed the world
did you make it better or
just cash the paychecks

please excuse me for
being out of touch due to
insecurity

some crumbs i found in
the couch from a previous
past version of you

let’s go back to where
we started and do it all
over but better

disconnecting from
everything left me alone
in new potential

interruptions keep
breaking my concentration
attention pre gone

here is a story
that makes me sound smart without
saying it outright

pineapple pimple
peanuckle pinnacle people
pickle popsicle

November

we narrowly dodged
a terrible accident
and laughed in panic

do you think about
when we were kids and loved each
other so madly

this humble maudlin
blue atmosphere is fueling
morose disquiet

has naiveté
made you foolish or is it
a pathway to joy

your impossible
choice led me astray into
unwanted darkness

life is loaded with
regrets if you second guess
i guess i shouldn't have

oh hi reply guy
why you gotta drive by my
side with your stink eye

reading letters i
wrote twenty years ago that
sound like someone else

crawled into bed late
blurry eyes spy shadows and
foggy memories

trademark copyright
all rights reserved but they stole
your work anyway

painful words barb from
your mouth like shards of glass sent
right into my heart

have you completed
all of your tasks for the day
productive human

fiber optic lines
transfer at the speed of light
all of these cat gifs

this plastic bottle
will outlast us but pretend
to recycle it

rose colored glasses
lied to me! everything was
in fact terrible

turn the oven up
to 450 and throw in
all the pizza rolls

December

keeping your trinkets
coffee cups and collections
around for comfort

i'd like to connect
to your unprofessional
network of shitposts

double up double
down double header double
trouble double dare

what recalictrant
ossified calcified stale
retrograde thinking

copper pipe lukewarm
tap water concrete footprints
vinyl furniture

microwave popcorn
live tweeting rubbernecking
the apocalypse

text messages like
postcards we forgot how to
talk to each other

manufactured text
generated by machines
presented as human

platinum gold rewards
premier executive club
ultra super wash

permanent absence
makes this cold month colder still
i miss your laughter

despite everything
and all the complications
we are still hopeful

syncopated beat
secret rhythm entrancing
uncontrolled brain candy

sorry to disturb
you but ignoring problems
does not help solve them

manufactured cheese
product may contain traces
of wheat, soy, milk, soul

there are too many
cats wandering around here
it's freaking me out

computation and
algorithm automate
emotional state

maybe next year will
finally be the one that
feels relaxed again

60 24
7 30 52
365 time

exhuming old feuds
to reset for a new year
bygones gone to hell