a few words
from the doctor
crows on snow
Published by
Ernest Wit
Ernest Wit is an award-winning poet whose work has appeared in many haiku anthologies and journals including Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Acorn, and The Heron's Nest. Author of books of poems: "Bitter Wind", "Towards Light", "Black and White", "Singing the World a Prima Vista", "The Touch of the Intanglible", "A Hundred Likes". He runs a blog of his previously published and unpublished haiku at www.withaiku.blogspot.com and a publication on Substack at ernestwithaiku.substack.com. View all posts by Ernest Wit
The weight of the 'few words', the starkness, what crows portend … so much here, love this haiku.
a small smile
the chemo nurse
tries again
that sad smile
Says it all.
darkness gathering
Interestingly, I saw a doctor's handwriting when I read this. A prescription, perhaps. It must have been the crows against the snow that made me think of words written on paper rather than spoken. It is said that rhyme should be avoided in haiku, but I think 'crows' and 'snow' works here as the voice automatically drops when reading the last line aloud, suggesting the news is not good.
marion
hahahah! I'm reading this as the typical doctor's "chicken scratch" handwriting too as the unspoken connection.
But there's a somber note underlying it too – crows as a harbinger / simple spoken words of maybe a hopeless situation.
It's a bit like a lenticular picture: one view light and humorous / one view somber and chilling
Evocative!