only child —
born in the landscape
of let’s pretend
Author: Roberta Beary
Roberta Beary lives in Mayo, Ireland.
Their work appears in Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less (New York Times, 2020) and One Breath: Notes from the Reluctant Engagement Project (Doire Press/ Clan Beo, 2021) which pairs their haiku with artwork by families of people with disabilities.
mountaintop —
sunlight threads
the prayer rug
green everywhere i turn into summer
st patrick’s day
a rebel song that died
with my dad
new year’s day regifting my mother’s meds
my brother’s gun
in the lock safe
condolence cards
born this way …
the orientation
of winter stars
daymoon
peacekeepers march
in riot gear
sheepskull —
the dead eyes
of border patrol
Nighthawks
tonight her breathing’s more shallow. i try to find her favorite songs. search quickly on my iPad. “mack the knife ” by Bobby; replays of Vera’s,
indian summer
the child still at home
already gone
(originally published in Acorn 29, Fall 2012)
day moon
the tethered weight
of father’s watch
(Shiki Kukai, 2nd Place, June 2012)
platelets—
the trip we were planning
to plan
pub. credit: Modern Haiku 41:2 (2010)
immigration line
a red thread caught
in her teeth
pub. credit: Upstate Dim Sum 2009/11
at home
bay window
no matter the season
drawn curtains
he’s not what you’d call sociable. sometimes he just starts yelling for no reason. but there’s
towpath—
a blue heron shifts
the twilight
winter dusk
when dad
would phone
winter stars without you to name them
whirling snow
divorce papers fall
from a red folder
my son and i
counting fireflies
counting stars
family picnic
the new wife’s rump
bigger than mine
hands stained
with tiger lilies
all day this heat
cherry blossoms
the tug tug tug
of baby’s hand