Not all of my “gumbahs” are Italo-American. Over dim sum, carrot cake,
haiku, and lawn bocce, John Stevenson and Yu Chang have become, in
the words of The American Heritage Dictionary:
Goombah: n. Slang. A companion or associate, especially an
older friend who acts as a patron, protector, or adviser.
[Think of “older” as in “wiser,” “more mature.”]
Let me tell you, these gumbahs can write haiku and senryu!
yu chang
sunrise
the new guppy
fans its tail
mountain trail
my heart beat
louder than I remember
mountain pass
sun
on every windshield
waiting for you
another pair of headlights
through the fog
circuits lab
his mistake
in the air
evening silence
cat food for the stray
untouched
drainage ditch
first frog
of spring
Yu Chang from Upstate Dim Sum (2003/I)
except: “drainage ditch” – (2003/II)
his spotless
new office
my dermatologist
home
and homesick
all-night diner
satellite image
of my childhood home
. . . the woods
Monday morning
putting the point
on a pencil
a touching movie
the ushers wait
for us to leave
kayak
to the point
a bent reed
dinner for one
a view
of the ocean
potluck
Darn, I forgot all about Spring Break and swimsuits, when I
ate that entire bag of Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses at 3 AM
last night. Good thing the NYT reminded me to start dieting again.
“Before Spring Break, The Anorexic Challenge, April 2, 2006; via
Althouse).
liberal Democrats who think we can win elections by becoming ideological
all fools day
my daughter gets in first
with a pinch and punch
matt morden – morden haiku
the origins of April Fool’s Day – All Fools Day.
