welcome to the haikutimes
Issue #112, Bolder Boulder Memorial Day run, 2005. Haiku and photographs by Jonathan Machen
hastening their demise
runners pound asphalt
faces revealing pain
almost at the end
most are running, some walking
take your headsets off!
memorial day
the USMC runs by
chanting slogans
smiles and laughter
everybody sweating now
determination
i like the feeling
of waking up
in the middle of the race
redwing blackbirds alarmed
their morning marsh-ramblings
interrupted by that rock band
playing before the thousands of runners
the wheelchair racers,
making their way to the starting gate
broad, empty pre-dawn streets
the thick grass water-soaked
at the edge of the narrow corridor
lining the race avenue
thousands of pre-race faces
we are all up before 7
excitement in the air
some running,
some preserving their knees
the frenzy of leg-pounding
on rain-washed asphalt streets
in may when Baghdad
brought to convulsions
in an ongoing insurgent war,
the european union in disarray
Robert MacNamara warning us
of nuclear annihilation
and the secret government men
who walk with
football-shaped briefcases
containing missile launch codes
much enthusiasm
many endorphins
the band plays by conoco
street side trombone players
large raindrops on the blue iris
people smiling, calling out names
go 164! thousands of people
who have decided to make
a personal fitness commitment
runners sweat at the last mile
a band of Hawaiian hula dancers
runs past yellow-shirt sudanese
at 9.1 km the college jazz band
drowns out the grunge metal
on the next block
hastening their demise
runners pound asphalt
faces revealing pain
almost at the end
most are running, some walking
take your headsets off!
memorial day
the USMC runs by
chanting slogans
smiles and laughter
everybody sweating now
determination
i like the feeling
of waking up
in the middle of the race
redwing blackbirds alarmed
their morning marsh-ramblings
interrupted by that rock band
playing before the thousands of runners
the wheelchair racers,
making their way to the starting gate
broad, empty pre-dawn streets
the thick grass water-soaked
at the edge of the narrow corridor
lining the race avenue
thousands of pre-race faces
we are all up before 7
excitement in the air
some running,
some preserving their knees
the frenzy of leg-pounding
on rain-washed asphalt streets
in may when Baghdad
brought to convulsions
in an ongoing insurgent war,
the european union in disarray
Robert MacNamara warning us
of nuclear annihilation
and the secret government men
who walk with
football-shaped briefcases
containing missile launch codes
much enthusiasm
many endorphins
the band plays by conoco
street side trombone players
large raindrops on the blue iris
people smiling, calling out names
go 164! thousands of people
who have decided to make
a personal fitness commitment
runners sweat at the last mile
a band of Hawaiian hula dancers
runs past yellow-shirt sudanese
at 9.1 km the college jazz band
drowns out the grunge metal
on the next block
solo/group kukai
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen