Guatemalan Haiku

Every day I write at least one haiku. Here are some of them from our time in Guatemala! We leave for Romania Wednesday!

frail with eyes glazed white
I speak to her in Spanish
guide her out men’s room

backyard volcano
topiaries line stone path
fútbol on green lawns

trees shroud host of stairs
three crosses perched on the peak
orange mountain skyline

eighteen necks bleed red
clucks and feathers fill the yard
big birthday party

flowing teal river
jumping in from the boulder
jungle surrounds us

colorful houses
city island on the lake
restaurant hammocks

rain on the tin roof
sermon translated for us
thunder during prayer

caldo with two sides
panela, squash soup, more sides
generous Mayans

sweaty calves bulging
jungle as far as I see
hilltop life lesson

timid moms gather
painting warms hearts and faces
special devotion

“we don’t have filter”
“as of today you have one”
bright white smile revealed

pupusas dinner
many laughs about the name
sounds like “poo poo sauce”

curious monkeys
clustered trees, massive embrace
Mayan homes unearthed

passionate pastor
rolling R’s launch saliva
speakers blast strained voice

solemn heads long bowed
child dies during prayer for him
revives, dies again

team feedback shifts tone
constructive words received well
peace in being heard

torrential downpour
grateful kids play fútbol, soaked
gladly delay school

flurry of kids games
hundreds laugh, play, eat pizza
Día del Niño

green hills dot the land
tattered flag limp on twin peak
Cerro la Bruja

Earth’s enormous mouth
rock spires reach up in darkness
Cuevas Naj Tunich

up before the sun
needing a Sabbath alone
home all day resting

struggling with focus
I modify her school work
tutor her outside

one-bite hot pepper
hosts cheer, laugh, applaud the feat
stomach burns for hours

shirt drenched, skin glistens
another dirt-filled bucket
hand blisters spawn, burst

mystery powder
bought from a street salesperson
I make juice with it

cloud-birthed crescent Sun
horseback jungle trot in rain
cool, serene cave pools

shuffling cards, laughing
unnecessary accents
dodge “leaving soon” thoughts

breezing down highway
and mud-belching, pot-holed streets
ATV mission

makeshift wood goal posts
feet hustle across worn soil
world’s favorite sport

fresh baked bread, his body
cheapest wine, his bitter blood
hours pass as minutes

add miles to our trip
picking up a family
walking in the dark

life-giving study
devil’s advocates in turns
growing from the word

street corn with ketchup
taro ice-cream, corn cheesecake
Chapín birthday treats

release the rope swing
shatter clear water’s surface
unplanned swimming trip

an empty Kingdom
temples rise over jungle
Tikal: a lost world

butterfly on fence
tarantula crosses road
God is in all things

last Poptún journey
local shops with local guide
fun, dirt-cheap sweater

alone with old friends
new life surging in our hearts
hearing each other

stone cross oversees
yellow churches, vibrant streets
we read Galatians

mash avocados
three pots and pans over flame
a meal for our team

fruits unknown to me
bustling through tight market lanes
goods profit locals

rain hikes mountain, too
greatest physical comfort:
dry long-johns and sweats

descent through thick fog
giving care to the struggling
life’s best hot shower

warm embrace from friend
who had set clear boundaries
hug that heals my soul

 

The entirety of this blog and its contents were written and published without any AI assistance.