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Here are most of my daily haiku (poetry in 17 syllables) from our time in India! It will mean a lot to me if you leave a comment or question about one you enjoyed!

Please subscribe to my blog if you have enjoyed the haiku; I am planning to publish 2 or 3 books of haiku in the coming months and will announce them here! One of them will include the full body of my World Race haiku, including those from travel days and the ones I omitted from my blogs.

I’m currently stuck in the Delhi, India airport with five squadmates! We missed our flight to the States following the worldwide Microsoft error that played a role in delaying our flight from Mumbai by four hours. Our new flight home is booked, but it cost us big.

 

can we safely cross?

two lights blinking, one solid

possessed traffic light

 

watercolor pens

“as a deer pants for water”

Psalm illustration

 

two months left on Race

examine Tuckman’s stages

are we still forming?

 

gift wrap unraveled

small, colorful sticky notes

World Race timeline

 

bright papers on walls

prayer requests inside handprints

words of prophecy

 

crying together

no parents, damaged friendships

solidarity

 

Bible college tour

brought into family fold

intimate worship

 

swami leads singing

sky bleeds red behind Shiva

cobra lanterns lit

 

flame-roasted onions

classic hymns, Johnny Cash style

Emma’s dad twirls her

 

long wait for tuk-tuk

driver mistook route to church

should have just walked here

 

dad hugs, mothers’ tears

several rounds of farewells

no more social vim

 

crowds, trash, slick stone walls

concerningly gray water

wade through narrow gorge

 

stomach pain, fever

power goes out, fans shut off

I melt in my bed

 

alley packed with shops

incense overpowers us

search for umbrellas

 

boarding school bustle

intern jackets around necks

teens provide a tour

 

can’t see, sure can sing

monkeys watch blind girls guide us

Braille typing demo

 

church harmonium

selfies with the congregants

Sunday school cookies

 

Bonanza then Hearts

first two hands, the moon is shot

favorite pastime

 

scrambling and giggling

limited English lesson

acting out Jonah

 

a listening ear

nets Indian meal, dessert

experienced gained

 

salty lemonade

laughs about future dating

time well spent with friends

 

local eyes scour us

the women feel them invade

even police stare

 

marigold welcome

church stereos screech and pop

worshipers don’t mind

 

bare feet, sweat trickling

prepared with ear plugs this time

so many photos

 

ride with three strangers

“don’t cut the cake,” I am warned

nightlife envelops

 

two hour kids program

group games, skits, songs with motions

we came with a plan

 

nectar pool glistens

Golden Temple at center

prayerful Sikhs abound

 

hold tuk-tuk seat tight

hold our breath crossing the stream

hold a cute baby

 

flags waved, note sustained

Pakistan border opened

symbolic taunting

 

fast food delivered

free French fries with my order

card game by the pool

 

disturbed church service

shaking, shrieking, falling down

discern the spirits

 

role playing strangers

nod off into the aisle

back seat full of laughs

 

veranda couches

peace and comfort in the heat

ceiling fan on max

 

teammate’s friend stabbed, killed

Phil arrested in protest

enemy strikes home

 

seated behind screen

pacing up and down Rajpur

lastly, pillow talk

 

negotiate fare

banyans cooley shade sidewalks

slowly putt uphill

 

metal detectors

intermission commercials

huge popcorn buckets

 

red pews and kneelers

reasonably volumed hymns

peaceful communion

 

intros one by one

name, home city, drug of choice

overcoming shame

 

narrow, puddled street

phone case shop every ten feet

haggling is an art

 

winsome schoolyard ox

pink roses, tiger lilies

clouds visibly form

 

uniformed children

bring me all kinds of flowers

decorate their hair

 

nearly boiling pool

“sign clearly says no women”

steamed local complains

 

seafoam hillside home

tiny impressive coffee

share testimonies

 

trek ‘cross leechy lands

rain intensifies cascade

between green mountains

 

bumpy back of bus

cherished conversation place

and sometimes nap spot

 

black ink pen buzzes

AC jingles chandelier

artist concentrates

 

former teams gather

prayer journey through the months

lifting up the hosts

 

team time disrupted

by Arabica samples

to our confusion

 

uniformed kids swarm

“Sir, high five please! What’s your name?”

Forty shouting this

 

twenty signatures

framed photo of us with him

birthday gift for host

 

“roast” mashed potatoes

“pan-seared” fish, likely just boiled

overpriced, tasty

 

one by one, summoned

on shoulders, prayer shawl draped

blessing words, spoken

 

dangling clothes village

dioramas of Gandhi

India’s Gateway

 

police station set

no costumes, improvised script

next Bollywood stars?

 

art tour, Hindu lore

museum explorer, learn more

out the door, feet sore

 

 

 

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

5 responses to “India Haiku”

  1. Understand so much of this. Glad we could be part of “brought into family fold.” We especially loved the opportunity to connect deeply with you “no parents” racers. Praying for you now as you deal with waiting for the next flight to get out of country. See you shortly in Georgia!

  2. These are so great! Can’t wait for the book!!! Even more, can’t wait to see you in six days!!!

  3. Beautiful work Shua! Amazing how so few words can bring a picture to mind. Would love to see and hear the story behind each one! The disturbed church service is intriguing, as so many of them are! Thinking a lot about and praying for you all. ❤️🙏🏽

  4. “crying together

    no parents, damaged friendships

    solidarity”

    This one hit me, make me cry.
    It’s very cool to read these, to hear your heart, to see what you saw.