December sunset
putting aside her journal
to peel an orange
This title haiku is representative of much the work found throughout Peggy Heinrich's collection: a vivid image expressed simply, some personal reflection, a small moment that gathers significance the longer one sits with it.
Organized seasonally with black and white photographs by John Bolivar marking the passage of time, it gives us a year in haiku. And like most years, it is not without its challenges.
sleepless at night...
some of the sheep
won't jump the fence
Dead-of-night anxieties are captured vividly in the recalcitrant sheep; this glancing suggestion of something greater below the surface typifies what makes this and other Heinrich haiku so effective.
For example, look at how green conveys multiple meanings in this haiku:
in the hammock
forgetting he-said-she-said
so many shades of green
The pettiness of fingerpointing fades in the face of so much new life; at the same time, "shades of green" also suggest shadows and envy.
Published in 2009 by The MET Press, Peeling an Orange is the work of a very gifted poet.
These are not poems that trumpet their brilliance. They are small jewels that reflect moments in time with seeming effortlessness and quiet grace. This is a collection that rewards re-reading.
