haiku by Kent Mannis

Summer, Fall, Winter

Like Costco toilet paper 

Bulk products run low

My husband Kent wrote the occasional poem. In this case it’s the very American version of haiku, the 5-7-5 syllable count what makes it haiku. Kent does refer to the seasons, which is considered another requirement of Japanese haiku. The Japanese want a haiku to evoke the feeling of a particular time of year. Does Kent’s? Perhaps the poem means to evoke winter -- the “bulk products” of nature are abundant in summer, but gradually peter out in fall, winter offering the smallest amounts. 

Kent appends a note, “3 season Haiku.” Was that was the challenge? Write a poem that includes three of the four seasons?

Every so often I sort a pile of papers and today I found the haiku on a crumpled square of paper from a logo notepad. It is undated.

horehound

I've been searching the web this evening for Horehound Drops. My mother seems to have decided they are essential for her well being. I found some at Amishcountrystore.com but like many shopping opportunities on the web they won't give you the shipping charges until you've entered a shitload of information about yourself. Shipping often costs as much as or more than the thing you're buying, unless of course it's really super expensive. Bulkfoods.com helpfully offers free freight, but charges $5 for packaging. What the --? That's about what other sites charge for freight. I guess the other guys give you free packaging.

There's a place here in Berkeley called Lhasa Karnak that sells horehound drops and Mom called them to see if she could find out who they buy from so a store in Sebastopol might be able to order some for her. But the guy she talked to wasn't helpful. And she was told he was the owner. Not everyone has bought into the excellent customer service religion, eh? There are plenty of people left who give the minimum. He says they'd sell the horehound drops to me and I could mail them to Sebastopol. Yeah. I guess I thought of that.

K is watching "24" on Fox.