Hoosier Poet

Sunday, June 15, 2025

A Father's Day Lesson

A Father’s Day lesson.

All the times I forgot,

to call, to mail, to text…

It weighs on me today.

Fathers day.

Grandad and Dad both gone,

I can’t mail, call or text,

I can’t visit, or video chat,

and the silence

-though deafening-

allows all the missed opportunities

to scream out in the back of my mind

in a disheveled chorus of regret and sorrow.

Words unsaid, deeds not done…

weigh heavy on my mind, and my soul.

I smile, though, with my wife and kids,

that they don’t see the hurt, or the regret…

to spare them the burden I alone must bear.

A lesson learned, though.

Painfully learned.

I will now be as generous as I can…

Calls. Texts. Emails. Video Chats. Visits.

The time it takes for one of these

will never be as long as the time consumed by

regret and sorrow.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

기대 (Expectation)

기대

안녕하세요
아, 노력해볼게요.
하지만 실패

Annyeonghaseyo
a, nolyeoghaebolgeyo
hajiman silpae

The English rendering of this Haiku, of course, does not meet the 5,7,5 but here it is anyway:

Expectation:

Hello,
Ah, I'll Try.
But failure.

Also, note, I am not a Korean Speaker, merely a learner, and this poem is very much about my attempt at the language. I applaud those who are able to grasp so readily at Hangul and the differences in pronunciations depending on where it falls in the word. Truly, this poem is autobiographical in my attempts at Korean.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Clarification

Clarification:

Reversed King of Swords,
and the reversed Three of Swords,
Clarity breaks through.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Aeon Ascendant

Aeon Ascendant

Chaos tears the veil,
law and order a charade-
lies falling away

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

A warning

A Warning:

After careful thought,
I slide a card from the deck:
The Empress reversed.

Monday, June 2, 2025

Vigilante

Ok, I am a little late to the party, I suppose. I just Finished the Korean Series "Vigilante", and I have to say, I think it was amazing.

I saw a couple things saying a second season is filming, but I haven't seen a release date yet. I am going to start reading the Webtoon that the series is based off of as soon as I have a bit more time. I am very much looking forward to it!

Now, the Haiku, very simple in its idea, but inspired by the show:

The Vigilante
strikes fear in the hearts of men
who prey on others.

Friday, May 30, 2025

When the American Dream Darkens

When the American Dream Darkens

I startle awake, and am drenched in sweat.
It takes me a moment to realize
where I am, and that it was just a dream,
and wiping the sweat from out of my eyes,
I look at the clock, and see that it’s three…
I drop back to the bed, and take a breath
to catch it,
to calm it
to stop shaking,
trying to regain control of myself.
The specters that haunt me when I am awake
no longer vanish when I go to bed.
No, they wait there now, when I close my eyes
Transformed in their own ways to cause me dread,
Utility dragons demanding cash,
The landlord, a ghoul
the credit folks: snakes,
and don’t get me started on those crooked
goblin bastards overseeing the banks.
They are always there now, waiting for me,
a hell from which there can be no escape,
for they hound me through the night as I sleep,
and then they resume whenever I wake.
The screams, and howls that chill my blood nightly
transform to rings, and dings, of Texts and calls,
the telltale vibrations of new emails,
then back to howls and shrieks as nighttime falls
and I close my eyes
and to no surprise,
find myself stranded
and empty handed
as every last beast
runs forward to feast
not for cash, but flesh,
and they want it fresh.
What they can’t get in the day, they take here,
Organs, limbs, consuming all that is mine…
Fight as I will, no matter what I do…
Every night my blood flows free as their wine.
No allies exist, at least none I know
who fight against the greed and usury,
so I struggle alone, through night and day,
and hope one day to end this lunacy.