This latest secondhand haiku comes from Holly the cat (graciously transcribed by Susan, her loyal human subject). To anyone who’s ever lived with a feline, I believe this piece is self-explanatory. (A photo of the author can be seen to the right)

For those keeping score, we’ve now received contributions from an almost-four-year-old human and a cat. If you haven’t yet submitted your own haiku or short poem to the secondhand series, really, what more excuse do you need?

Click here to view the entire series so far. And, if you’ve finally been shamed into sending one of your own, click here to find out how.

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The secondhand haiku has returned. This time Anthony (whose 17-syllable tribute to Harry Kalas kicked off the series) sent one in the old-fashioned way. For those not familiar, Anthony is the man at the helm of My Sick Mind, where he is also known to spin the occasional haiku. I enjoy and recommend his insights into the seemingly mundane, which he posts quite regularly.

If you aren’t familiar with the secondhand project, please click here to view the entire series and get a little background. If you wish to add some of your own haiku goodness, click here to find out how.

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This latest offering in the secondhand series comes from Susan, a fellow poetic-minded soul who shares her thoughts online at If You’re Going Through Hell, Keep Going. I’m thankful she was kind enough to venture into the world of haiku to offer a contribution. And with much of the U.S. in the grips of a freeze wave — the temp outside my door this morning at 19° F going up to just below freezing — this haiku couldn’t be more appropriately timed.

If you know any folks who are elderly or house-bound and living alone, it’s not a bad idea to check on them in times like this. Freezing temperatures in the Philadelphia area also remind me to point out the needs of those without reliable shelter. Poject H.O.M.E. has a great street outreach program to help encourage those without shelter to come in from the cold. If you’re in Philly and you see a homeless person without shelter, you can call 215-232-1984 to let Project H.O.M.E.’s street outreach team know.

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This entry in the secondhand series is the second offering from Ellen. A couple weeks ago, she bade farewell to Sam, one of her two beloved felines. She sent along this haiku memorial for the dearly departed.

You can view the entire secondhand series here. To find out how to contribute a haiku or short poem of your own, click here.

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This secondhand selection is by Paul Rj Muller, who melded the right and left hemispheres just that much more by adding a bit of visual style to his handwritten work. He is one of the many local (Philly) folks I’ve come into contact with via Twitter, though his digital footprint can be seen in many different places on the web (check his site to find out more).

To view the entire secondhand series, please click here. If you’d like to contribute a haiku or short poem of your own, click here to find out how.

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It’s time for another secondhand haiku. This one is from Dave, an old friend who was kind enough to draft his haiku over coffee. He even flaunted the 5-7-5 conventions to which most of my haiku are bound. Not that I mind — I’ve been hoping for a few more contributors not intimidated by haiku format issues.

Please feel free to check out the entire secondhand collection so far, and if you might be inspired to add to it, you can click here to find out how.

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The secondhand collection continues with its youngest writer yet, the lovely Emma Rose Martino. Emma is still awaiting her fourth birthday, but that didn’t stop her from composing the above haiku with a little logistical help from her mom and dad.

The haiku sprouted from Emma responding to her father’s explanation of what a poem is. And while she relied on her mother for a bit of spelling guidance, Emma conceived the words and wrote every letter herself. Promising work for a three year old :)

(Update: Karl has posted a great explanation of this haiku’s creation — I recommend reading that as well.)

As always, you can see the rest of the secondhand collection here. If you are so inclined, you can send a haiku or short poem of your own.

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