It’s Autumn. Probably.
We didn’t have what I’d call a “summer” here in Atlanta. “Summer,” here, means sweltering, muggy days of 95° to 105° F coupled with 90% humidity or higher. Walking outside is akin to taking a sauna in a kiln.
Birds pant. It’s not attractive.
This summer, the mercury barely peeked over 90°. Usually it was in the 80s. Temperatures in the evening were in the 70s or even in the 60s. It’s been oddly pleasant even while elsewhere in the country, summer with its heat and humidity reigned.
And now, autumn is either coming or it’s already here. I’m not 100% sure which it is, yet. I don’t have any pecan trees, so it’s hard to know for sure.
My maternal grandmother, LaVerne Branch — Nanny — always said that the pecan trees knew. They knew when it was really autumn, and it wasn’t autumn until they reddened and started losing leaves. And in the spring, it wasn’t really spring until they began to green.
So in the absence of any pecan trees (and I pronounce it ‘pe KAHN’ to rhyme with ‘begone’ and not ‘PEE can,’ in spite of every southern stereotype in the history of ever), I guess I’ll just have to be content to say, “It’s autumn. Probably.”
And in honor of the change of the seasons (probably), I give you this haiku, inspired by the image at the top of this post.
deadly poison concentrates.
crimson berries, ripe.
That being said, I have no idea if those berries pictured are poisonous. We were told to write a haiku inspired by the image. The first thing I thought was “pretty berries, but they’re probably poisonous.”
It hurt me to not capitalize, but read the ‘rules’ of the contest if you want to know why I didn’t. I’m not still <twitch> twitching, am I? <twitch> Good. I didn’t <twitch> think so.
Heh. It occurs to me that I could make this a science fiction haiku by making it venom instead of poison.
Gary Henderson
Gary Henderson is an amateur author who lives in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area with a chef housemate. By day he is a mild-mannered software developer working for a major health-care company. By night and on weekends, he occasionally creates and destroys worlds.
25 Comments
Kathy
I have to agree with you. My first thought was that they had to be poisonous. Small, shiny, and deadly! Awesome haiku!!
Gary Henderson
Thanks, Kathy. I thought maybe it was just my darker side coming out. Maybe not. :)
Talya Tate Boerner
I love this! I shared it and pinned it. Yes, the pecan trees always know.
Gary Henderson
Thanks!
Yeah, Nanny wouldn’t mislead. :) I’d plant a pecan if I could eat the nuts. :(
Frances D
Limns is an interesting word choice for that poem.
Don’t our Nannies/Nanas tell the best stories?
Gary Henderson
I like ‘limn.’ It’s one of those words you don’t see too often, but I think we should.
And yes, our Nannies tell the best stories. Although I will say that Granddaddy’s Fractured Bedtime Stories did have their own special charm. I mean, who would have thought to combine Little Red Riding Hood and Humpty Dumpty and Rapunzel? :)
Jyothi Nair
Never thought about them being poisonous. But how true. Nicely done. :)
Gary Henderson
Thank you! I don’t know why that was the first thing I thought. Maybe all the holly bushes I have around my house. :)
PhenoMenon
Thanks for the entry to the haiku competition
PhenoMenon
Gary Henderson
Thanks for stopping by! Contests are so motivating. Whether I win or not, I consider it a win. :)
Ruchira
I agree…the first look and there is caution.
lovely haiku
Gary Henderson
Thank you, Ruchira. :)
Vaisakh
I loved the usage of the word ‘limn’. And the idea of poisonous berries :)
Gary Henderson
Thanks, Vaisakh.
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Suzy
I did wonder if anyone would consider them poisonous. I guess you did. I had to look up limns. So learned a new word today. Nice haiku.
dropping by from the haiku prompt.
Site Administrator
Thanks, Suzy. My paternal grandfather always used to say, “Learn something new every day.” I’m glad I was able to help. :)
KP
I liked the line on grandma’s wisdom to trustPecan to know when the change in season takes place.The berries looked so red and juicy that I could never associate poison with them.Nice lines,the haiku
Gary Henderson
That’s what I love about contests like this one: every person sees the same image prompt, but no two people have exactly the same take on it. I don’t envy the judges. :)
Shiva
Wow…Poisonous berries… loved the haiku and the interpretation … and thanks for a new word limns…will soon use it to make my own forever …
if you remove captcha …commenting on such beautiful posts will be more fun
Gary Henderson
You’re welcome for the new word. :)
Sorry about the captcha, but every time I try turning it off, I get spam comments. The only way I’ve found to keep them to a minimum is to turn it on.
Payal Agarwal
Lovely haiku! and yes,they might be poisonous!
Gary Henderson
Thank you! I hope they’re not, though. :)
Geeta Nair
Just as they say,”All that glitters is not gold,” all berries though attractive, may not be edible. They can be poisonous. Loved the way you portrayed both aspects of the berry. Also loved the write-up on autumn and pecan trees.
Gary Henderson
Thank you, Geeta, and thanks for stopping by. :)