The first poems I ever published, more than twenty years ago (!!!), were haiku. It’s a poetic form I’ve always loved for its efficiency, its reliance on sensory stimulation, and its trust in the reader. Late in his life, Richard Wright spent a good deal of time writing haiku and it’s not surprising the results are brilliant. They’re collected in This Other World, a book I can’t recommend highly enough. Here’s a brief sample:
I am nobody:
A red sinking autumn sun
Took my name away.
*
I almost forgot
To hang up an autumn moon
Over the mountain.
*
In the falling snow
A laughing boy holds out his palms
Until they are white.
Minor Works Project 