Coraddi Magazine

Haiku for Cicadas
Kelly Jones

I once interviewed
for Teach For America
and in the practice

group-lesson portion,
another interviewee
taught the bunch about

haiku, saying it’s
an Asian poetry form
with no set structure

or rhyme scheme, usually
they are about nature and
I hate cicadas almost as much

as I hate tossing fresh, young,
and optimistic faces at a huge problem
and saying you can fix this

if you just try
a bit harder
and hang up

those sad string instruments
because no one wants to hear
that wailing any more

Kelly is an MLIS candidate. Three of their favorite things are glitter, manatees, and impromptu dance parties.