Stargazing Minnow Haiku

" Stargazing Minnow Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Dusky caudal spot
in riffles over gravel
moderate to swift

II

Mid-lateral stripe
long, rounded mouth, sucker-like
eyes on upper side

III

Above upper lip
origin of caudal fin
silt intolerant...

Geological Haiku

" Geological Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Mostly intrusive
glacially polished, rock-hard
deeply eroded

II

Faulted and folded
occurring in creased regions
scale, rock and hammer

III

Stands of the older
partially metamorphosed
tilted deposits

IV

Many minor faults
several major, silted clay
increasing hardness

V

Varying degrees
most violently folded
iron formation

VI

Ice cap melted back
probably causing rifts, cracks
terrestrial patch

VII

Mid-continent zone
depositions in oceans
offset, strike, slip, fault

VIII

Local episodes
rifting in erogeny
molten lava flows

IX

The basin pinches
interbedded with basalt
distant sills dipping

X

Cliff vicinities
eroded edge, either end
quartzite facing west

XI

Quarry area
metasedimentary
beyond the lava

XII

Sank to the bottom
gorges causing waterfalls
outwashed folded back...

Relief Haiku

" Relief Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Valley floor, hilltop
trending northeast and southeast
modified by faults

II

Resistant limestone
like a continuation
remnants of relief

III

As the latter half
causing ridges, erosion
completed series...

Whipsawed Haiku

" Whipsawed Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Veined streaks of anger
pummeling syncopations
deigned unclaimed airwaves

II

Political rage
galloping harrowingly
unctuous hit-and-run

III

Whipsawed precision
in uproarious moshpits
fractious villainy

IV

Staying mad as hell
capriciously lasting, rad
glaringly mastered...

Insects' Success Haiku

" Insects' Success Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Rolled into a ball
as galleries of orders
presented like keys

II

Limbs used for walking
needing to use a hand lens
looking carefully

III

Might be the larva
or pupa of an insect
long, blind, soft body

IV

Leg-bearing segments
modified as poison fangs
immature stages

V

Hidden under wings
relatively primitive
globular body

VI

Common winglessness
oceanic, cave dwelling
flattened side-to-side

VII

Eyes small or absent
legs modified to grip host
biting parasites

VIII

Ventral projections
can jump well, eyes touching, humped
blood sucking in nests

IX

Lives in colonies
often with constricted waists
can be seen stinging

X

Long, sticklike body
widely separated legs
remain motionless

XI

Squat body, humped back
from the front, large, bulbous head
bulging reduced eyes

XII

Short tube underhead
elongating, forming beaks
coiling proboscis

XIII

Wings covered with scales
joined by tiny hooks or hairs
toughened wing cases

XIV

Wings of equal size
joined in flight by triangles
thoracic, backward

XV

Threadlike antennae
wings held together, roof-like
over bulging eyes

XVI

Lacewings and allies
netlike wings, many cross veins
reddish shiny eyes

XVII

Attracted to lights
stalked eggs on vegetation
pupate in cocoons

XVIII

Taking to the air
into far greater ranges
highly successful...

Rock Crawler Haiku

" Rock Crawler Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

May be dense or sparse
at extreme high altitudes
eating torpid prey...

Vireo Haiku

" Vireo Haiku "

by Suzán Jiván

I

Lives in a new world
in the treetops to be heard
incessant singing

II

Name, meaning, "green bird"
upper canopies of trees
sung understories

III

Fluttering of wings
before leaves come out fully
hanging hammock-like

IV

Silky fastenings
migratory fashionings
stylized posturings

V

Couplets beginning
yellowish eyerings, white eyes
exclusivity

VI

Weaving side-to-side
survival, parasitize
incubated eggs

VII

Drab, grayish olive
faint, pale stripe above the eye
undistinguishing

VIII

Greenish leaf-matching
broken phraseology
nix vicinities

IX

Forested settings
within inches of the trunk
neat cups out of bark

X

Name notwithstanding
punctured, pitched out, lower down
brown-headed cowbird...