Haiku Archives: Wolves

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I was on a fishing trip in Alaska the first time I ever heard wolves howl. All day long I had been on the lookout for bears.  I was with two guys who were born and raised in Alaska, and they had a lot of advice for me.

“Don’t want to have a bear sneak up on you, and you sure as hell don’t want to sneak up on a bear.  You gotta make noise so the bear knows where you’re at.  And if you see one, don’t run from it because that will trigger its predatory chase instinct.”

Of course, I forgot all about the bears when the wolves started howling late that night.  It’s an eerie sound – it stirs some primordial memory in you that you didn’t even know you had.

“Better throw a couple logs on the fire,” one of the guys said.

“Wolves won’t get too close to a fire,” the other guy told me.  “Not usually.”

Here’s a haiku I wrote commemorating the experience.  Enjoy.

 

 

stoke the dying coals

flames jump up and dance like sprites

holding wolves at bay

10 thoughts on “Haiku Archives: Wolves”

  6. Sometimes I sit down and write two or three haiku at a time. I’m sure there are some connective threads between them, even if it happens at a subconscious level. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s really awesome to have an audience to interact with. I used to write these on scraps of paper and put them in a drawer. When the drawer got full, I’d empty it out into the recycling bin.

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  9. Hi Hawk, I had to smile when you wrote how you forgot about the bears when the wolves started to howl:) I have a new appreciation for haiku after reading your posts. It is amazing how few words can tell a story:) Erica

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