Black Rat Snake
you slither silent
into the hen house and wait
for free meals—why hunt?
Summer Camp
covered in bug bites
nine years old, he laughs and says
his tent was flooded
Lightning Bugs
three short weeks you live
as light; yet wait a whole year
burrowed underground
Snapping turtle
sunbathe, scratch, float, sink
all day spent in slow motion
but touch your tail—snap!
Chicken-of-the-Woods
no mistaking you
Laetiporus sulphureus
calling out, “eat me.”
Jon Gorter (‘17) graduated from Calvin with degrees in English and environmental studies and holds an MS in natural resources from the University of Michigan. He enjoys fly fishing, mushroom foraging, and waterfall scrambling near his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
This post was thoroughly enjoyable! Thanks for attending to the details necessary to write engaging and delightful haiku.