First hiss

A haiku with a quiet reflection

Photo by Cord Allman on Unsplash

first hiss
first pancake
first cuss

—

Morning begins with that unmistakable hiss, the sound of batter meeting a pan perhaps a little hotter than expected. There is optimism in the first pancake, even when experience tells us it rarely behaves. A little too much heat, an awkward flip, an edge catching before we are ready.

Then comes the equally familiar response, quick and unpolished, escaping before patience has properly woken up. The humour lives in how neatly these small beginnings follow one another. Sound becomes breakfast, breakfast becomes mishap, and mishap becomes language. Nothing serious has happened, yet for a few seconds the kitchen holds an entire miniature drama. By the next pancake, everything will probably be fine.

First published on NaHaiWriMo.

Curious how these small moments become haiku? I’ve written a short guide called The Three-Minute Haiku System, which shows a simple way to turn an observation into a draft haiku in just a few minutes.