I was introduced to haiku as a child; then reintroduced as an adult when my daughter was in elementary school. I like the shortness and the framework of haiku. It's fun to play with. And the fact that it usually involves a natural theme—I enjoy that.

I'm a veterinary pathologist, trained as a veterinarian; so animals, plants and natural history have always been important to me.

For this haiku, I wanted something related to downtown, and I wanted to incorporate nature. I've seen cannas planted at Columbus Circle, and I thought that would be a fitting topic. Cannas come in many colors, but I love the vibrant red ones best. I've grown them myself. I dig up the tubers each fall before the freeze, and replant them every spring, and I've done that most every year for about 15 or 20 years.

I have enjoyed writing haiku over a period of several years. I became interested in it when my daughter studied haiku in grade school; I was inspired by one of her teachers, also a haiku writer.

I chose to write about the Dinosaur Bar-B-Q because it is a really popular place in Syracuse -- a landmark, almost -- and because it has a lot of color associated with it, the flames and the blues and all, and they have really good food. I think their ribs are the best I've ever had.

What I like about haiku is the short format, which makes it easy, but challenging at the same time. I like the challenge of trying to express a beautiful thought or depicting a beautiful image, usually about nature, in a very short space.

Every aspect of Nature --“zoology, botany, geology, and astronomy”-- has always fascinated me. So, it's only natural that writing haikus and bird watching are two of my favorite pastimes!

One reason I like to read and write haikus is that they often allude to Nature. As a haiku writer, I like the challenge of trying to depict a beautiful image found in Nature in a very short space. I also like the demands of the rigid format and the easy shortness of haiku. I started writing haiku when my daughter Brook learned about them in grade school, and was inspired by the haikus of one of her teachers, Sheila Forsyth.

Several years ago, when peregrine falcons started nesting on the tall buildings in Syracuse, I was thrilled. Seeing falcons soaring, diving after prey, truly lifts my spirits. And encountering these wild hunters in the heart of Syracuse, while unexpected, is emblematic of Syracusans' adventurousness and their love of nature.