I've always been moved by the sight of the new moon in the night sky. This haiku is my attempt to capture that moment in words.

The Syracuse Poster Project is a wonderful community initiative. It encourages local poets, both experienced and new, to share their works celebrating our beautiful part of the world. Having an opportunity to collaborate with a visual artist studying at Syracuse University makes it really special. This is my third haiku to be honored in this way.

This haiku was inspired by early spring walks on the wooded trails around Beaver Lake. Some years, my timing has been just right, and I've arrived when the trilliums were in full bloom. Most have three white petals, through a few, called Wake-Robins, are a deep red. There's a startling contrast between the dark, wet forest floor and the bright white of trilliums which grow in great numbers there.

I like the art of haiku because the form is so concentrated. Every word, every syllable, every sound, matters. Just a few words can conjure up the richness of an experience.

Because the poem was supposed to have a local flavor, I thought about the times in my life when I had been most filled with a feeling of beauty and awe. What came to mind was going to the Lafayette area, south of the city, to pick apples. I had a vision of the sky being really blue overhead, like it is here in the fall, and seeing trees laden with apples. My heart would just fly! And I would say to my children, “This is just like being in Eden!”

So the poem is about that experience, and also about the mythology around Eve. I'm intrigued by her desire.