Grand Canyon Haikus

by Grand Canyon Trust Staff

No waxing poetic on National Haiku Day. We’re celebrating the Grand Canyon in short verse.


As advocates for the Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau, language is a powerful tool we use to speak for our public lands. We write op-eds, send emails, and submit formal comments and legal briefs. Try as we may to be concise, our love of place occasionally floods the page.

But brevity is an art, and today is National Haiku Day. So in the spirit of exercising economy of words, we tasked our staff with writing Grand Canyon haikus.

True to form, we counted our syllables — five, seven, five — and, in three short lines, attempted to capture our favorite memories of time spent below the rim. 

May the canyon spark the inner poet in us all. What’s your verse?

Image

Blog - haikus (Roger 2)

Ten toenails intact
Say you're not hiking enough
Down under the rim

—Roger Clark

Blog - haikus (joan, travis)

Descend down the path
With each step I am smaller
Time and life loom large

—Joan Carstensen

Falling stars and I
We made a pact together 
To keep on laughing 

Travis Bruner

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blog - Haikus (Ashley Davidson)

The best thing about
hiking rim-to-rim at noon
is chocolate ice cream.

—Ashley Davidson

Blog - haikus (Deon, Tim)

It has its own breath
From the depth of, life exits
Together it lives

—Deon Ben

What’s in a name, eh?
Try Ongtupqa, Wi:kaʼi:la.
“Grand” is the newest.

—Tim Peterson

Blog - haikus (Aaron)

Blog - haikus (Aaron)
Lisa Winters

 

The rock sentinels
Stand guard in the dawn while I
Sit on the groover

—Aaron Paul

Water. Sediment
Uplift. Downcut. Erosion
Now a Grand Canyon

—Lisa Winters

Light dances on cliffs
colors awake my spirit
inspired I trudge

—Stephanie Smith

Image
Amy S. Martin

Blog - haikus (Emily)

A canyon wren sings
Cool breeze whispers me awake
And downstream we go

–Emily Thompson

Blog - haikus (Darcy, Mary)

Brown, red, dirt, and sand
Time has carved its lines and curves
Leave it as it is

—Darcy Allen

One day there is this
two juniper blue berries 
one feisty titmouse

—Mary O’Brien

Image
Airwolfhound, Flickr

Blog - haikus (Audrey)

Whaap, whaap sounds above
the raven eyes the trail mix
and soars up the cliffs

—Audrey Kruse

Blog - Haikus (Ethan, Candice)

Kids laughing with glee.
Field trip to the Grand Canyon,
what a perfect day!

—Candace Hamana

Toothy grins, wailing
Who carries out the diapers?
Love in the canyon

—Ethan Aumack

Blog - haikus (Amber B)

Blog - haikus (Amber B)

 

Tranquil and mystique
It calls me and I awake
Blossoming heartbeats

—Amber N. Benally

Blog - haikus (Singer, Libby)

Heavy clouds across
horizon lost. Rain feeds flow
lightening strikes below

—Singer Horse Capture

Rain brings waterfalls
Swirling, sensuous on rock 
Smell sage air rising

—Libby Ellis

Image

Blog - Haikus (amber)

Earthy, chilly dawn.
Beige, crimson, yellow, black, green. 
Now for the hard part. 

—Amber Reimondo

Blog - haikus (Kamran, Michael)

Standing and staring
Gazing into the abyss
Overcome with awe

—Kamran Zafar

A sharp eye perceives
many things missed by others
sit still and listen

—Michael Toll

Image
Alan Levine

Blog - haikus (Cerissa)

Grandma junipers
ancient alligator skins
shedding blue-brown beads

—Cerissa Hoglander

Blog - haikus (Steve, David)

Wondrous labyrinth
Alternate visions collide
What say Everett?

—Steve Rosenstock

Inflatable plinth
Grand conveyance equipage
Radness resplendent 

—David Vines

Blog - haikus (Jessica)

Blog - haikus (Jessica)
Amy Martin

 

The tops are now white
its been a forsaken plight
until the sun shines

—Jessica Stago

Blog - haikus (Vanessa, Anne Mariah)

Roasting pinon whiff
Windburned lips soothed with sap salve
Regenerating

—Vanessa Vandever

Jim said there’s this rhyme
Know the canyon’s history
Study rocks made by time

—Anne Mariah Tapp

Blog - haikus (call for poems)

What do you love about the Grand Canyon? Use the form below to tell us in a haiku!