back home —
the widespread arms
of a scarecrow
This haiku captures the moment of return to one’s home. Oh, to have widespread arms to
welcome one back! The joy of that image quickly turns in the last line to one of pathos. Instead
of the arms of a loved one, here are the arms of a scarecrow. This decidedly autumn haiku
leaves us with a tinge of loss or perhaps, some longing. Isn’t there anyone else to welcome the
poet back home? On another level, in many countries where the crop is scarce (and so are
resources), the scarecrow is an important part of the farm. To come back to the reassuring form
of the duty-bound scarecrow in a farm, may not be a bad thing at all!
Geethanjali Rajan
Haiku Editor