re:Virals 249

Welcome to re:Virals, The Haiku Foundation’s weekly poem commentary feature on some of the finest haiku ever written in English. This week’s poem was

 plumes of smoke  

curl around…  

— Hifsa Ashraf, haikuniverse (2019)

Corine Timmer considers life’s rituals:

Each time I read this poem, a different image jumps to mind. One of them is a coffin in a place of worship; a child’s coffin. On top of the coffin is a bouquet of half open white roses. The roses are half open because the child died before reaching puberty. The roses are white because white petals represent peace after death and happiness in the afterlife. White also represents innocence. The plumes of scented smoke curling around the roses are from burning incense. Incense is used in rituals and ceremonies all over the world, including funerals. The word “curl” is a powerful choice. Like the…