Haiku 2023–253

a child at Costco

buying sleds in September

wishing time away

— —

I don’t know what’s more remarkable — the fact that Costco rolled out their winter gear before Labor Day or that someone actually bought something already. That, however, was the situation I found unfolding in front of me last week during our weekly shopping trip.

Trying to place myself into the mind of the child holding the brand-new sled, I can only guess that they are looking forward to the first time they use it. In this neck of the woods, however, the earliest they can hope to do so won’t be for two-and-a-half months. Will they spend that time praying earnestly for the first snow day of the year? I might have done so as well back in my youth when time seemed limitless and expendable…

Not now.

I want to ‘drop the anchor’ and get the most out of each day I can. I love autumn here in Southwest Ohio, but we still have some late summer to not only enjoy, but treasure. I will be ready for winter when it comes, but I don’t need it to come today. This haiku attempts to capture that feeling.