Glass Pond

glass pond
the hidden churning of
a mallard's wake

Have you ever seen a perfectly still pond with its surface reflecting the world around it? Within that calm, there often lies a hidden story that goes unseen. This haiku explores the tension between a serene exterior and the powerful forces that drive it.

The mallard is a familiar creature, yet the powerful paddling that propels it across the pond churns just below the surface, invisible to us. We see only the V-shaped wake trailing behind as the visible sign of hidden effort. This juxtaposition of observable wake and unseen churning is central to the haiku’s meaning.

That image can extend to the human condition. Like the mallard, we present a composed exterior while our real struggles, ambitions and passions happen beneath the surface. Others may see the wake we leave in the world, but the effort itself remains personal and private.

This haiku invites us to look beyond the placid surface, in ourselves and in others, and appreciate the unseen forces that drive us all.

I am delighted to have this haiku featured in Kokako 44 – March 2026. My sincere thanks to Editor Graham Bates for the inclusion.

Click here to read the whole issue.