Jessica Ruano is a writer of press releases, newspaper articles, romantic emails, blog entries, brochures, academic papers, and – occasionally – of short stories and poetry. As a publicist, she has worked for numerous theatre companies and for the Capital Poetry Collective; she still performs her spoken word poems at Capital Slam. In her spare time, she enjoys tree climbing, pancake making, and spontaneous kissing. And she has a soft spot for haikus.

Haiku #1
She smoothes the shapes with
Her fingertips to commit
Them to memory
Haiku #2
You say you enjoy
Experimenting with sex -
First learn the basics
Haiku #3
Facing the pathway
Perpendicular to the
Road less traveled by
Haiku #4
Computer screens and
telephone receivers are
now my only friends
Haiku #5
Candlelight flickers
Inexorably waning
Through my tangled hair
Haiku #6
You tell me to search
For sorrow in your eyes but
I see only blue
Haiku #7
This child could be my
Child could be if only my
Brown hair were blonder
Haiku #8
Piece to piece to piece
I’d love nothing more than to
Piece you together
Haiku #9
My bruise inflicted
By him conflicted says blue
And black turns him on
Haiku #10
You kiss my temple
My body this place beside
My eye there you kiss
Haiku #11
Your hands continued
To search for her body through
The curves in my hips
Haiku #12
In my closet rest
Two toothbrushes: one is his
The other is hers
Haiku #13
Now you are gone and
All I have left is my life
How it used to be
Haiku #14
Heart palpitations
Be my trusty companions
En route to the stage