Haiku by Michael G. Smith

to fix my sandal 
thirty rupees
his two-tooth smile

***
I enjoyed this haiku, which reads like a postcard from Nepal, where it was written. It has an unusual and interesting focus on numbers, not that common in haiku. There is addition and subtraction here. The speaker had two sandals–now one is broken. To rectify the pair, the poet must pay thirty rupees, which is a pittance by American standards.
The poet, however, is rewarded for the transaction by something special. The two-tooth smile might speak of poverty–and lack of dental care–but it is also cheerful and freely given.
We can never know exactly what things are worth–but the exchange is fruitful for all involved.