haiku


I tend to do these in batches. Some days are just haiku days.

 

Wiggle your bare toes in
the loamy earth, feel
energy run through you
*
*
The wind is shouting through
the trees, not subtle,
demanding attention
*
*
The windchimes take the brunt
of the wind’s anger:
what a clanging they make
*
*
The leaves clatter against
the sidewalk: they, too,
flee from the angry wind
*
*
Why is the wind angry?
Railing against the
bad we do to the earth?
*
*
Sky so bright a blue your
heart might burst with joy
(but you pray it doesn’t)

Days of clover soon
are over but at least there’s
daisies and clover.

*

Angels stir the frost
around on the windowpanes:
road maps to heaven.

*

Birds singing in the
sun, chittering gossip: they
know what’s important.

*

Dogs dark on and on
as shadows pass: metronome
of free form unease.

*

Crow caws out the news
from the telephone pole—there
are snacks in this yard.

Random quote of the day:

“The old cherry tree’s
final blossoms are her last
cherished memory.”

—Bashō (tr. Sam Hamill in Narrow Road to the Interior)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Orville and Wilbur, Katy Perry, or the Avengers. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

He’s a rodent, yes,
and eats my peaches up. But
the squirrel is still cute.

 

 

 
*For a definition of what constitutes haiku, tanka, and cinquains, and for an explanation of this poetry project, go here.

*To see all the poems in one place go here.

The hawk rides thermals
above the wetland–glad he’s
left my bird feeder.

 
 

 

 

*For a definition of what constitutes haiku, tanka, and cinquains, and for an explanation of this poetry project, go here.

*To see all the poems in one place go here.

Mirrored from Better Than Dead.

Along the street the
trees stand naked and shy. The
trimmers have been here.

*For a definition of what constitutes haiku, tanka, and cinquains, and for an explanation of this poetry project, go here.

*To see all the poems in one place go here.

Pink blossoms embrace
the earth; emptied branches bud
with future peaches.

Peach blossom shadows by PJ Thompson

*For a definition of what constitutes haiku, tanka, and cinquains, and for an explanation of this poetry project, go here.

*To see all the poems in one place go here.

My little cat cries
to go outside. She’s right: the
sunshine’s glorious.

 

 

*For a definition of what constitutes haiku, tanka, and cinquains, and for an explanation of this poetry project, go here.

*To see all the poems in one place go here.

 

The Barber stuffed chicken breast box.
I’ve been struggling to come back online as an artist. I’ve been doing a found-paper box-folding project since June 1, 2017: one box a day for a year, little things, until May 31, 2018. Then I shall assemble them into something. Not quite sure what yet, although I have ideas.

But the writing…fits and starts, can’t keep going on anything, things bubbling below the surface, but they won’t come out. I need to write. I long for it so hard, so deep. I think I need to force my own hand, so I’m going to try doing little things with that, too. I remember a writing teacher many long yarns ago who made us do five weeks (out of 20) of nothing but haiku, tanka, and cinquains before he’d let us do any other kind of writing. We chafed at that, some dropped the class, but for those of us who stuck with it this discipline turned into an amazingly freeing exercise. So…

Haiku
Poems of 3 lines and 17 syllables:
Line 1, 5 syllables
Line 2, 7 syllables
Line 3, 5 syllables

Tanka
Poems of 5 lines, 31 syllables:
Line 1, 5 syllables
Line 2, 7 syllables
Line 3, 5 syllables
Line 4, 7 syllables
Line 4, 7 syllables

Cinquain
An American form in imitation of the Japanese forms above. (Some cheat and title these poems, allowing themselves an extra line.)
Poems of 5 lines with iambic accents:
Line 1, 1 accent
Line 2, 2 accents
Line 3, 3 accents
Line 4, 4 accents
Line 5, 1 accent

Can I keep up the discipline? What discipline should I set myself? One a day? One a week?

I’ll try one a day, but that may be ambitious. One a week seems too little. So maybe I’ll compromise. I have to do at least 3 a week. If I do more, that’s great, but at least those three. So, here we go.

Edited to add: I started this on a Thursday, so my week runs Thursday to Thursday.

Day One – Tanka (with a thanks to mountoregano and a side thanks to Billy Collins)

The daffodils hold,
their green ranks standing silent.
The peach tree, chafing
with impatience, holds forth in
full spring, laughing pink blossoms.