Tuesday Haiku Contest.

There's a special prize this week--not the usual oldie-but-goodie book that I find in the library book sale.  Nope, the prize is a NEW book (only read once--by me), kindly donated by the fabulous people at Soft Skull Press.

So.  Win a copy of The Haiku Year by writing a haiku about something that you see or hear or feel today.  Here's mine:

Seams in the asphalt
tires pound out a quick rhythm
carrying me home

Not exactly traditional haiku subject matter, but that's in keeping with both the past contests and with this week's prize.  Oh, and don't feel obligated to stick to the 5-7-5 format--the poems in the book are Western haiku.

Comments

[Jeremy]

Bah! This is why I don't dig poetry - take a perfectly good form like haiku, then rename it *slighty* and ignore the rules. Structure! When I think Western Haiku, I don't think 'brain fart in 3 lines', I think:

Howdy there Pilgrim
Point me that thar' saloon
I need me whiskey

or

I love this brothel
Soon I'll kill the sheriff dead
For now, I'll take head.

I mean, c'mon! "Western languages cannot adapt themselves" my saddle-sore patoot!

[Chrissy]

He is blaming me,
That husband of mine, dear Lord.
Keep it PG, son!

[Jeremy]

Uh-huh, ok, yeah...
I seem to recall laughing
When your eyes bulged out.

[Chrissy]

It is so not on.
I will not Haiku-fu with
such a pest as you.

[lauren]

Jeremy, Chrissy,
Hey guys, it's the rest o'the world:
Get a room you two.

[steve]

In all fairness to the western haiku, 17 syllables in English works out to many more words than 17 syllables in Japanese. In order to capture the feel of haiku in English, 3-5-3 (or something similar) works better.

-snooty PhD to be (at least if ever get over my fear of rejection and ask my profs. to be on my committee)

[steve]

bag full of
apples- no longer
summer

[Chrissy]

Steve, well, that's a better explanation of western haiku. Just saying that "western language cannot adapt" is pretty condescending (and a little arrogant to feel no qualms about deviating from the intended structure). Thank you for making it make more sense.

boxes full
a cardboard forest
hides my boots

[C.C.]

boxes full
a cardboard forest
hides my boots

Oh man, if I could replace "t" with "k" in the last line, that would ultimately fulfill my personal defintion of "great poetry" which is, "that's exactly how I feel, damn I wish I was that smart."

Although, come to think of it, that's also how I feel about my closet, in a way (I only own two pairs of boots, but I'm working on over 100 pairs of shoes.)

[Chrissy]

Well, my books are all in clearly labeled boxes. Everything else...not so much. I'm trying to unpack the kitchen and it's getting a little frustrating.

cookie sheets
mixing bowls, sugar, flour
where'd you go?

[leila]

3-5-3 is much harder. More fun, though:

grainy sweet
marshmallows leave slime
on my tongue

[lauren]

Steve Lento PHD:
giant freaking nerd. poetry obsessed.
get a life dooooood.

[Laurenzmom]

My gym just called me.
Summer's contest went my way.
I won a year free!

[lauren]

Nibbler, my budgie,
pretty good at taking off
very bad at landing.