Haikus give me some trouble. Ever since that fateful day in the third grade when Mrs. Richens assigned her poor students the task of creating a Haiku in ten-minutes with the unspoken threat “or no recess” looming in the air, I've been at a loss to write what could be subjectively considered a “worthy” Haiku. A work of art. After cheating my way out of truly fulfilling the assignment, it has been my life-long goal to rightfully claim that recess. The recess my nine-year-old mentality stole those long years ago by scribbling a couple of illegible lines on that blue and beige page.
Perhaps someday, I will have finally earned the right to play that game of four-square. But for now, here is a small, but tasty smattering of a few Haikus that will hopefully bring me one step closer to achieving my ultimate ambition.
(Or, as the title implies, here is a . . . Chinese bowl . . . pan . . . of Japanese . . . poetic . . . flavors)
Ahem. One of first Haikus I came across and actually enjoyed was shared by a high school history teacher. Some of you may have heard it before:
Duck duck duck duck duck
duck duck duck duck duck duck duck
duck duck duck duck goose
- Becky Langford
Not a work of art. Slightly overused. But entertaining and clever nonetheless.
I ran across another Haiku—apparently one of the best known Japanese Haikus—just the other day. Since the Japanese does me no good, here is the English translation:
Old pond . . .
a frog leaps in
water's sound
-Matsuo BashÅ
Right. Perhaps a work of art, you be the judge. However, just like the first, it fails to give me the tools to write a truly poetic Haiku. But it is very naturey, which I hear, is a traditional requirement of Haikus. Here's a Haiku by yours truly, in which I broke that tradition accidentally on purpose:
Found lost grocery list
cheese cloth and onions you say?
two trips to the store
True story.
But once again, the oh-so-tricky, ultimate Haiku alludes me. And so the quest continues.
Your help is needed. Please feel free to add to my collection.
4 comments:
Some cheese cloth indeed?
I really wonder what for.
We may never know.
I'm not good either.
My uncle publishes books
Of it. So I don't.
My only attempts
Have been at my Austen blog.
Well, of late at least.
For your own safety
Do not walk alone in this
Area past dark
Jess--isn't that a direct quote from the signs on Maesar Hill?
Yes, yes it is.
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