The English language has not been kind to the haiku.
While the format is set in stone in its Japanese homeland – albeit a stone that
is beginning to suffer from a certain amount of weathering – almost anything
goes in the Western world. The Wikipedia article on the subject is frankly
bewildering – a monoku, anybody? How about a cirku instead?
I am not, and do not seek to become, a haiku scholar.
When I decided to try writing a couple of examples, there were two guidelines I
wanted to abide by. First, three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables each. There are
alternatives, but this feels closest to the tradition of 5, 7 and 5 on
in Japanese poems (on not being the same as syllables).
Wikipedia: Some translators of Japanese poetry have noted
that about 12 syllables in English approximate the duration of 17 Japanese on.
Secondly, to maintain a theme of nature, but with a bit of a
twist. It is not necessarily the case that haiku must be written about
nature, but it is popularly considered that they are. More than ever, modern haiku
do not fit with this supposed tradition but I thought it would be fun to try
and play with it a little.
So it was that I attempted to contrast the fundamental
wonder of the natural world with the trivialities and ‘take things for granted’
attitude of middle class life. What follows are the collated efforts of my last
couple of week’s poetry writing. Hopefully some of them will make you chuckle –
that is my only, relatively lowbrow, aim. Some of them don’t necessarily fit
with the self-imposed guidelines; some of them don’t work at all, I’m sure.
Irritations
Innocent, carefree
Children burst with life and soul
Cans of Monster drunk
Soaring high above
Call of nature to answer
Car washed this morning
Sleepy morning eyes
Toothpaste, face cream, side by side
Scent of mint awakes
Genetics dictate
Attraction on the inside
Lying Lynx bastards
Cave paintings and grunts
Language, expression evolves!
Now ‘meeting’ is ‘mtg’
Issues
Global poverty
Dictator-led oppression
Bad e-mail grammar
Best local produce
Diet of global cuisine
Krispy Kreme doughnuts
Good Transport Links
Internal combustion
Freedom road broadens the mind
Infernal road noise
Raw tuna for lunch
Electronic wonderland
Akihabara
Outdoors
Windswept mountaintops
Scaling heights of endurance
Scaring me shitless
Atop misty moors
Battling the elements
Check in on Facebook
Lost in wilderness
Despite compass in pocket
Relied on iPhone
Wide eyes and sore legs
Capture nature’s masterpiece
Battery just died
Pride
Heights of performance
All athletic disciplines
Olympic glory
Donation of blood
Oh, noble humanity!
Free biscuit after
Observations
Expectations rise
Under grey Manchester rain
‘The Dark Knight Rises’
Blue puffer jacket
Shades, tracksuit, ironing board
Gentleman of Stoke