Half a dozen haikus....
Recently a long commute home and the blessing of a dead mobile phone led me back to Haiku.
For those not acquainted with the form Haiku is a 17th century Japanese verse consisting of three lines, these lines are compromised of 17 syllables, and the lines follow a five, seven, five syllable pattern. Haiku tends to focus on a single or pair of intense images which are typically a meditation on nature, the seasons, or the world of non-human animals. As with most poetic forms a lot of rebel poets have broken the above rules and of course in translation a lot of Japanese Haikus do not fit the English syllabics!
Here, writerly collaborator, G. Kim and I have chosen to keep the form of three lines and 17 syllables, with their five, seven, five pattern, however, we have chosen to diverge slightly in theme. In our Haikus we instead explore the so-called negative emotions those of anger, unease, frustration, melancholy, and disillusionment, we also set ourselves the challenge of including something considered ‘very Japanese’ in each poem.
You can read more about Haiku here and here and here are 40 Haikus ‘you (apparently) should know’ ranging from 17th century Haiku Japanese master Matsu Basho meditating on a frog, right through to 20th century American Beat poet Jack Kerouac fixated on his beer. (Haiku number six -the final one below- those with a beady literary eye will note was inspired by Ezra Pound’s iconic Haiku-like poem In a Station of the Metro.)
We hope you enjoy our half a dozen Haikus…
Flowing up shit creek
Like Hokusai waves crush boats
Weathering it all
G. Kim
On this IWD
Corporate Godzilla roars
Power Pose! Let go
Emma Silverthorn
Aim for Fujisan
Toil for attainment of…
Rarefied, thin air.
G. Kim
Leigham Vale cherry
blossom falls past gutted home
Howling woman gone.
Emma Silverthorn
Wake up Neo-san
The neon sign now lighted:
Fuck up the matrix.
G. Kim
Shinkansen a dream
Still many fine black petals
Through syrup journeys.
Emma Silverthorn