Frog jumps into ancient pond
Loud splash of water
- Basho (or someone's English translation of his Japanese haiku)
I saw a haiku about an old temple bell, a startled frog and a loud splash. But not some people. The teacher's talking about the human condition. Many others are seeing it too, so either I'm blind or people are looking too deeply. It really makes me wonder what Basho was thinking about as he wrote. Was the really using the haiku as a canvas for the human condition? In my mind, I'm seeing the painter guy from PBS painting a scene. Maybe I'm too literal for this kind of poetry.
The teacher gave us an in class assignment of writing a haiku. Yeah, I did more than that in the 20 minutes she gave us.
Sitting in a class
Feeling dreadfully behind
Still don't get haikus
This is not easy
Poetry is not my thing
Just what I've observed
This is not easy
I do not notice nature
I'm always inside
The the teacher informed us that modern haikus don't have to deal with nature. So I celebrated by writing another haiku :eyeroll:
Wonderful reprieve
To incorporate new things
Now I have a chance
Haikus aren't my suit
I need much more than fifteen beats
To express my craft
I am not concise
When writing comes into play
But I am trying
I got the pattern
But not the right idea
Still working in that
The teacher then asked us to read them aloud in class. That's when I felt woefully out of it. Apparently politics in the US is about birds, grass and drones. I'm my mind, quite obviously I am not getting this assignment. When reached my turn, I confessed that I was not getting the hang of this assignment, especially in regards to nature (note haiku #3). Teacher told not to put myself down and just read it out loud. I decided on haiku #7, especially since I had just started writing #8 but it wasn't complete. She said something to the regard that apologies are not needed for our writing. Well that idea sparked haiku #8
Darkness is around
Apologies not needed
There is still hope
Still no nature really in sight but it seemed just as depressing as everyone else's. By the end of class, I started #9 but in still looking for the first line.
Writing can be depressing
I prefer a smile.
I'm currently on a roll. I was walking to the bus station from class, and did haiku #10.
It is elusive
I need my "A-Ha!" moment
It is out of reach
We got homework. What's our favorite story and why. I'm still compiling a list but "I Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch will definitely be on the list. It's actually pretty serious for Robert Munsch but it still has that touch of whimsy that I love in stories.
And then of course after everything that happened today, there is still my favorite haiku, which according to the rules provided by my teacher, is not quite a haiku except in the number of syllables.
Haikus are easy
Sometimes thy don't make sense
Refrigerator
- by Rolf Nelson (you can even buy the tshirt from Threadless.com)
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