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Sunday, April 11, 2004

espresso creme

espresso creme -
wrigglers emerge
in a still pond

thunderclouds gather

thunderclouds gather
as the fleet leaves harbour -
Rorschach blots

delicate sushi

delicate sushi
melts in my mouth -
train roars by

juice dribbles

juice dribbles
from a ripe apple -
half a worm

the striker

the striker
scores a goal to cheers -
infant picks a scab

rainbow

rainbow
in a hose spray -
earthworm wriggles

feet in the fountain

feet in the fountain -
children play cops
and robbers

sun glints

sun glints
on the plane's wing -
white handkerchief

margarita

margarita
pitchers fill the table -
mosquito bite

laughter emanates

laughter emanates
from a moldy cinema -
bright light sneezes

all shadows

all shadows
disappear this noon -
tropic of cancer

terracotta pot

terracotta pot -
dirt between
toes

ink runs dry

ink runs dry -
(
(

mosquito

mosquito
ends in bug zapper -
sweat rivulets

staring

staring
at a plaster ceiling -
clouds

Monday, October 27, 2003

budgerigar

budgerigar
hops on the edge of my plate
eating fried eggs

latex gloves

latex gloves
mix with sweet perfume--
flu shot

soft white clouds

soft white clouds
drift beneath the wings--
passengers doze

chequerboard fields

chequerboard fields
from the mountaintop--
twitch of a gecko

fluffy clouds

fluffy clouds
animals laze in the heat--
fluffy clouds

removing my coat

removing my coat
airline safety instructions
exits behind me

above the clouds

above the clouds,
writing home already--
distant contrail

starting a ko fight

starting a ko fight,
black stone snaps from my fingers--
distant laughs muffled

Thursday, October 16, 2003

i bend to tie

i bend to tie
the laces on my shoe-
willie wagtail hops

my head turns

my head turns
into the autumn breeze-
hint of perfume

raindrops

raindrops
on a canvas tent-
woodsmoke

leaves swirl

leaves swirl
in a cracked gutter-
hole in my sock

Monday, October 13, 2003

the owl hoots

the owl hoots--
an old man pauses
and snores again

Monday, October 06, 2003

Haiku: Volume 1: Eastern Culture - R.H. Blyth

Haiku is probably not what you think it is. Forget the elementary school exercises with 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. Haiku is a way of life that happens to have one manifestation as few words.

R.H. Blyth has been regarded as the leading English-language expert on haiku since he brought the first deep analysis of it from Japan. His four-volume series Haiku includes an introductory volume on the way of haiku and then three volumes collecting all reasonable haiku written during the times of the Japanese masters. Those three volumes are organized in the traditional Japanese way, by season.

The first volume looks at the nature of haiku and how it has grown in concert with Eastern religion, Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, No theatre, Ikebana (flower arrangement), and Cha no Yu (the art of tea).

Haiku Vol. 1 is written for the English-speaking reader who has limited awareness of Japanese culture and religion and shows how haiku voice similar themes as English-language poetry over the past six centuries.

Toward the end of the first volume, there is a short section on the four great haiku poets, Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki. Although this volume by itself does not give a comprehensive selection by the masters, the other volumes make up for that lack. Instead, Blyth devotes his pages on the masters to a comparison of styles, characterizing each with reference to the others. For a fuller comparison of the masters, other books exist as important supplements.

Despite the 350 pages of this volume, a mere 25 are devoted to the technique of haiku. If this book were re-written now, there would undoubtedly be more because of the vast quantity of discussion on the topic and the fact that there has been so much misrepresentation of the form. Fortunately, the web now provides many resources for those interested in exploring haiku more deeply and understanding the discussion and technique and form that is vital to understand before contemplating writing haiku in English. The World Haiku Club is a useful starting point.

In all, this is a vastly important book for English-speakers wanting to understand the historical and religious roots of haiku without dedicating the time to a full historical text. If you have never looked into haiku, this book will change your preconceptions dramatically.

Buy this book from Amazon

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

the astronomer

the astronomer
sips hot cocoa and shivers --
the milky way

Monday, September 22, 2003

newspapers rustle

newspapers rustle
on a rocking train--
a businessman yawns

between the pages

between the pages-
my budgerigar's
tailfeather

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© Copyright 2006 David Harris. Click here to send an email to the editor of this weblog.
Last update: 1/25/2006; 2:06:19 PM.
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