Humpday Haiku Review
Some edgier souls shy away from the old forms. Those are stale and boring. There is nothing left in the old genres that’s new. This complaint is perfectly understandable. Tastes and cultures change, shedding off old ways of doing things to make room for the new. And yet, there’s also a hasty assumption in the complaint that forms contain the messages, that they have a limited supply of meanings to dish out, and that using an old form might narrow the artist’s expressive horizons. Forms are vehicles, after all. It is through them that we might find the NEW, waiting for us startlingly decked out in the familiar.
Just look at haikus here on WordPress. I’m blown away with how many incredible haikus appear on my reader feed. Terse vehicles in ancient rigging, performing all sorts of new tricks. Somehow it seems that the compressive reading habits cultivated by the internet have helped to bring out the beauty of the haiku. I’m not completely shocked by this populist resurgence, having myself experienced a similar occurrence with respect to another tired out old form–the knock knock joke. Being badgered everyday by a loving nine year old for a new knock knock joke on command was great writing practice. It taught me an important lesson. There’s still gold in them thar hills! And it led me to a silly hybrid: the knock knock haiku.
Knock knock. Who’s there? Luke
A. Mosh. Luke A. Mosh who? Look!
Yes! Look at my shoe.
Try it on a young crowd. Perform the punchline by pointing at your own shoe and you’ll see what I mean.
Anyways, I’ve decided to showcase ten of the haikus I’ve seen in the past week that have simply taken my breath away upon reading them. This is highly subjective, I know, so my point in offering these gems is simply to celebrate them and the illimitable haiku that transports their charms.
1. Stories of a Girl (haiku)
Once upon a time ~
There was a girl ~ Great stories ~
Begin with a Girl
Posted by solbluesol
2. Grasshoppers on the…
Grasshoppers on the hot sidewalk, watching me watch them, soon fly away.
Posted by Thomas Wigington
3. Mystery
bird, calls after dark
long, high repeated cries—end
higher, like questions
posted by Heart of Life Poetry
4. Imagination
I have imagination
I see big boats in the sky
But I’m afraid of death
5. Haiku for Departure
To leave one you love
is much harder than dying
second time around
Posted by Carlos Chagall on Alphabetcity
6. Day seventy-two: in which my mistake was drinking a jug of wine
pictures on facebook
of me learning how to twerk
I’m too old to drink.
by aybeeachoo
7. Haiku Heights – Shepherd
first day of school –
teacher shepherds little ones
to the lunch room
Posted by Wabi Sabi on WabiSabi
8. #1285
summer locks its doors
still autumn claws at the cracks
bare branch fingernails
by Elyssa Tappero on ONLY FRAGMENTS
9. 365 Days of Poetry: Day Two-Hundred and Forty-Six
like a blind man I.
turn away from the vultures and.
remember myself.
10. It all counts
Haiku is seeing
the world in syllables and
knowing each one counts.
by mediamugshot on the 10 Minute Ramble
Thanks so much for including my haiku in the list of poems you’ve enjoyed this week. What a lovely surprise for me. Thanks also for the knock knock joke… LOL!
Thank you for writing such a memorably fresh haiku!
My twelve year old is still a lover of the knock-knock joke, and a source of endless inspiration. Thanks for the mention. And the other poets to check out.
Reblogged this on work your way out and commented:
Haiku from yesterday was reblogged here, and complimented even! Check out the other nine on his list, all good stuff.
I’m delighted that you enjoyed my haiku this week! Thank you for including it in your post. I enjoyed your knock-knock joke and will test it out on my 5 year old grandson when I see him!
I have written in free verse for years, but when I need a challenge or a refresher course, I go to forms. 😉 I really enjoyed the featured haikus.
An honor to be mentioned here. Thank you. —–Chagall
Much deserved.
Michael, love this feature! And in time, I’ll get over my pique that none of my haiku were selected for the showcase! Damn! Back to the drawing board. Anyway, glad you visited and found some you liked. I’m now following your blog as a sort of shameless inducement for any favors you could do for me in the future! Plus, it’s a darn good read. There! Have I sucked up enough yet?!
Ron
I think the knock knock haiku is my new favourite hybrid form.