h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The generous and approving remarks introducing this selection of haiku was written by a poet who now appears on h2g2 under the title B.

As a poetic form, haiku suits me by its brevity, there's no room for excess words. The photos are not illustrations of the poems, but both occurred on Sandymount Strand, Dublin, Ireland, during early-morning walks.

B's selection might not be mine, but I'm not that good at selecting, and "Sandymount Strand" is now up to volume VI, totalling 150 poems (and as many photos). Be grateful for B's critical knife.

Meanwhile, if they're to your taste, enjoy the poems.

Cheers,

Chaiwallah

Well I like them. They are very nice. The Haiku is very hard form of poetry to get good ones of, and you have succeeded fantastically. My poultry lyrical pieces are not worthy of such fame.

I found these haiku refreshing, a combination of startling and elegant that Western writers don't get right very often.

The appeal of haiku, for me, as I said above, is the extreme concentration of the form. But within the three-line structure, there is great potential. My understanding is that the traditional Japanese form is associated almost exclusively with seasonal reflections, there is always an element of "Aaah!" Western haiku has taken the form and played with it in many different contexts ( as the Haiku thread on h2g2 illustrates ). But still, the three-line form benefits from the use of surprise, both climactic and anti-climactic, humourous and serious intent. B's selection reflects her personal taste. Since they were written, I've written a whole series called "Voices," (50 so far)which uses the form in yet another way, exorcising personal, emotional demons. Here's a few, written around the deaths of my parents.

16
Your hand just went cold.
They would not disconnect you,
yet, I knew you’d gone.

17
Dead, your eyes closed tight,
Your teeth just showed through blue lips.
I feared they’d open.

18
I recall that shrug,
and a demolishing sniff,
your deflating laugh.


19
His blue eyes twinkled,
belying the frowning brows,
and his stern-carved mouth.

20
Brown eyes measuring –
“I’m an artist,” you explained,
“I can’t help staring.”

21
Your time came to leave.
After those four voiceless months,
the cold quietness.

Enjoy, as they say,

C \|/

thanks for now i know
haiku is a three-lined structure
thoughts in which to show

Dear Flyingtwinkle,

There is one other essential stricture in haiku: the poem consists of only seventeen syllables, five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last. There are no rules forbidding rhyme, (that I'm aware of) but it isn't usual.

But then, rules are good as far as they go, and you can write whatever you like, however you like. This is a very hassle-free meeeting-place. Have fun.

Cheers,

C \|/

Congratulate you.
Your haikus are very good.
Keep up for a while.

Well seen, well said. Well selected, B.

Elegant and minimalist, yet these poems seem to encapsulate so much. I've looked at books on Haiku poems before now, and always struggled to get to grips with the form.

Thanks for sharing them. I think they're fab.

It is really thrilling to me that anybody bothers with my poems, let alone takes the time to write in positive remarks. Thank you all so much.

C \|/

Chaiwallah, of the haiku selected by B, the ones that caught my attention with their imagery were the ones about the magpies, the brown leaves, the laughing cloudburst, the seamless sea and sky (oh, Lord, that one really hit the mark for me), the swan-song of summer, and the fate of the snails (I actually laughed out loud over that one). You have done marvelously and, if you haven’t published yet, you ought to seriously consider it. Don’t wait too long before you do. Even if you don’t feel you have enough material (somehow I don’t think that’ll be the case), you could flesh out a book with the photos to surround the haiku with mood imagery.

B4istretchmyboundariesbyworkingwithhaikuagainthisyear

Chai produced a small edition of 60 haiku, in hand made books, 4" x 4¼", limited to 25 copies of which I proudly hold number 14. Illustrated with two photographs of a golden Buddha statue. "Touching Emptiness"

And yes they hit home.

A haiku poet was recently shortlisted for the Poetry Society of America's William Carlos Williams Award:

http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2008/04/roberta-beary-eileen-myles-my-two.html

Personally, however, I think two others are far better:

http://ice.mm.com/user/kheiberg/HBR-haiku.html