So, I have to post something in response to all this talk of Haiku because it was I who stuck them (all 16!) in the reading packet in the first place. I love them (Pam, you can tell your student I prefer Yosa Buson over Basho). For a while, I was obsessed with short poetry (that’s right, I didn’t stop at haiku). It didn’t matter if I was reading it or writing it – the smaller the poem the better. If I could fit it in my pocket, it was the poem for me! This may be cheating since I didn’t write this poem for the blog, but I’m pasting a small poem that was written sometime after graduation at the height of my small poem obsession. If you are equally enthralled by bite size writing, check out my personal fav form the Cinquain.
Backyard Pastoral
Catbird on clothing line
breaks morning
with its mew.
Cries over
baby teetering
on barbed branch.
UPDATE: If you think you might love Haiku and are looking for a good book, check out The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa edited by Robert Hass - it's the book I read when choosing the Haiku that went into last meeting's packet.
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3 comments:
My two cents (or yen, if you prefer):
Thanks so much for the quality reading! I enjoyed the much needed dose of quality literature in my life (I love teaching English, but sometimes I miss the more high falutin stuff once in a while!).
I especially liked the first and last stories- I'd love to know where/how you find these pieces!
The poems were great too- it was really nice to see the Basho. Buson was cool too- though I'm wondering what "crotch of a tree" means.
And that water jar cracking in the cold? He heard it cos it was INSIDE his house. No joke. (I keep my olive oil in the fridge...so it won't freeze.)
And thanks for the Japanese words- I totally didn't know any of them (well except haiku...which is はいく- three sounds indeed!) !!!
Keep it coming! I look forward to seeing more!!!
Small poems rock!
small posts rock more! (well sort of)
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