Sunday, September 16, 2007

awe, pair

These arrived earlier this month, quite unannounced and unexpected, while killing some minutes on a delayed train. As is often usual with my "things," I myself don't fully understand them at the time, only hoping someone at a sensible distance in time, at least, will see and interupt the meaning, if any. On the surface, simple enuf; but poetry isn't poetry if there isn't something else lurking about.
They are in the four line style so favored by Stephen the Gill. I want to add here that this style was roundly denounced in my face by haiku-ists in America last summer. Defending our Henry as best I could, it was nevertheless wasted effort. Boiling oil (we were having tempura in the garden) was brought to a higher heat, when I wisely relented my defense and saved my soul, perhaps, by agreeing with the opposition that possibly, given the times we are living thru and the rebellious nature of poetry in general, (yes, quite tasty, and hot enough), it could be kindly allowed to forgive them that straddle the rules for convenience sake while (oh, thank you, just a bit more, please), re-writing some, ignoring others, yes, of course, at their peril, I agree, yup, naturally the violaters will descend into the special hell reserved for the impurests mockers of The Right Way to Write Haiku, (exeellent, best ever tasted), oh, your signed book?, yes, of course, and thank you so much, will read it on the plane,...

Onward to the things:

take blind road
to guessburg, meet
queen May; pay, play,
then pray to disappear.

natal event in spring,
which spring is
all about anyway;
welcome Ai

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Snails

Altering his route
So as not to crush snails:
The Buddhist convert.

(Kamome)