The Haiku Lounge discussion

Do you have a favorite haiku you'd like to share? Here's the place!

If you didn't write it, please be sure to give credit where credit is due!

This one, from Daily News Haikus, really cracked me up. I guess I have a morbid sense of humor.

www.dailynewshaikus.com
1/11/2008

From Earth's highest heights
Sir Hillary now descends
to six feet under

(News item summarized: mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, who along with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in 1953 was the first party to summit Mt. Everest, died earlier this week. He was 88.)

At first I thought that was a crack at Ms Clinton and something bad had happened that I hadn't heard about yet. O_o

It is kind of funny once you know the backstory.

The Gaurdian used to do news haikus as well. That is a great site though! Hadn't heard of it before. I'll have to bookmark it. Thanks for posting the address!

Arctic, I thought it referred to Mrs. Clinton as well. Without looking at the date I thought it had to do with the recent death of one of her motorcade escorts. Strange how much perception depends on your current mind-set!

Of the poems I have read by Basho this is my favorite...

Come out to view
the truth of flowers blooming
in poverty

Many of his poems inspire further thought and in so few words evoke amazing imagery!

I have written very few haiku but, of mine, my favorite is...

Two women chatting
as tiny dog tears up grass,
tender roots mangled

Favorites? Oh, so many. How about just one?

In this world of ours
As we cross the roof of hell
Let's search for flowers
(Issa)

Just one will never do.

World fashioned of dew
Just a world fashioned of dew
But even so, even so...
(Issa)

*Both translated by Cliff Edwards.

Another? Why not?

The old cherry trees
Final blossoms are her last
Cherished Memories


(Basho trans. by Sam Hamil, but written from memory so it might not be verbatim)

hey sparrows
no pissing on my old
winter quilt!

suzume-ra yo sho^ben muyo^ furu fusuma

.雀らよ小便無用古衾

by Issa, 1814

I got this from the email a day at http://haikuguy.com/issa/

an ice cream truck
turns the corner
into the pouring rain
- Alan Pizzarelli

rage versus machine.
rage against the ice cream van.
The madman won't stop!