ChanomiTalk

歯の臼にマフィンのベリー鎮座する

は の うす に　マフィン の ベリー　ちんざ する



On molar’s top
the muffin berry sits
a pious throne.


みちこ

鰯曳く声や鷗の群も引く

Sardine fishing
voices while a flock
of seagulls fish.





いわし ひく　こえ や かもめ の　むれ も ひく

尾池和夫（おいけかずお）　

Life and death
at the whim of lines
on paper.


酔狂な図の線による死と命

すいきょう な　ず の せん による　し と いのち




NACOS tips for writing English haiku

A proper haiku must be an image. It may not directly express one’s thoughts or feelings. It is a form best suited for concrete experiences that one has and for describing the beauty of nature around oneself. However, in my own attempts to come up with subject matter, I invariably drift towards my inner thoughts and feelings. The above is one example. My compromise is to take my thoughts and feelings and create an image around them that is concrete, but also metaphorical and therefore representative of larger ideas.

Because of this metaphorical nature, and because of how steeped in human life it is, many haiku poets would refuse to call the above poem a haiku. They would instead refer to it as a senryuu (川柳). These poems break entirely from the spirit and tradition of haiku, but still adhere to their form. In Japan, the line between haiku and senryuu is clear. In the newly evolving worldwide haiku tradition, the line is not clear at all. The fact is that it’s impossible to fully adhere to Japanese haiku tradition outside of writing them in Japanese, so the question becomes, how far should we allow ourselves to deviate while still calling what we write “haiku”?

Rather than seeking to answer this question, I am merely presenting it for you all to ponder as you refine the process you apply to your individual poetry. Happy writing.




Frustrated by Michiko: Illustrated by Michiko

焼き過ぎて皿で粉々クロワッサン

やきすぎて　さら で こなごな　クロワッサン



Over baked
shattered in a plate
Croissant.


みちこ

不知火や日奈久断層不気味なる

Strange flames dance
with the Hinagu strata
an eerie night.





しらぬい や　ひなぐ だんそう　ぶきみ なる

尾池和夫（おいけかずお）　

すし詰めの起点散る人群れ寄せる

すしづめ の　きてん　ちる ひと　むれよせる


Crowded train
suddenly soon to empty
back to madness.




like a crowded early morning train
suddenly soon to empty
only to return to the crowded train

最初、早朝の混んだ電車のようです。
走っていると、急に道が空きました。
ゴールで、又、混んだ電車の状態に戻りました。


I ran the Honolulu Marathon and at the starting line 31,000, runners lined up. After about 2 kilometers the runners had spread out to the point that it was hard to tell if there were even 300 runners. At the finish line there were again many runners everywhere so that the feeling came back again that there were many participants.

ホノルルマラソンを走りました。出発地点にはおよそ3万１０００人の人が並びました。約２キロの地点では、走者は３００人くらいになっていました。ゴールで、又、もの凄い数の完走した人がいましたから、又、すし詰め状態になりました。




ジム

カルデラの自噴の井戸や稲稔る

The caldera’s well
bubbles forth amidst
bountiful rice.





カルデラ の じふん の いど や　いね みのる

尾池和夫（おいけかずお）　

寒いねと言いつつ素足ホノルルは

さむいね と　いいつつ すあし　ホノルル は



Bare feet, saying
it’s pretty cold
in Honolulu.


みちこ