5-7-5

So this past week I was working at Remedy and talking to my sweet new Remedy friend, Jackie Newman. Jackie had Mary Oliver's Thirst and I picked it up to flip through it and discovered something wonderful. Jackie had read every poem, underlining things and drawing little pictures on the pages of flowers and sunrises and whatever nature scene Oliver was describing. I looked at this book and loved that she had done this, I loved the thoroughness of it, reading with a pen in your hand, drawing little doodles, and reading every poem, front to back. And I love Mary Oliver. So I went home that day and pulled out Red Bird by Oliver and did exactly what Jackie had done: I read it all and underlined and wrote things and doodled. And I bought 2 more of her books this week and did the same thing. And I read Garrison Keillor's 77 Love Sonnets that I had laying around. I feel drenched in it all after this week. I used to read poetry sporatically, turning to a random page in a book as if poetry was not to be eaten whole, but in small bites or slices swallowed and forgotten. This has been a great week of big bites and hearty sustenance and I am full, almost stuffed. So while I'm swallowing a week of nature poetry and 77 praire home companion love sonnets, here is something totally different. Haikus! Poetry in syllables in rhythm of 5-7-5. Orginally Japanese-style poetry, they are now mostly mainstream humor. I found most of these in random places, mostly inspired by a great book at work called "hipster haikus". Without further Ado, 5-7-5.


First 6 are "hipster haikus"

It remains so cold
In the space between my Vans
And footless leggings

My sardonic wit
Doesn’t translate in email
That’s why I’m alone

Look at these sellouts
Feeding the corporate beast
Starbucks anyone?

After my fifth year,
"Philosophy Ph.D."
Didn't sound punk rock

Write on my tombstone:
"Never bought a Greatest Hits
compilation disc"

Ex-boyfriend's worst dig:
"You've never heard of that band?"
Indier-than-thou

haikus are easy
but sometimes they don't make sense
refrigerator

Computer "error" haiku:
Yesterday it worked
Today it is not working
Windows is like that

I am curious
what would it feel like to be
not so curious.
-Beth Lapides' "Did I Wake You"


BEAUTY
Naked in repose
Silvery silhouette girls
Adorn my mudflaps

So for the 4 of you who probably read this, lets hear it for haikus.