This year our Ten Things series, on the tenth of each month, is concentrating on things which are wackier than usual, if not by much. From odd road names to Christmas carols by way of saints and scientists. So here goes with February, and especially for Lent …
Ten English Saints
We’re beginning every month this year with a haiku (or a longer poem made of haiku) relevant to the month.
Valentinius –
Not much is known about him,
But all girls love him.
Saint Valentine’s Feast,
On February fourteenth:
Mostly chocolates!
It would make more sense
To honor Aphrodite …
So then, why don’t we?!
[Mark J Halliday]
All the poems can be found online at http://www.haikupoemsandpoets.com.
This year our Ten Things series, on the tenth of each month, is concentrating on things which are wackier than usual, if not by much. From odd road names to Christmas carols by way of saints and scientists. So here goes with January …
Ten Amusing UK Road Names
And there are so many more!
We’re beginning every month this year with a haiku (or a longer poem made of haiku) relevant to the month.
January’s start …
I hibernate in my cave
with bare thoughts
January’s end …
may February’s groundhog
see its shadow
[Andrea Dietrich]
All the poems can be found online at http://www.haikupoemsandpoets.com.
This is the final episode, covering the last couple of days, of my 100 Days of Haiku challenge. And not soon enough, they all say! Anyway here’s the final round-up.
Tuesday 8 October
Silent summer night
and a fox trots up the street,
snack sensor a-twitch.
Bonus
Turkish delight, such
subtly flavoured sweetmeat.
Seraglio’s best.
Here’s the tally of progress by week:
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 33 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 24 |
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | 22 |
| 13 | 27 |
| 14 | 23 |
| 15 | 13 |
| Total | 365 |
So what now? Well … First of all I might put together a “Best of …” my 100 Days Haiku. The 365 written contain a lot of dross, and a few good ones that haven’t made the cut here. I shall see if I find any point doing this and then if I get to do it. Secondly, I have another 100 Day challenge lined up; I may delay strating it until the start of next month. So watch this space.
Meanwhile I hope this series provided some amusement – in whatever way!
So here we are at the penultimate instalment of our 100 Days of Haiku challenge. The 100th day is Tuesday 8 October and I’ll post the final results in the middle of next week. Meanwhile here is this week’s offering.
Tuesday 1 October
Autumn eastern sky;
only two stars, just visible.
Too much urban light.
Wednesday 2 October
Life is suffering
but filled with such wonders:
blue sky and lightning.
Thursday 3 October
Sink and ye shall find,
the tap it is a-dripping.
Plumber required.
Friday 4 October
2AM. She sleeps.
I enjoy a quiet wank.
Ah! So much better.
Saturday 5 October
Three eager felines
awaiting their bowls of cod.
No need to wash up.
Sunday 6 October
October tolls the knell
of distant summer days, and
winter soon to come.
Here’s the tally of progress by week:
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 33 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 24 |
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | 22 |
| 13 | 27 |
| 14 | 23 |
| 15 | |
| Total | 352 |
Final instalment in a few days.
Now for the next instalment of our 100 Days of Haiku challenge.
Tuesday 24 September
Lazing along day.
No hurry, no rush, no stress.
Yet all is complete.
Wednesday 25 September
Gaze on a blank screen;
myriads of unborn words
at my fingertips.
Thursday 26 September
Pretty hairy pubes
wafting aroma aloft:
enticement to fuck.
Friday 27 September
Out of their depth the
bullies bully more, louder.
Government crisis.
Saturday 28 September
A painted lady:
pretty summer butterfly
or a pretty tart?
Sunday 29 September
Meaty piggy ribs:
marinade, oven barbecue.
Much yummy, Mummy.
Here’s the tally of progress by week:
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 33 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 24 |
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | 22 |
| 13 | 27 |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| Total | 302 |
Next instalment, next Sunday.
We’re nearing the end of my 100 Days of Haiku challenge; just over two weeks to go. I need to get out more to stimulate the inspiration; however I continue to write more than one haiku most days although many are not at all good. Anyway here’s this week’s selection.
Tuesday 17 September
Venerable bears think
haiku writing very odd.
Maybe we all do?
Wednesday 18 September
Hidden in the trees
corvids argue all morning.
Continual din.
Thursday 19 September
Locks looking shaggy.
Long overdue, today we
for the barber’s chop.
Friday 20 September
Feeding together:
jackdaw and rook, corvids both,
across the stubble field.
Saturday 21 September
Blood test and flu jab;
chance meet friend: she’s lost her son.
Life is such sadness.
Sunday 22 September
Boy cat sleeps hard in
dappled sun through chilli plants.
Study as greenhouse.
Here’s the tally of progress by week:
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 33 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 24 |
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | 22 |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| Total | 302 |
Next instalment, next Sunday.
Here’s this week’s update on my 100 Days of Haiku challenge. Struggling for inspiration again some days this week, partly due to this f***ing cold which won’t go away.
Tuesday 10 September
Absent mindedly
daily haiku forgotten.
Recovering now.
Wednesday 11 September
Sorting cutlery:
steel forks, and silver fish knives,
cake slice and crumb tray.
Thursday 12 September
Peach, grey, silver-gilt;
pale azure blue up beyond.
September sunset.
Friday 13 September
Doubt, lies and bullshit,
uncertainty, confusion.
All have gone cuckoo.
Saturday 14 September
Azure, semé of
cloudlets argent, a chief or.
Flyer’s escutcheon.
Sunday 15 September
Black and white Rosie
cat’s getting rather podgy;
much like the humans.
Here’s the tally of progress by week:
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 33 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 26 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 24 |
| Week | Haiku Written |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 18 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 |
Next instalment, next Sunday.
As I have nothing else to do (joke!), and wanting to add something to my woeful practice of mindfulness, I have set myself a little challenge:
To write at least one haiku a day for 100 consecutive days.
What are haiku? Haiku is a Japanese verse in three lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. Traditionally haiku are mood poems and don’t use any metaphors or similes; however beginners, like me, are usually start with just the restriction of the number of lines and syllables. There are many online collections of haiku, for example here, including those of the Japanese master Matsuo Basho.
I started this challenge last Monday, so I’m now seven days in and it is time to record the first results. In total I have written 16 haiku in the seven days – some good, many not so good. Here is one from each day showing a variety of ideas and subjects.
Tuesday 2 July
Sunshine streaming in
windows open wide for air.
Why such depression?
Wednesday 3 July
Hickory dickory dog,
rough enough through cough, lough and chough.
Cork works porky quark.
Thursday 4 July
Useful man, Paddy:
Build, fix, repair, recycle.
Moonshine of the bog.
Friday 5 July
Wispy cirrus cloud
Against Dutchman trouser blue.
Metal bird glides by.
Saturday 6 July
Sticky, sticky day
Energy drained away.
Starry, starry night.
Sunday 7 July
Seven round a table;
Friends’ dinner party makes mirth.
Mountainous paella.
Well no-one said that haiku had to make sense – at least not modern haiku; the traditional style seems more rigid!
I’m not going to post an offering every day, as some proponents of 100 day challenges do, but I shall attempt to post at least weekly updates. And I’m logging all the output, whether posted here or not, so who knows what might happen at the end.