ARTS: Thirteen Ways of Reading a Haiku
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Hi all
A very lovely piece by haiku poet Michael Dylan Welch which cuts to the heart of what haiku are about.
First published by the Africa Haiku Network in The Mamba #5, March 2018, pages 92–126 . Two paragraphs, starting with “Speaking of empathy,” are new additions since first publication, as are the quotations at the start, and the Henderson quotation at the end. Originally written in November and
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-
I have already worked out when I will read this essay tomorrow. I very much look forward to it.
Gassho
Anna
Sat today穏 On (Calm)
火 Ka (Fires)
They/She. -
Mp
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Kyotai
Wonderful. I must admit, poetry just doesnt speak to me, it never has. Perhaps I am just a simple fellow [emoji6]
Gassho Kyotai
ST LaH
Sent from my SM-G950W using TapatalkComment
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I must admit, poetry just doesnt speak to me, it never has. Perhaps I am just a simple fellow
There are plenty of art forms to go around and Zen has been expressed in words, images, sound and doubtless many other ways that can speak to people.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-Comment
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Thank you Kokuu.
Thank you for making this kind of poetry ;-)
I don't get tired, repeating these words from Muso Soseki:
'The sounds of the stream splash out the Buddha's sermon.
Don't say that the deepest meaning comes only from ones mouth.
Day and night 80.000 poems arise one ofter the other
and in fact, not a single word has ever been spoken.'
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.Comment
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Thank you Kokuu, I loved this article and some of the examples of different haiku the author gives us particularly:
Listening . . .
After a while,
I take up my axe again
—Rod Willmot
I don't know why it resonates with my so much but I can feel, hear and smell the forest when I read it. On the Realizing Genjokoan thread Shinshi made the point that reading Dogen is often like playing music - the space between the words (or notes) create the beauty - it seems the same with haiku and the author makes that point in that we the reader have to fill in the gaps and complete the picture. Beautiful.
Deep bows.
Neil
StLahComment
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Thank you, Kokuu, for sharing this with us. I was having trouble relating to most haiku, but some of the haiku in the article resonated strongly for me. I also feel for Richard Wright's haiku (in Haiku: The Last Poems of an American Icon), although he wrote in the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Haiku is gradually becoming more accessible to me overall.
Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean
I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.Comment
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Hi Onkai
I think that like with any form of poetry or other art form, it is a question of finding material you like as a way in. Richard Wright is a great writer.
I don't mind 5-7-5 poetry when it is done well. The reason I steer people away from it at first is that many writers tend to focus more on syllable counting rather than the content of the poem. Once they have learned how haiku are written, they can do as they like!
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-Comment
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