Apparently, bananas aren't comment inspiring.
This past Sunday, Chris and I went to Ukiah's own UKIAHAIKU Festival. If you didn't notice yet, Ukiah is Haiku spelled backwards. I happened to get the Honorable Mention at the festival and as my reward, I had to read my haiku in front of a relatively large audience. My haiku was recognized in the catagory "Haikus about Ukiah". Funny, that a new resident of the city should win in that category. Well... I was trying to lay low (and only really attended so I could nab a couple of copies of the book) but a few teachers from my school just happened to be there.
Well, word got out... and now I need to read to my haiku to 400 some-odd students at my school. The fun part of all of this is that I made the front page of the UkiahDailyJournal. They even printed my poem. It was pretty natsukashi for me! It reminded me of my days of undeserved recognition in Yamagata. I just like the idea that I've been here less than a year and I'm on the front page-- yeah me! (Chris thought HIS last post was self-indulgent)
The interesting thing about haiku is that they are supposed to capture a season's essence... and my poem has no season! Thang wrote in his blog about confused sakura in Kajo Park, and I feel like there are flowers across the world nodding their head in agreement. How is one supposed to write a haiku that evokes a season when the seasons have been so undefined this year? My calalillies popped up out of the ground in February and were showing their faces by the end of the month. Then suddenly, temperatures dropped again and left the poor things defenseless to the cold. Now, they are experiencing a second-wind (although more of a breeze than a gale)... but I can just imagine them calling out for a leader to show them what to do next, "Is it time yet?" "What should I do now" "Wait, didn't we already do this?" "Are you sure this time?"
I feel just like those flowers. This last weekend, it was 92-degrees and today it didn't get above 60 (with rain to boot)!
What's a girl to wear?
An experiment to find out what happens when I don't.
Holy Cow! Everyone's got a blog!
All about magnificant me
- Jenn
- Small Town, California, United States
- One headache away from imploding
5 comments:
If your haiku doesn't have a seasonal element, then it's not a haiku; it's a senryu. But since you're already recognized for it, it probably doesn't make a difference. And you're going to write a post about your haiku and then not put it up, as well?
Yeah, the weather has been funny, but it seems to have finally stabilized on spring here. I like it; cool and calm and quiet. Still, I'm not responsible for growing anything, so I guess I don't have to worry much.
Ah ha! I didn't include the poem because I was curious to see if anyone would go look at the article. Here it is...
Down coat on Monday
Skirt and fip-flops by Thursday
What's a girl to wear?
And in fact, I don't think I said it didn't have a season... I was trying to say that it is difficult to recognize seasons at all this year because there have been such strange weather patterns. Even the flowers can't tell the seasons apart. Maybe thats what the judges liked about the haiku-- that it portrayed the mish-mash of seasons we've experienced this year. Who knows?
this is to say that i read the post. interesting.
hey jenn,
if you want your blog to have more readers than mine and rachel's combined, then you better start blogging!
congrats!
the only reason i found your blog is through thang's blog
cool to have other style of writings
Post a Comment