
* Ed Baker's bio reads...
born 1941
here 2009
everything
in between
...boring!
A version of this haiga previously appeared in Sketchbook
|
|
||||
|
Recent Comments
Recent Articles
Search
Login
Month Archive
Links
Make a donation by PayPal
Amazon Ads
![]() |
Sunday, September 27
by
Charles Christian
on Sun 27 Sep 2009 11:00 AM BST
![]() * Ed Baker's bio reads... born 1941 here 2009 everything in between ...boring! A version of this haiga previously appeared in Sketchbook Friday, September 25
by
Charles Christian
on Fri 25 Sep 2009 09:31 AM BST
Merthyr Bus Stop pale day, concrete coloured clouds, rain (Wetherspoons
not open yet…) skin like straw, bloodshot gaze, stretched
skin, wrinkled nicotine, old fat, pink fat, diabetic eyes, haggard as a Dowlais-wet
horse, drawn like dust, smell of beer, sweat and pee, dog damp coats, plastic
bags, alphabet hands (h a t e a n d l o v e a n d m a m a n d d a d a n d s t u
f f, lost coins, bent low, fag butts, scuffed shoes, grey rubber wheels (kids
swear…) prescription in hand, destination damned, tea
under grill, march, route planned, weekly thrill, daily trudge, cemetery face,
hair matted, greasy chips, pavement crack, commit to memory, fill in forms,
finish quick before the number 29… (tomorrows?) the sun will creep past, fast like sugar, without stirring them, and the buses come and go, past allotments that grow, more cabbages, while seeds that never sow, sink below, the poverty line * Dave Lewis lectures IT & Photography. He also designs web sites,
takes photographs and writes stuff. His first poetry collection Layer
Cake can be bought on Amazon and he's just finished a short story and
prose collection. He adds that his second book is one publisher short of a publisher at the moment. www.david-lewis.co.uk/write.html And also check out www.welshpoetry.co.u Sunday, September 20
by
Charles Christian
on Sun 20 Sep 2009 04:00 PM BST
Saturday, September 19
by
Charles Christian
on Sat 19 Sep 2009 09:03 PM BST
There is currently a heated debate taking place with UK haiku circles over the future of the genre: should we stay with the tradition 5-7-5 formula and aim to ape the Japanese tradition – or should we treat the genre as a living and evolving form? Over the next couple of days, we have two haiga artists who express their views on the sometimes narrow interpretation of the haiku form, starting with one of our regular contributors Alexis Rotella...
![]() Friday, September 18
by
Charles Christian
on Fri 18 Sep 2009 03:45 PM BST
Over the next couple of days there's going to be a Japanese theme to Ink Sweat & Tears, starting with these two haiku by Sophie Playle...
The Contradiction Caged heart on sleeve, he’s an open book of hieroglyphics. Cloudy Weather Clouds roll across the sky, but above them I know that the heavens are always blue. Traveller Moonlight shivers between restless leaves across his sleeping face. * Sophie Playle is a recent graduate, trying to crack the publishing industry. She blogs at www.sophieplayleblog.blogspot.com Sophie adds "These are haiku but are more focused on the philosophy and tone of original Japanese haiku rather than following the prescribed syllable count." And by coincidence, this will be the subject of our two haiga on Saturday Wednesday, September 16
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 16 Sep 2009 07:49 PM BST
BROTHER LOVE
“Lou died,” my brother says when I pick up the phone. “I went to the funeral yesterday,” he sighs, “but Lou’s under the ground now, and I’ve been thinking about plans for the family reunion. Uncle Bill doesn’t think he can make it since he’s still recuperating from his lung operation. Butch and Dee are on vacation first two weeks of September and Jack and Bonnie are away the last two weeks of August.” My brother is slurring his words again. Obviously he has gone over his two vodka soda limit. “I went to visit Aunt Mary yesterday,” I said. “Oh, how’s she doing?” “She looks fabulous for an 86-year old, all dolled up, good skin. Only thing is, her perfume!” “What about it?” “It really got to me.” “You mean you didn’t like her perfume?” “Knocked me over. It was hard getting through lunch.” “Then you better just not go anywhere; Jesus Christ, if a small thing like perfume bothers you, that’s pretty goddamn bad.” And then the shoe drops as it always does when too much alcohol is in the picture. “I just got back from a fucking funeral! My best friend died and you’re worried about Aunt Mary’s perfume. Give me a break,” his voice hurting my ear drums. “People die, Fred. He suffered five years with brain cancer. He gave it his best shot.” “All I do is bury my friends and you’re fucking bothered by perfume! You don’t know what worries are!” “You’re yelling at me, Fred. Look, we’ll continue this conversation another time,” I say, and he screams, “Yeah, goodbye! goodbye!” It was a peaceful Sunday until I picked up that phone. One too many drinks my brother calls to yell at me because his best friend just died. * Alexis Rotella is a regular contributor to IS&T – normally we publish her haiga but this time its a prose piece. Tuesday, September 8
by
Charles Christian
on Tue 08 Sep 2009 01:00 PM BST
SUNDAY – a haiku sequence*
early morning – long shadows follow a man and a woman flat bed truck – the wooden planks stronger than steel driving alone – rolling pastures in the rear-view mirror the church in a meadow – the colours of God porch light on a moth appears – flickering shadows her generous heart – birth and death join hands night comes – lilacs breathe softly laughter under the stars – the world ablaze in it * This sequence of found senryu and haiku was compiled by Mike Montreuil and is taken from words in poems in the chapbook A complimentary Specimen of Poetry (Gaspereau Press, Canada, 2007) which was in turn a sampler of five books published by Gaspereau. Words & snippets for haiku 1, 3 & 6 are taken from sample poems in The Alma Elegies by Allan Cooper (ISBN 9781554470365). Words & snippets for haiku 2, 7 & 8 are taken from sample poems in Actualities by Monica Kidd (ISBN 9781554470419). Haiku 4 & 5 are by regular IS&T contributor Mike Montreuil. |
Recent Photos
Who's there?
Google Ads
Twitter Updates |
||