Haiku

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

My job being the busy, crazy mess it is should be, I had a bit of time to reflect upon some of my experiences and thoughts in and on Japan and Japanese culture. I wrote them as haiku poems, which are a Japanese style of poem or three lines with syllables or 5-7-5 respectively. I was told just that, as a Japanese rule, haiku are supposed to have one "seasonal word" per poem. Oh well. . . Here are a few:

_________________We sit patiently
_____________Awaiting something to do
_______________genki, but asleep. . .


.......................................Freezing, dry winter.
...................................Sweaty, moldy, moist summer.
.........................................This is Japan, ne?


*******************くも、へび、か (spider, snake, mosquito)
****************じしん、つなみ、たいふ (earthquake, tsunami, typhoon)
*****************Isn't it swell here?


,,,,,Lost in years gone by
,cultures clashing, old and new
,,,,,,,tradition abuse?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Fukuoka,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~you've taken this love of mine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~now prepare for me!


-----------------------------------Curiosity
--------------------------nothing to be questioned here
-------------------------------simply a faux pas


'''''''Photos can't capture
'''''never descriptive enough
'''''''to share the moments


```````````````````````````````````````Ignorance can't be
`````````````````````````````````as blissful as thought before
`````````````````````````````````````don't you want to know?


_______________My lips need your lips
___________or these chilly winter nights
_______________will drag on too long


...............................................Years spent teaching speech
................................................and the conversation ends
..............................................."Fine, thank you, and you?"


***************************What's in front of me?
****************chicken? beef? pork? goat? fish? whale?
***************************no one ever asks. . .


,,,,,,,,Great innovation
,,,of things that already are
,,,,,,,,congratulations


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bad luck, rabbit year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Come on, dragon, make this great!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Soothe my soul again!


-----------------------Quizzes and testing
-----------------what defines one's excellence?
-----------------------one may never know


``````````````````````````````````````````````the minutes drag on ````````````````````````````````````````today they don't need me here ````````````````````````````````````````````````as I sit and wait


''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''They chill the inside
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''with open doors and windows
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''all for improved health!?


______The smile is empty
____and I can see the fire burn
______behind cool, calm eyes


...............................................If status is naught
..........................................then why are we made to wear
..............................................collars and neckties?


*******************I try and I try
**************and I can't seem to get it
*****************but just try again


,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Such antiquity
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,floppy drive is still in use
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,in Yasuda town


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~These raging hormones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~just push the English right out
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~of their young bodies


----------------------------------------All they seem to know
-------------------------------------the land of the rising sun
-----------------------------------------and how great it is


I know they are not great, but I enjoy making them. It's a pleasant way to vent sometimes. . .