Celebrating Lunch
Juicy garnet beets
dotted with sweet olive oil
and a kiss of salt.
(Charles Purdy, Red Room)
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Say Yes to Haiku
Celebrate haiku. Few syllables, deep meaning. All are welcome here.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Unremarkable Cashew Chicken with Broccoli
Bland chicken meat, or
Probably chicken; oh well,
At least it was cheap.
Huntington Sharp
Charles Purdy says:
The Tuna Melt
Gentle tuna fish
harmonizes with sharp cheese,
softens crispy toast.
(Charles Purdy, Red Room)
Keiko Amano says:
"All right" in San Dimas
Meatballs
A Subway’s sand
No pickles
Rigo at the Subway's in San Dimas gave me his permission to write his name in my stories. So I just did. He started making fun of me asking "No pickles?" I happened to be there today, and sure enough he asked me, "No pickles?" In the past, I wrote a blog including him, and wrote a short short story titled "Pickles" in Japanese and submitted to Ebooker. Now I'm delighted to show you my first haiku in English.
Sue Glasco says:
Rigo
Thanks for sharing your first haiku in English with us. I like Rigo and am glad he gave you permission to use his name. If I ever go to San Dimas (and I am sure I won't have the opportunity), I would definitely want to visit Rigo's Subway. And order pickles!
Keiko Amano says:
sue, Rigo jokes about that,
sue,
Rigo jokes about that, too. He did yesterday again. So I said, "I like pickles. I LOVE pickles! It's just my mouth is sensitive." "Do you eat Japanese pickles?" he said. "I can eat mild pickles," I said and so on and so forth.
Charles Purdy says:
A lunchtime errand
In Little Saigon,
a haircut on my lunch break.
Now my neck itches.
Charles Purdy (Red Room)
Keiko Amano says:
Charles, Your haiku makes
Charles,
Your haiku makes me smile. I can also smell
a Vietnamese soup noodle dish. Yum.
Charles Purdy says:
Thank you, Keiko....
(I didn't have soup, but I had a good banh mi sandwich. :) )
Charles Purdy says:
smoked trout
Smoked trout with salad:
yummy, tangy, fishy taste.
Avocados, too.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Noodle soup
Squiggles of buckwheat
In meaty broth, dumplings float
With pork and bok choy.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Charles Purdy says:
Frozen Foods
Freshly microwaved,
my veggie enchiladas
are extremely hot!
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Sammich
Absurd pile of beef,
Corned and quivering on rye—
Yes, I ate it all.
Huntington Sharp
Charles Purdy says:
The counterperson at Boulange approves of my purchase:
The cashier agrees:
Orangina is the best
lunchtime beverage.
Charles Purdy says:
A disappointing lunch
Bland, mushy noodles
in a sticky, salty sauce
left me wanting more.
Sue Glasco says:
Summer Plate
August heat brings us
Bright red juicy tomatoes
To brighten our plate.
Charles Purdy says:
In Appreciation of the Onion
Truly bittersweet,
the taste of hard-earned wisdom:
of course you cause tears.
Charles Purdy (Red Room)
Charles Purdy says:
Today's Sandwich
Cambozola cheese,
pear slices, and rustic bread:
my sandwich bites back.
Abraham Mertens says:
Veggies Fruits Rice
Jalapeño Rice
Ripened nectarine, yum
Pepper carrot health
Abraham Mertens, redroom.com
Charles Purdy says:
Very nice, Abe:
Your lunchtime haiku
is healthy and delicious
like your lunch itself.
Abraham Mertens says:
Thanks
I appreciate the encouragement. I will try to keep up with the rest of you. Wonderful submissions all.
Abraham Mertens, redroom.com
Charles Purdy says:
Microwave Oven
I listen and watch:
hum, spin, hum, spin--beep, beep, beep.
Voila! Lunch is served.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
A first
Until someone proves me wrong, I declare this the first haiku ever written about a microwave oven.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Abraham Mertens says:
Mexican
Taco Truck Spicy
Pollo, Pastor, Queso, Lima
Huntington, you rock!
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Quesadilla
The creamy cheese melts
Between tortilla pressed flat
Grácias to Abe.
Huntington Sharp
Keiko Amano says:
California Rolls
Huntington, Charles, Abraham,
I've never heard of haiku on microwave oven or Taco or Quesadilla. Just to make sure, I checked the Japanese sites. No, none. I think the "Say Yes to Haiku" club is unique. We'll never know what will happen to our creative future.
Soon after I came to the U.S. in 1970, California Rolls sprang up in the Sushi bars in Little Tokyo. At first, I said, "What's that? That's not osushi." Well, before I knew it, it became popular in the U.S. everywhere, and Japan imported California Rolls. The rest is a history.
FYI, I saw a haiku contest sponsored by a tea company. It has an English division.
Because the current season is Summer, poets use at least one "Summer" related word.
That's one of haiku rules in the Japanese language.
http://www.itoen.co.jp/new-haiku/20/gaikokugo.php
In English, do you have some guidelines? If you don't, you can make some basic rules if you want to.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Haiku in English
Keiko, when I learned about haiku, I learned the strict scheme of five syllables, then seven, then five. Later, I learned about Japanese onji (or, as they're called in English linguistics, "morae"), which aren't exactly like English syllables. Just like California rolls and traditional sushi, I think English took haiku and adapted it for its own needs.
I like the rule that haiku have to relevant to the season in which they're composed.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Couscous Helper
Ground turkey, garlic,
Shallots, chopped spinach,and herbs
Make "Couscous Helper."
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Charles Purdy says:
Haiku in English
Like Huntington, I learned only about the syllable count (5, 7, 5) when I first learned about haiku--this was when I was 7 or 8 years old. I think a lot of Americans learn about haiku when they are very young, because teachers use haiku to teach their children about syllables.
But as Huntington points out, this "syllable-counting game" is a bad and woefully incomplete translation into English.
And because Americans learn about haiku so young, they often don't appreciate how truly beautiful and profound haiku can be. I didn't learn that until later in life, when I was exposed to some Japanese haiku. Keiko is absolutely right about the fact that true, traditional haiku are inspired by the natural world.
We're just being irreverent (not too irreverent, I hope!). I still enjoy the challenge of capturing a moment in a very brief, constructed form (even it it's not *really* a haiku poem).
Charles Purdy says:
A Lunch Without Food
Sometimes all I want
is a thirty-minute walk
during my lunch break.
Keiko Amano says:
Huntington and Charles
Yes, I understand that 5-7-5 is difficult in English, so that is out. You neither have a rule on word count, right? Not even the middle line is a bit larger than top or bottom, is that right? Practically no rules, is that right?
Charles Purdy says:
Actually, 5-7-5 syllables
Actually, 5-7-5 syllables *is* the only rule that everyone is following consistently here.
Charles Purdy says:
(That is part of what makes
(That is part of what makes it fun, for me.) :)
Keiko Amano says:
Charles, Oh, I'm glad but
Charles,
Oh, I'm glad but surprised you said that. In Japanese, we have fun with 5-7-5 because of that reason. By the way, I like your microwave oven haiku. I like onomapoeic. Anyway, I tried to count your last haiku,
Sometimes all I want
is a thirty-minute walk
during my lunch break.
Sometimes is two, want, lunch, and break seem one. Now that's difficult for me.
Abraham Mertens says:
Flippers
Had the usual
Cheddar, Pesto, Burger
Fries on the side nice
Abraham Mertens, redroom.com
Sue Glasco says:
Summer Sun Treats
Orange cantelope
And juicy red watermelon
Bring summer delight.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Marino's Mexican Restaurant
Just salsa verde
And a dear friend's company—
Best enchilada.
Huntington Sharp
Charles Purdy says:
The Lunchtime View of Arlequin's Patio (from My Office)
Sun glints and sparkles
on the clinking cutlery
of lunching hipsters.
Gary G Gach says:
lunch haiku
civilization :
to just say to the waiter,
"my usual, please."
gary gach http://word.to
Huntington W. Sharp says:
It really is true, Gary
One-word lines have been rare in the haiku club—well done!
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Marla Clinch says:
Haiku to you too.
Fist of duck sauce hair
Lounging in my Chinese soup
Again? Waiter - more
A pleasure to meet you all. - Lyn
arunabhiram chutia says:
celebrating lunch
No breads since last night
Time to celebrate this lunch in sunlight
Leftovers, yet best in life
Charles Purdy says:
What goes on my turkey burger?
Peppers and onions,
ketchup, mayo, tomato,
cheese--and a pickle.
Nancy Smith says:
lunch time
low calorie lunch--
two crunchy celery stalks
also act as floss
Charles Purdy says:
Uncooperative lunch
My macaroni
has too many syllables
for a lunch haiku.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Salami comfort
An old favorite
From a new neighborhood spot
Makes moving OK.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Charles Purdy says:
Lessons from Lunch
From now on I will
be gentler when I sprinkle
my hot pepper flakes.
Huntington W. Sharp says:
Sammich
Rich triple-crème cheese
Melts on sourdough toast; it's
Worth the calories.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Gary G Gach says:
a lesson at the delicatessen
restaurant
zen students sit & practice
waiting
gary gach http://word.to
http://community/tricycle.com — haiku corner (launches today!)
Nancy Smith says:
lunch time...once again
ham and Swiss sandwich
with potato chips as side
juicy peach finish
and now back to work...alas!
Nancy Smith says:
another luncheon speciality
bologna sandwich
with Fritos and a glass of milk
ah, the perfect lunch!