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Urban Haiku

Updated on June 25, 2013
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Justin W. Price is a freelance writer, blogger, and award-nominated author based out of Juneau, Alaska.

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Haiku is an ancient form of poetry that originated with Buddhist monks in Japan. They are generally 17 syllables and 2-4 lines in length. The subjects are primarily around nature with images that contradict or juxtapose one another. The traditional format for the poem is this:

5 syllables

7 syllables

5 syllables

Some American poets, including the late Allen Ginsberg, have written haiku in seventeen syllable, single line sentences. Others have written haiku that doesn't follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllabic format. The main concern with haiku is to capture a concrete image, not to ponder abstract thought. Some argue that the brief nature of the poems reflect the brevity of earth, but, that thought seems much too abstract to fit with the essence of haiku.

In fact, one of the most famous Haiku poems, by Basho, does not follow this 5-7-5 format but, rather, the somewhat less common, and harder to master, 3-5-3:

old pond...

a frog leaps in

water's sound


Another famous haiku by Basho does follow this format:


the first cold shower

even the monkey seems to want

a little coat of straw


(source, wikipedia)


The Haiku that follow are not naturalistic. They are based on urban life, which I find much more interesting to write about. Haiku is also very deceptive. It's a simple form that is complicated to write well. Are the Haiku that follow good? I'll let you decide. I wrote most of them in just a few minutes. I hope you enjoy and, if you decide to experiment with urban Haiku, send me a link and I'll post it below!

Also, most haiku is untitled, but I've chosen to title these ones.



Basho
Basho | Source

Urban Haiku



Falling


shoe laces untied

upstairs precariously

then bloody pavement.


Nuisance


out the window birds

sing and intrude my slumber

a pellet gun retrieved.


Onomatopoeia


crunch, crunch go the leaves

under my jaunty sneakers

autumn has arrived,


Forced


asked to write haiku

he’s counting the syllables

and completing the task.


Jungle Gym


jabberwocky Screams

terrifying creatures play

children orphaned here.


Owing


the debt collector

calling me at dinnertime

fails in his job.



all rights reserved. Justin W. Price, copyright March 7th, 2012.


My Poetry Collection

Thanks for Reading.

A FREELANCE WRITER, HONORS STUDENT AND GOVER PRIZE FINALIST, JUSTIN W. PRICE (AKA, PDXKARAOKEGUY)IS A POET, SHORT STORY, BIOGRAPHY AND HUMOR WRITER. HIS POETRY COLLECTION, DIGGING TO CHINA, WAS RELEASED FEBRUARY 2ND, 2013 BY SWEATSHOPPE PUBLICATIONS AND IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM, BARNES AND NOBLE AND THROUGH YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER.

HIS WORK WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN BEST NEW FICTION (2014 EDITION), AND HAS APPEARED PREVIOUSLY IN THE RUSTY NAIL, EFICTION, THE CRISIS CHRONICLES, THE HELLROARING REVIEW, BURNINGWORD, THE WHISTLING FIRE, SEE SPOT RUN ANDTHE BELLWETHER REVIEW.

HE WORKS AS A FREELANCE WRITER, EDITOR, AND GHOSTWRITER, AND IS WORKING TOWARDS HIS PH.D. HE LIVES IN A SUBURB OF PORTLAND, OREGON WITH HIS WIFE, ANDREA, THEIR LABRADOODLE, BELLA, SCHNOODLE, SAUVEE AND BLACK MOOR GOLDFISH, HOWARD WOLOWITZ.

PLEASE VISIT HIS PROFILE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. THANKS!

working

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