A week in haiku

Something that got said in the pub last week, after writing class. Someone was reading Stephen Fry's book 'The Ode Less Travelled', and we were talking about the structure of poetry - iambic pentameter, sonnets, dum-di-dum-di-dum, and so on. Ben recommended writing haiku from time to time as a way of loosening up the poetry muscles (that sounds like a quote from Mr Fry, doesn't it?). So I said I'd try writing a haiku every day until our next class. Which I've done. With absolutely no reference to the complexities and beauty of the classical haiku tradition, here is my offering of seven very amateurish short Japanese poems. They were fun to write.

Thursday

All round a table,

sharing ideas and thoughts.

Will anything change?

Friday

Dad sleeps in his chair.

The sun shines through the window

and the music plays.

Saturday

Dig until the earth

gleams and my back aches. Stand tall.

Feel the sun shine down.

Sunday

Coffee. A window.

A notebook. The world goes by.

I look out and write.

Monday

Failure to mend a

flat tyre. Ego dented, hands

grubby. What a day.

Tuesday

I never lived to

work, but used to love it more.

Now I mark the time.

Wednesday

Steam rises through the

hole in the paper cup. My

coffee in my hands.