The cockroach Haiku’s-u Hokku-with commentary

The Haiku of the Cockroach (or Hokku)

Comment:

The haiku is a Japanese triplet; its verses consist of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. In my first book of poetry, I did several of them; to be correct the verses are not rhyming, I say correct in the sense of how the poem was supposed to be.

We can add to this difficulty, a short poem, by adding the name of a longer Haiku, called Tanka. Here we add two additional lines. So making a string, and now we have five lines; the two additional lines have seven syllables each. I have done these poems in the past (I don’t name them Tanka, but they were). This part of the poem should rotate smoothly with the previous three lines.

There are always exceptions to politics, it’s just that it’s not true, and in my case, it’s good, because I don’t like being locked up in form, where it steals effect and emotion. Thus, we have the Closed Tercio, which allows the rhyme (aba)) normally)). Then we have the Sicilian triplet, this also allows for rhyme, iambic pentameter.

We can also turn to the Triad, a loose Irish form. I am part Irish so this may be helpful. Here we have three triplets, all having some relationship to each other, and all consisting of being a poem. Then you see Siluk’s Haiku, and that’s another story. We have several linking poems, some with a slight rhyme, some not, the verses are 17 syllables, and I usually like 7, 5, 5, though not always. (There are other forms of haiku that I haven’t mentioned, Chinese, etc., and I think the main purpose of the haiku, or poem (or any poem), is to ensure that it is readable for the reader (if not a specific group in mind, then as some poems are so difficult that you need a combination to unlock them. It can be light, or hard and heavy. Here it is lighthearted, but it has a lot of truth.

The cockroach haiku

(The poems)

cockroach me

Now listen up, cockroaches…

don’t tell the thieves–

where I live!

#1639

cockroach II

Jumping from my neighbor’s yard

“Excuse me,” he said,

“Where’s the damn bread?”

#1640

cockroach III

The night is so long and hot

Here stays the cockroach

Through my bedroom door!…

#1641

cockroach IV

fat cockroach, stay still

dennis is coming

(Where are my glasses?)

#1642

cockroach V

The fat old roach, bend over

Her fat little knees

listening to me

#1643

cockroach VI

Cockroach, cockroach please be careful

I’m going down

These hardwood stairs.

#1644

cockroach VII

Because it’s summer and it’s hot.

Can’t we have some…?

Cockroach courtesy?

#1644

(1-30-2007)) Written in the afternoon, while in Lima, Peru)) Comment added on 1-31-2007, and restructured poems.