Saturday, January 20, 2007

Snowshoe Haiku



I wanted this poem about his old snowshoes to be a tribute to my father, but as much as I tried, the element of irony - the ‘break’, 'cutting word' , or 'turn', which usually occurs between the second and third lines of a haiku that juxtaposes the other images in the poem - wouldn't come to me.

Here's a different slant (picture these lines in the above photo):

Leather snowshoe webs
Northern winter woods walkers

Adios New York

Which do you prefer?

9 comments:

Sling said...

As a tribute to your father,I think the first one works best.I do like them both hoever. :)

Baron Ectar said...

I like the first one - wish I was talented and could write poems!

Max and Me said...

well...i do like them both but the second one appeals to me more. wow...you are inspiring me to try to write one!

Craig D said...

Pretty snowshoe poems.
I don't understand haikus;
But would James Cagney?

Robin said...

The first, Wizend. It makes the mind calculate.

Judy said...

Sling - Thanks for the kind words (and for stopping by). It's fun that one photo can inspire two very different poems.

Baron - Ah, but I am sure you are "talented" - haiku (or at least my haiku is not difficult. It's more wordplay than poetry.

Meander - Nice to see you again! YES! Do try writing haiku! Click on the link in my post for a basic description of form etc. The best ones have that sort of ironic twist between the first two lines and the last one. Anyway, it's fun.

Craig D - LOL!!! Once again, YOU ARE THE BEST! Too funny! I have been laughing for ten minutes!

Robin - My dad bought those snowshoes at the original Abercrombie & Fitch in New York in the 1920s. He spent the winters of many of his next ten years living in a shack in the high peaks of the Adirondacks, reading and writing poetry (much better than mine), and climbing the mountains. The snowshoes in the photo got lots of use. I inherited them.

whimsical brainpan said...

The first haiku works
If tribute is what you want
The second is great.

Mr. Ghost said...

So, you write Haiku?
I do write it too, badly,
Wanting good Karma.

..................

I like the first one, for sentimental reasons...

Judy said...

Whim - Can you believe it didn't register with my addled brain that your comment was haiku until days later... Add "clever" to your list of attributes! Great haiku!!

Mr. Crazy - Nice of you to stop by. I am hoping to see some of your photography. And thanks for your haiku! I love it when people play with me!