Drumloud

Sub Pop Haiku

by Brendan McGuinness Stout

Everyday, we fail to recognize or miss (dismiss) the vignettes of life that are most important. For me, writing Haiku helps to provide a focused examination of life – of mine and those around me – and of the world we live in.

The act of sharing Haiku, a key aspect to its purpose, provides insight to daily experiences that may otherwise go unnoticed. The reader is given a brand new perspective, hopefully enriching their lives.

The simplicity of Haiku poetry is deceptive. Seemingly innocuous events or thoughts may in fact, after examination, reveal a deeper truth, possibly changing a persons perceptions and actions. In this respect, Haiku can be a powerful medium for change.

My poetry is comprised of four individual Haiku poems strung together creating what may be considered “modified" Renga. The form specification calls for each Haiku poem to reference a “Kigo”, or season, and the seasons must follow in order from the first Haiku poem. I hope that my poetry enriches the lives of those who read it by shedding light on those little miracles that happen in everyday life.

Enjoy!

The Beach

- Summer Daze
Warm sun is shining,
Salt air cleanses my senses…
Counting grains of sand.

- The Coming
Fresh breeze on my face,
Rushing waves breaking over…
Non-descript foot prints.

- Uneasy Perspective
Restless is my soul,
Birds flying to field’s inland…
Storm shutters are closed.

- Awakening
Hazy dreams surface,
Renewal of faith begins…
Take out the garbage.

.....(Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring)

Driving to Work

- Good Morning
Fresh coffee and toast,
Scraping ice from the window…
Will it start today?

- On My Way
Slowly, like a moth,
Coming out of its cocoon…
Damn! Forgot my lunch.

- Detour
Traffic slowing down,
Smoke, fire, screaming, ambulance…
Better him than me.

- Relief
Now I’m running late,
Hope I find a parking space…
Life is short, slow down.

.....(Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)

Faces

- Recognition
Up in the night sky,
A face, with two gleaming eyes…
Cold like a glacier.

- Laughing
It’s our inside joke,
Tiny bubbles in the pool…
Fresh rain on the ground.

- Languid
Faces in moon light,
Satellites cross the night sky…
It’s warm, go swimming.

- Again
Like a falling star,
Gleaming tear-drops on my face…
Dew in the morning.

.....(Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)

My Friend

- Beginning
We were delighted,
At becoming best of friends…
Care free in our youth.

- Growing up
I didn’t know it but,
we were like leaves on the wind…
I surely missed you.

- Gone
In the dead of night,
The familiarity…
Is what I miss most.

- Return
It’s been a long time,
Since I’ve seen you ’round the block…
No need to explain.

.....(Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring)

Work1

- Question
Speech recognition,
It is normal to ask why…
Dark disposition.

- James Bond
Tic toc of the clock,
It is happy hour now…
Shaken not stirred, please.

- Pressure
To many meetings,
Claustrophobia sets in…
It’s time for a break.

- The Man
Work all day, for what?
The days are getting shorter…
Who said work is dumb?

.....(Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)

Coming Home

- Train Whistle
Leaves are on the ground,
A North wind is picking up...
The train-whistle blows.

- Reality
Is it for the dead?
How long do we have to stay...
Cold reality.

- Hopeful
Hope springs eternal,
New ideas and new leaders...
Not much of a choice.

- Tragedy
They are coming home,
Why do we keep forgetting...
What a tragedy.

.....(Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)

Anthem

- Truth
Remember the truth,
Question those in government…
In full glory reflected.

- Mistake
To war is error,
To offer peace is sublime…
Bombs bursting in air.

- Belief
No matter how hard,
Stand up for what you believe…
O! say can you see.

- Responsibility
I love my country,
Like baseball and apple pie…
The home of the brave.

.....(Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)

Where is summer?

- Ready
Rain, rain, go away,
We are tired of the gray...
Slippery asphalt.

- Expectant
The grass is growing,
Dandelions in the breeze...
School is almost out.

- Impatient
We live for these days,
This most spectacular place...
Languid dreams floating.

- Hopeful
Indian summers,
Down the road in September...
Global warming sucks.

.....(Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)

Old Woman

- Respect
Across the water,
Proud woman on a island...
Mountains to the West.

- Fading
Vitality lost,
But not forgotten by friends...
Becoming fewer.

- Yesterday
Hazy Memories,
On the beach when she was young...
Longing to return.

- Tomorrow
Burden neglected,
Always the same question...
Apple blossoms bloom.

.....(Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)

Working out

- Breaking Habits
A journey begins,
Over the bridge from the South...
It is not to late.

- Pain
Such exquisite pain,
Wanting, there is no pity...
In the depths of hell.

- Brother in arms
Fraternal embrace,
Each one is for the other...
For the love of life.

- Lessons learned
Old remedies told,
Lubricate body and mind...
True strength from within.

.....(Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)

Going to sea

- Underway
Batten down hatches,
Engine order telegraph...
Clangs full steam ahead.

- Crossing The Bar
Gray sky’s foreboding,
Waves crashing over the bow...
The steal womb shudders.

- Making Way
The days grow longer,
As gulls climb on the fresh breeze...
Betwixt and between.

- Arrival
Red, right, returning,
Tugs hasten our arrival...
Heaving lines are thrown.

.....(fall, winter, spring, summer)

Bus Stop

- Hurry
Harried distraction,
Memory of sleep, like dreams...
An elusive muse.

- Inkwell
Daylight hesitates,
Unseen footsteps approaching...
A brief loneliness.

- Relief
Vague faces appear,
Through fog thick as musslin cloth...
Despair turns to hope.

- Freedom
Expectant silence,
While the huddled masses wait...
Steam drifts on warm breath.

.....(Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)

Cup of Joe

- First Cup
Brew, Plunge, Percolate,
Morning ritual observed...
Elixir of life.

- Single-Shot
Caf, Half-Caf, De-Caf,
Espresso, mocha, latte...
Steamed milk, not too hot.

- Americano
Tall, Grande, Venti,
Served up with whipped cream on top...
Large drip coffee, please.

- Last Drop
Naked Baristas,
Delight drive-thru customers...
Don't forget to tip.

.....(Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)

Deja Vous

- Premonition
A mirage foreseen,
Glimpsed in my rear-view mirror...
Closer than perceived.

- Envisioned
I've seen you before,
In silhouette, confident...
Waiting for someone.

- Remembered
Picking at a thread,
Not quite a memory, but...
Still in my conscious.

- Forgotten
Returning often,
To the day I first saw you...
Like in a vision.

.....(Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring)

The King

- Birth
Non-violent protest,
Southern winds blind with hatred...
Through tears, truth is seen.

- Passion
A man dreams of peace,
Righteous in his convictions...
Empowered by speech.

- Death
Lorraine whispers death,
Purple Iris in full bloom...
The promised land calls.

- Dream
Passions ignited,
By presidential decree...
A dream remembered.

.....(Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)

Life and Lemonade

- Awake
Living is easy,
In the dog days of summer...
The truth for some.

- Tiredness
Shrouded in fatigue,
Life is full of twists and turns...
Decisions abound.

- Sleep
Death is a release,
Mortals have the luxury...
Free will rules the day.

- Rejoice
Frustration subsides,
The ebb tide reveals new life...
Wounds begin to heal.

.....(Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring)