May 6, 2008
Haikus are, in general, best dished up without any prefatory comment. But in this case, I think some explanation is required. [More, alas, than I had initially forseen: see comments...]
For me (and I pretty much made this rule up myself) a haiku should capture one particular insight or reflection as conceived in a particular moment. The other rule I bind myself to is that of strict veracity: what I write must be a faithful expression of what I actually thought or felt, not what I think it would have been cool or clever to have thought or felt. If they’re not sincere, they’re no good.
I can only apologise that the sincere “insight” below came to me in a Starbucks loo: no gratuitous grossness [of any description] was intended.
Starbucks Bonhomie
Not minding the pan’s
Streaked from someone else’s trip
Must count for something.
May 6, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Still… EWWW!
May 6, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I know - tell my muse!
B(og) A(wful)
May 6, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Dear, dear, dear. I hope this is not your muse’s attitude towards sexuality or anything like that.
May 6, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Horror horrorum, no! Her promptings do not that way tend.
Forgive (as I do) her wander into scatological territory here: it’s just that a public convenience is such an unusual place to be surprised by one’s own (innocent) altruism.
Moral: Post in haste, repent at leisure.
B(owing) A(bjectly)
May 6, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Oh! No deep symbolism then. Right-o! Carry on.
May 6, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Thank you. The enigmatic nature of haiku is rather double-edged…
Writing gnomic verse (however innocent) about public toilets was, in retrospect, rather asking for trouble.
I leave the post in place only to bear witness to my own folly. If I can’t set a good example, I’ll have to content myself with providing a terrible warning!
May 6, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I shudder to think what these ghastly “Possibly related posts” link to. I certainly won’t be checking.
My old pal “Scotus Magnus” (for truly he is a great Scot) has just texted me his low opinion of this my most misguided latest, but in doing so he has inadvertently suggested a potential title for the genre: haikpoo.
Here endeth this unfortunate scatological episode. I promise…
May 6, 2008 at 11:16 pm
But you could write in on the toilet stall. This haiku would be the best and most cultured words written therein and might even get across the altruistic message to your captive audience.
May 7, 2008 at 5:34 am
Is that a poet’s poo?
Dinna be daft pal
That’s an Edinburgh Haiku
May 7, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Seraphic, I love the thought of literary graffiti taking over our “houses of office” or “necessary houses” (as Lord Hailes called them). And I can just see your review appearing on the back cover of my first book of poetry: “Better than lavatory graffiti. S. Single” Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take all the compliments I can get!
Invocante, I’ll be looking for that one next time I visit a public loo in your vicinity.
I wonder how much grief Auden got for his “Geography of the House”…
B(athroom) A(rtist)