Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wednesday Haiku # 21: Alan Summers

Photo by Michael Ely




Wednesday Haiku, Week #21






down the sidewalk
an old vagrant
daisies in his mouth

Alan Summers
reprinted from Hobo (June 1999)









cold winter sky--
where will this wandering beggar
grow old?
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue













best,
Don


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14 comments:

  1. Terri L. FrenchJune 15, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    enjoyed Alan!

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  2. AnonymousJune 15, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    Liked your poem, Alan. It also made me think of Ferdinand, the bull, remember? He was a pacifist who loved nothing more than to eat flowers and sit under his cork tree all the day long. Thanks for Haiku Wednesday, Don!

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  3. Charles GramlichJune 15, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    This beggar has already gotten old.

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  4. Issa's Untidy HutJune 15, 2011 at 12:09 PM

    Thanks, folks - Alan and Issa are a great combination.

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  5. WrickJune 15, 2011 at 10:51 PM

    aloha Alan - your ku makes living on the street attractive (to/for me) - i think about that at times altho i know there is a lot that is not attractive, i think there is a lot that is... i like seeing the freedom in your ku.

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  6. Area 17June 16, 2011 at 7:48 AM

    Thanks for the comments! ;-)

    Although life on the streets might look attractive, it's a hard life.

    I was pleased to see this vagrant, more a tramp, than a vagrant, enjoying the sun.

    For partly practical reasons he might have been eating daisies, but he was certainly enjoying nature.

    I've known a few poets who have been homeless for various reasons, and even world famous poet Les Murray said he was homeless for a while, and if single again, he'd consider it again.

    He hails from New South Wales so the weather is predominantly sunny, and there is easy access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

    Alan
    Area 17 weblink: includes this haiku


    .

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  7. Issa's Untidy HutJune 16, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    Thanks, Alan, it is wonderful to get the poet's POV. Thanks, too, for the link.

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  8. WrickJune 16, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    exactly. i'm not recommending homelessness. i probably will never choose it deliberately either - altho i do think about it at times. i think about 98% of it would not be desirable and the other 2% would probably be hard to find.

    there is a freedom in it in some ways tho and it is in that spirit that i saw the ku. yeah too, there are a lot more homeless in pleasant climates than in harsh climates. for a reason.

    it's interesting that your ku brings to light a social/economical issue. ...or at least i think it's a social/economical issue...

    ...may be it's a freedom/political issue as well. ??

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  9. AnonymousJune 16, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    I am thinking that perhaps the man may die walking, based on my just about favorite hokku of all time:

    winter bee –
    without a place to die
    is . . . walking


    –Kijo Murakami

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  10. Issa's Untidy HutJune 16, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    Thanks for the thoughts, Wrick.

    A real beauty, Donna ...

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  11. adityaJune 22, 2011 at 2:10 AM

    The haiku and both of those pictures are amazing.

    Donna's beauty reminds me of this-

    autumn cold-
    wherever i go
    people have homes

    issa

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  12. Issa's Untidy HutJune 22, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    Very fine, Donna and Aditya (for Issa) - thanks for extending the post with fine work ...

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  13. Area 17June 22, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    Great to see some haiku in the comments area too! ;-)

    Alan

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  14. Issa's Untidy HutJune 22, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    Yes, especially such high quality haiku ...

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