f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

Swede, that is, on a sultry summer day:

in the hammock

the undertaker dozes    arms crossed

on his chest

August heat

the old orange cat sits up and licks

the sun from its tail

from Almost Unseen: Selected Haiku of George Swede

(Brooks Books, 2000)

• by dagosan:

old dog and master

jostling

for the tiny spot of shade

[07-31-04]

one-breath pundit

more Laurie 

 

the road home

swallows fly out

both sides of the bridge

 

 

 

ceramic fillings

the woman dentist

hums in my ear

 

 

 

by DeVar Dahl, from New Resonance 3: Emerging Voices in English-

Language Haiku  (Jim Kacian & Dee Evetts, eds.,  Red Moon Press, 2003) 

credit: “long summer day” – pawEprint 58 

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

cursing

the unset alarm clock –

late for church again

                                                  [07-30-04]

 

• 
  
  Jim Moore has pithy insight on Kerry’s finding the right terminology last night
  
  
• 
  
  Read Paul Krugman on campaign reporting and the “Triumph of the Trivial“. 
  
  
• 
  
  George Wallace questions pop song camgaign themes — in general and specific
  
  
  
  
  • 
    
    George also wonders if Dems have song suggestions for the President.  We offer Jimmy Buffet’s “That’s My Story And I’m Stickin’ to It“ or the newer  “That’s My Story” by Collin Raye.
  
  
• 
  
  Interesting Point of Law discussion on Canadian med-mal caps, and health care.

some of the sun

glinting off the sea

is dolphins

 

 

 

 

a loon’s laugh

the grazing pony

pricks up its ears 

 

 

from Chincoteague: haiku by  jim kacian, 

(Red Moon Press, 2000)

 

 

 

 

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

cycle of life?

human stain?

another laundry day

                                               [07-29-04]

 

 

 

  detail from a work by Laurie Hyde Smith.

 

 

deep winter

stars between the stars

I know

 

 

melting snow

the distance between

some else’s steps

with paul m, from  edge of light:  The Red Moon Anthology 2003  

(Red Moon Press, ed. by Jim Kacian, and the Editorial Staff, 2004)

 

 

fog all day
the whiteness
in my ears

 

by Alice Frampton, from the World Haiku Assn website

originally in Frogpond XXIV:2

 

 

 

overcast morning–

ripe blackberries

out of reach

 

by Alice Frampton, from New Resonance 3: Emerging Voices

in English-Language Haiku  (Edited by Jim Kacian and Dee Evetts, Red Moon Press, 2003)

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

waking from a young man’s dream

last night’s body

creaks and groans

                                              [7-27-04]

 

 

It’s George Bernard Shaw‘s birthday (b. July 26, 1856).  If George were covering the political conventions this week and next month,  I bet he’d toss a few pointed barbs.  We’ve complied some of our favorite Shaw quotations for you here.

For example:

• 
  
  “He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.”
  
  
• 
  
  “Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.”

 

p.s.  Speaking of famous quipsters, where is our paronomastic Fool?

 

It’s George Bernard Shaw‘s birthday (b. July 26, 1856).  If George were covering the political conventions this week and next month,  I bet he’d toss a few pointed barbs.  We’ve complied some of our favorite Shaw quotations for you here.

For example:

• 
  
  “He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.”
  
  
• 
  
  “Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.”

 

p.s.  Speaking of famous quipsters, where is our paronomastic Fool?

 

 

putting holes

in my argument

the woodpecker

 

 

 

summer storm

abandoned checkmate

in the park

 

 

thick fog lifts

unfortunately, I am where

I thought I was

 

 

from  Almost Unseen: Selected Haiku of George Swede 

(Brooks Books, 2000)    

 

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

undecided:

the insomniac sleeps through

the acceptance speech    

                                                       [07-26-04]

 

 

the boys grudgingly

share the hanging tire –

swing doters    

                                                       [07-26-04]

 

 

 

putting holes

in my argument

the woodpecker

 

 

 

summer storm

abandoned checkmate

in the park

 

 

thick fog lifts

unfortunately, I am where

I thought I was

 

 

from  Almost Unseen: Selected Haiku of George Swede 

(Brooks Books, 2000)    

 

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

undecided:

the insomniac sleeps through

the acceptance speech    

                                                       [07-26-04]

 

 

the boys grudgingly

share the hanging tire –

swing doters    

                                                       [07-26-04]

 

  Although warned by the Post-Dispatch, Evan and Andrea (of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.) braved the Madison County Fair yesterday.  As described in Evan’s Notes, they encountered hogs and tort reformers. You decide whether Baby Sam is being attacked or protected by the lawyer shark.

 

He may have never met a trial lawyer in early 19th Century Japan, but Master Issa seems to know a thing or two about sharks and children under attack: 

 

 

looking at the shark skin
of a cactus…
a cold night

“shark tiny”

 

from the willow
a ghost attacks!
the child

[translator  David G. Lanoue] 

 

     If there’s a significant decrease in lawyer billables this week, blame Bob Ambrogi, who has turned his vaunted compilation skills to the topic of lawyer humor.  See Web Watch: Laughing at Lawyers and the Law (Law Technology News, 07-26-2004)

Like the wise Ambrogi-san, Issa knew the value of laughter: 

 

swat! swat!
the escaping fly buzzes
with laughter

crawl and laugh–
from this morning on
a two year old!

a flea jumps
in the laughing Buddha’s
mouth

[thanks to translator  David G. Lanoue] 

 

one-breath pundit  

• Amen.  Lawyers should stop bemoaning lawyer jokes and humor and enjoy it. [See, e.g., The Simpsons and the Lawyers]

                legalhumor.com or legalhumour.com — “u” decide.  

Moon slipping out of clouds–

the scent of smoke

from mountain forest fires

 

 

 

 

 

Windblown curtain–

from a fold, a white moth

flutters out into moonlight

 

by Rebecca Lilly, from A New Resonance 2: Emerging Voices           

in English-Language Haiku  (Jim Kacian, Dee Evetts, eds., Red Moon Press, 2001)

credits: both haiku originally in Modern Haiku XXX:3

 

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

in bed 

alone

with a nagging back

                                   [7-25-04]

 

We interrupt this haiku moment to thank Evan Schaeffer of Notes from the (Legal) Underground for launching his new Saturday Guest Feature with an offering from your humble Editor on the MoveOn-FoxNews tiff over the “fair and balanced” slogan.  My piece is called Frivolous and Bollixed.  [Check it out, after your haiku moment, please.]

 

score tied

both team jerseys look the same

in the August twilight

 

 

at the height

of the argument     the old couple

pour each other tea

   from  Almost Unseen: Selected Haiku of George Swede (Brooks Books, 2000)  

• 
  
  by dagosan: 

hurrying

to a leisurely brunch –

the migraine starts                         [7-24-04]