Comments on: senryu is not a typo

By: Arlene Teck

Arlene Teck — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:03:45 +0000

–Author/poet Jane Reichhold of Aha Poetry has noted: “Because haiku and senryu are written much alike, often on the same subjects and usually by the same authors, great controversies have ensued over which is what.” Poet Alan Pizzarelli has artfully stated the difference: “… if it is man within the world, it is haiku. If it is the world within the man, it is senryu.” –
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haiku:
dampness
escaping from the hothouse
gardenia scent
.
senryu:
dampness
escaping from the whorehouse
gardenia scent

By: Arlene Teck

Arlene Teck — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:58:52 +0000

More about scruples:
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Once we had occasion to take a meal in the dining room of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. It was June. The waiters and waitresses all were hotel students, doing summer internships. We asked our waiter if he could bring a side order of scruples, along with dinner. The young man said he didn’t know, but would ask the chef.
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A few mminutes later, a torrent of yelling erupted from the kitchen, so loud it could be heard throughout the dining room. Shortly afterward, our waiter returned and told us the chef had said that scruples were out of season just now. No letter “R” in the month, we supposed.
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While you might be careful about asking your waiter for scruples, you can ask a druggist. The scruple is an apothecary weight.

By: Arlene Teck

Arlene Teck — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:48:03 +0000

Here is an original senryu about lawyers:
.
lawyers take lunch
with a side order
of scruples
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This was written because of an ancient practical joke we used to play at upscale restaurants. After placing our order for a meal, we would ask the waitress if she could bring us “a side order of scruples” along with the entree. Often we would get a reply something like: “this restaurant doesn’t have scruples.”