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

In case you missed yesterday’s f/k/a premiere of Randy Brooks, here’s
an encore:

grandpa drags his daybed
to the front porch. . .
mockingbird’s songs

missing in action
she dusts off his guitar
returns it to the shelf

Randy Brooks, from World Haiku Review Vintage Haiku of Randy Brooks

by dagosan:

wonton soup

wanton woman

no MSG

[Jan. 13, 2005,

inspiration: B. Wooldrige]

one-breath pundit

Announcing a new haiku weblog: Bret Wooldridge, who is usually hanging

out on Shadow Poetry’s haiku pages, submitted yesterday to nagosan’s plea that he collect

his haiku for the public to enjoy. Thus, The Wanton Tree was born, filled with verse (and verbosity).

Although BW has led with some of his naughtier stuff (to attract some Google querists perhaps),

there’s lots to like that is family-safe. Here are two good examples:

overpass:
the windshield wipers
squeak dry

preschool:
the lower panes
free of frost

Bret explains in his first post how he got the haiku bug: “I am/was an avid guitarist. Following

my obsessive compulsive muse and playing as fast and furious as posible for many hours a day

resulted in tendonitis and a drastically reduced regimen. What to do with my overindulgent nature?

I remembered that I had written haiku 12 years earlier and took it up again with a vengeance. Since

then, I’ve had some publishing success and found I really enjoy writing and reading these tiny poems.”

Bret Wooldridge’s Profile sent me off on a pleasant tangent. He lists “The Scarlet Pimpernel” as one of his favorite movies. But, he doesn’t tell us if it’s the Leslie Howard/Merle Oberon version (1935), the Anthony Andrews/Jane Seymour version (1982), or the Richard E. Grant/Elizabeth McGovern version (A&E, 1999). Wal-Mart has the 1935 classic for $1, with a great cover. (Or, maybe Bret caught the Broadway musical version with Douglas Sills & Christine Andreas.)

Now, it ain’t haiku, but I’ve always liked these lines:

“I’ve written a poem.”
“Who sir? You sir?”
“Yes sir, me sir.”
“No, sir!”
“Yes sir. Listen.
—– “The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Sir Percy Blakeney, Bart.

“They seek him here, they seek him there,
“those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
“Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
“That damned elusive Pimpernel.”

As a Guardian review of the 1999 A&E version notes: The dialogue is from the much admired and fondly remembered 1935 film of The Scarlet Pimpernel, with the great Leslie Howard as the secret rescuer of French aristocrats, hiding his exploits behind a facade as a very foolish fop dancing attendance on the Prince of Wales.” It’s easy to love the 1935 and 1982 films, and I’d hate to have to choose between them. I’d choose to turn off the 1999 tv-flick.

This morning, there was a happy ending to my crashed-computer story.

I’m using it right now, with no data lost. Having my RAM tripled makes my achy body

feel almost turbocharged. And, the bill was a pleasant surprise:

handed the repair bill —

fifty dollars

not five hundred
[dagosan, Jan. 13, 2005]

Prof. Althouse has a pointer today to Maureen Dowd, who is pointing her sharp

finger at men who Just Want Mommy (NYT, Jan. 13, 2005). As a man who has always looked

for an intellectual equal with high (and earned) self-esteem, I find this all a little silly. The

complaining women are looking in the wrong places (e.g., at men who need status and

wealth to feel good about themselves). Not only do I do my own laundry, but I prefer

women who can keep a Scrabble game close right to the end (and don’t want do-overs;

I’d like to win about 3 games out of 5). See ISO: “Attractive Nuisance” Blawgger.

• update (Jan. 14, 2005): Find interesting commentary from Cassandra, at Villainous Companions about the companions we choose.