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

We’re going to rest on our alleged laurels for a few days. New haiku by Honored Guest Poets will be added each day at the foot of the post. Enjoy the Holiday Season and please have a creative, peaceful, giving New Year. [see our new New Year Haiku page]

Open Letter to Ed-the-Editor

re: Blawg Review Awards 2005

Thanks for giving f/k/a your very first Creative Law Blog award.
But, frankly, if I had known that winning an award could cause so
much agita, I might not have spent as much time buttering you
up the past few months.

First, I’ve got Ms. Eversman over at AutoMuse sulking because
she didn’t win anything. She even called yours truly a “haiku
wonk.” Hey, not a-mused.

Horn‘s Lady Justice

Worse, a lot of first-time visitors are stopping by, expecting
to be wowed. All they’ve seen is your cryptic words
“David Giacalone wins the award for Creative Law Blog for
f/k/a .” In a webworld that mistakes technoflash for imagination
and style, new readers come here assuming they’ll be overwhelmed.
Instead they find a rather humble-looking blawg that promises
genuine haiku and assorted punditry. As I wrote to you earlier
today, you could have said something like:

“What happens when a client/consumer advocate
who can’t quite control several of his alter egos,
becomes a haiku missionary.”

Add a warning: “No non-verbal bells & whistles.”

How can I possibly convey the notion that it is the mixture
of serious punditry on the legal profession and politics, and
silly social commentary, and personal pet peeves, with
genuine haiku by some of the best English-language haiku
writers, that gives f/k/a its uniqueness and its creative juices?
How can I explain (without a degree in psychotherapy) the
serendipitous collision of my various inner demons?

“blueRibbonN” Worst of all, however, is the wrangle you have
touched off within the f/k/a gang:

Our resident contrarian and agent of reality,
Prof. Yabut, is having a Brandoesque snoot,
wanting to return the award, with the Truman–
like assertion: “I just tell them the truth, and
they think I’m being creative.”

“NoyabutsSN”

The usually mild and humble haikuEsq is
certain the award is due to our haiku content
and resources, so he wants more acreage
on the home page. Resident haijin dagosan
wants some credit for improving his poetic
output and quality this year — or, at least,
for getting a few poems published elsewhere.

Founding editor emeritus ethicalEsq is back
on his preachy highhorse, and insists we
get back to our client-advocacy roots Big
Time [boring].

His cousin, skepticalEsq is certain almost
every visitor comes here by mistake, and
would focus on our Inadvertent Searchee
pages.

Advisor Jack Cliente points out that we
haven’t complained about standard contin-
gency fees in ages, nor written any good
senryu on the topic.

Meanwhile, yours truly, the proprietor of this

weblog, wishes he had something really fascinating to say

about lawyers & haiku and the pressing need for more

Haiku Police.

 

Compared to all this aggravation from being called

Creative, other winners have it easy: For example:

Bainbridge can just uncork another bottle

and start to ponder a post reviewing the wine.

 

Jeremy Richey can sit back and admire
his tagline, while Walter Olson protects the
trademark on his blawg name.

There are a dozen people at Volokh to spread
the work around.

SCOTUSblog gets to enjoy the Court’s vacation.

Lat and the Harriet Miers folk are retired.
And Ernie doesn’t have to worry about any hurricanes
for a few months.

George Wallace only has to have a better person-
ality than a bunch of male lawyers (that’s real hard).

Everyone knows Bashman has an army of underlings
doing his aggregating.

And, if resting on one’s diva-ness and lifetime achievements
aren’t enough, nobody expects working mothers like Denise
and Carolyn to be posting much over the Holidays.

 

I don’t want to spoil your holiday egg nog, Ed, but

I’m starting to understand why you want to stay

anonymous. By scheduling your Awards announce-

ment in the middle of Christmas vacation, you have

made it almost impossible for the serious winners

(especially this tired old guy) to be at their best. I’m

supposed to be acting jolly and/or serene, plus penning

a haiku or two, not trying really hard to be creative.

 

So, I give up. Maybe someone else (besides AutoMuse)

will win the Creative Law Blog award next year and

have their Christmas/Holiday Season disrupted. Thanks

for reminding me that just being nominated may be the

best award of all.

 

with all due respect,

d.a.g.

 

 

a squabble of jays —
he shovels my bootprints
off the sidewalk

 

 

 

 

 

chilly evening —

the wine full of summer

in a far country

 

 

Billie Wilson

“chilly evening” – loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology 2005

“a squabble of jays” – The Heron’s Nest VII: 4 (Dec. 2005)

 

 

delta autumn
the storyteller cradles
his gun

 

 

 

lunch at the zoo
even among gorillas
some who sit apart

fast-breaking news
weight of the lead apron
in the dentist’s chair

 

 

he comes to bed

cleanshaven …

winter stars

Peggy Lyles from To Hear the Rain (2002)

except “he comes to bed” – – loose change: 2005

deep winter
I search the lease
for a loophole

high noon
the boys refill
their water pistols

Tom Painting

“high noon” – July Selection, Snapshot Press, 2005 Haiku Calendar

“deep winter” – loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology 2005

first date

she groans with pleasure

at my pun

 

dagosan

 

 

“snowflakeS” Here’s a bonus selection of haiku by

some of our Honored Guest Poets, from the brand

new volume loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology

2005:

 

 

 

first visit

seeing the colors

she lives with

 

Hilary Tann

 

 

 

migratory ducks

I have never

kept a diary

paul m.

 

 

 

 

just long enough

to leave an impression

dragonfly

 

yu chang

 

 

Dec. 28, 2005: Featured Haijin: Hilary Tann:

 

 

10:01 PM

the mall fountain

falls silent

 

 

 

daily commute

watching for

an odometer event

 

 

 

 

 

summit view

my friend

examines his shoes

 

 

 

 

 

family reunion

a circle of feet

around the youngest child

 

Hilary Tann from Upstate Dim Sum (2002/I)

first night at her place –

three-dog gal and

no-dog guy

 

dagosan

“spotlightS”

 

Dec. 29, 2005: Featured Haijin

Gary Hotham:

 

 

early in the night—
the stars we can see
the space for more

 

 

 

 

 

last night’s snow down river

shadow

among shadow__

the day begins cold

snow now rain–

your picture

by mine

 

 

 

 

I lean

into the soup’s steam…

snow flurries

waiting up–

one hand warms

the other

their last sound

before we move on–

the geese outdistance us

Gary Hotham from breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark

(Canon Press, 1999)

– don’t forget our Christmas Season Haiku Page – “spotlightN”

Dec. 30, 2005: Featured Haijin Kobayashi Issa —

translated by David G. Lanoue:

making the rounds
as a New Year’s gift…
paper fan

 

New Year’s gift of tea–
where did you go
on your jouney back to me?

 

 

 

a full round

of New Year’s greetings

at the inn

Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue

The Kobayashi Issa Website is now back on line,

including keyword search (by topic, season, year and more).

David Lanoue’s haiku novel Dewdrop World (2005) is

still available as a free download!

 

“Old&NewYearSF” A little help from our friends:

 

 

a red flush

on the amarylis bud

New Year’s Eve

Pamela Miller Ness – The Heron’s Nest

 

New Year’s Eve –

the lentil soup

again

 

Tom Clausen

from Homework (Snapshot Press 2000)

 

 

“MirrorG”

 

year’s end

the bartender

blocks my reflection

Tom Painting – The Heron’s Nest

 

 

 

 

Issa and the hermit

home alone again–

New Year’s eve

 

dagosan

 

“snowflakeS” Dec. 31, 2005: featured haijin:

Jim Kacian.

 

chopping wood

someone does the same

a moment later

 

 

 

 

morning thaw

deer tracks

full of sun

 

 

 

 

just the north face

of each fence post

painted white

 

 

 

 

dreaming

in the sleeping bag

of butterflies

 

 

Jim Kacian – Presents of Mind (1996)
“Old&NewYearSF”