Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

"Christmas in '60, Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk


Christmas is a fun day,
Christmas is on Sunday,

One day in the year,
When people laugh with cheer,

Parents are shouting,
When children are a-crowding,

To get some candy pears,
And some little wooden chairs...

I wrote this poem, tongue in cheek,
For Christmas came at the end of the week...

Circa December 1960, Revised Dec. 2012.

Come one, come all, readers...Here I send out my feelers.

"G.O.P. Stinkin' Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk

Party of Lincoln
Be stinkin',
Be stinkin',
Time for them
To get wise,
Stop livin'
With blinders
On their eyes...

“Fixing to Win Rag” Penny Haiku
By Steve Plonk

Well, come on all of you, allies, women & men,
Prez Obama needs your help again.
He’s got himself a brand new plan
Way down yonder in Afghanistan
So put down your books & pick up a gun,
We’ve got the Taliban on the run.

Hey, allies out there, we need a helping hand, way the sandhill out there in Afghanistan...
Come on, fine people show us the way, s/he who ducks & covers lives to fight another day...

See similar version of above post, on page 4, in my "What Would Victory Look like in Afghanistan?" thread, on Dec. 14, 2012, in my column, “Life in the Horse Lane”.

"Silly Season Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk

It's the chorus for "lavoris",
Play the pipes & join the chorus--
Now we sing cacaphonus measure,
To chase away the stormy weather!...
Fa La La La Laaa, LA LA La!

It's the season to be silly,
Fa La La La Laaa, La La La!
Share some pumpkin pie with Milly,
Don we now our faux apparel,
Singing seasons greetings carol,
Fa La La La LAAA, La La LA LA!

Seasons Greetings!

“Epiphany Penny Haiku Series”
By Steve Plonk

a)
Camel trains were coming in ships,
From the east, from the east,
Three wise kings brought
Special gifts from their feast,
From their feast…
Upon the sighting of a star,
Three wise kings came from a-far.

b)
Three ships landed at Haifa, at Haifa,
Heading for Jerusalem & Bethlehem…
Warned against King Herod in a dream,
They reported not the star they’d seen,
In Bethlehem over a stable rude.
Kings came with gifts, but stopped for food.
To share upon that wondrous day & night,
When they stopped to share with the Divine,
A side of mutton, dates, legumes, & some wine…

c)
Three Kings viewed the Divine Child,
Lying in a manger, in a stable,
Said to be the Son of the One True God,
Shepherds & angels praised, a nice preamble,
As Into the stable the three kings trod.
They exclaimed amazed, “Surely,
This is the Son of God.”

d)
Mary & Joseph praised such gracious guests,
Who entered their humble stable cave,
Giving great gifts of a feast, & gold, frankincense, & myrrh.
Baby Christ was surprisingly smiling & demure…
As gentle beasts about them all stood,
In the cozy stable cave so rude...
In the skies was a rainbow shining star,
Bathing the stable in glory from a-far.

When I hear warriors logic, I try to upend them,
when I think of new quips, I know where to send 'em...
I don't get so jolly, when I hear we're giving air support to Mali...

STOP/LOSS PENNY HAIKU BLUES
BY Steve Plonk

a)
Obama has a brand new plan,
To stop working servicemen like a hoss,
Fewer tours of duty for soldiers
In far Afghanistan,
So they won’t fear the stop/loss...

b)
One tour of duty used to be enough,
Folks were rotated out in a year,
Time to recruit more servicemen,
So that the others won’t be overworked,
You hear?

From my "Life in the Horse Lane" Column, "What Would Victory Look Like In Afghanistan?", thread, posted in a slightly differing form on Jan. 16, 2013.

America the uncanny
a kinder gentler empire
than Rome

a band of brothers of the brand
We all want to do our patriotic duty
Visigoths and Puerto Ricans too

what does victory look like anywhere
does it ever look like peace
is it good for the bottom line

gamble with a ramble
the protestant work ethic
and the relief of man's estate.

Thanks for that one, Still Trucking.

"Service Folks Gamble Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk

We ramble 'em, we gamble 'em,
That is, on their lives,
Will they come home, losing a leg,
Or a body bag for their husbands/wives?

Will they save the day & win a medal or two,
Or will they just do a good job,
Wearing out pairs of boots & shoe?

Will they be able to wire home,
Or get their days in the R & R?
Or will they get road rage &
Die in the interstate in their car?

Yes, I'm dancing that peaceful dance,
Please give world peace a chance...

PENNY HAIKU #193
Working out in an apartment
Complex gym, two old friends
“chew the breeze” over glasses
of ice water—Under an awning
Wearing a big bandana.


PENNY HAIKU #194
An “on-sale” Easter lily
Is purchased by a devoted
Husband who gently puts it
In a paper bag--
Driving his little car home
Under a big bandana.


PENNY HAIKU #195
A young lady clerking
At a card store exclaims to
A customer: “I’ve seen you,
Now, everywhere I’ve worked.”
Wearing a bright bandana.


PENNY HAIKU #196
The customer retorts:
“You seem to be working
Everywhere in town.”
While wearing a big bandana.
Smiles abound .(Card was for
Eight-year old niece)

Excerpt from: POEMS FOR MY DAUGHTER: Penny Haiku, Circa 2000.
.

Let's catapult these poems into your hearts.

"Spring -a- Ling Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk

a)
Spring is sprang! Let's do our thang!
Birds come a-flitterin', & a-twitterin'--
Pick up after yerself, don't be litterin'
Clouds be sprinkin', as I upon the shrubs is tinkerin'--
Trimmin' & burning, sawin' & legs churnin' ,
To Keepin' the home fires burnin',
Warm weather yearnin'...
***
b)
Tree leaves are buddin'
Hyacinths are bloomin"
Daffodils are swayin'
Pets are out playin',
Birds comin' back & stayin'
Everythin' is sproutin' green,
In this pastoral scene--
Cattails & pussywillows
Trillium & violets
Sun shafts peek through
Cloudbanks & beam...

"Two Cats Two Penny Haiku"
By Steve Plonk

a)
Say two cats two--
"Let's all get some
Chow & chew,
That's what we'd really
Like to do,
Tie on the old
Feedbag & chew with zeal,
Until we're through...
With our Two Cats Two meal..."

b)
Charismatic cats anticipate
It'll be dinner time...
The info's true,
For two cats two
They say "We've been good,
Earned our meals,
For two cats two...
So let us be served &
Commence to chew..."
Meal eaten with zeal
For two cats two--
Salmon or tuna
Or a special prep for two,
They begin to chew...
***
c)
Say two cats two
"We love our meals
Just put out from you,
So let's get our chow & chew,
Special fancy cats
Feast for two,
That's the chow
We really love to chew,"
For two cats two...
***
d)
"We charismatic cats
Appreciate all things you do,
When serving our meals for us,"
Say Two Cats Two,
"We'll stick to our serving bowls like glue,
That is until we're through..."
Say Two Cats Two.
"Mew Meow Mew Meow Mew..."
This cat translation is overdue...phew!

Late February & early March 2013.

These penny haiku are mentally scrumptious,
As spring is in full bloom & we all getting bumptious...