My History of "Penny Haiku"
Posted: September 15th, 2010, 4:18 pm
Authors note: To Whom it may concern:
This is a history of my own personal invention: "Penny Haiku". It is a non-syllable short poem with biographical or anecdotal narration. I try to break out of the restriction and asiatic tightness of the current format of the so-called "haiku". I am quite aware of the poems "non-syllable" appearance.
I've been posting these for many years and only a few critics have
been astute enough to realize or care about the difference.
I used to call them "graffito" or "graffiti" or "shortening poems".
Some of the poetry rhymes, some has rhythm and some have
syllables--but not necessarily. Most are uplifting narration and
use whimsical references to nature, songs, and nursery rhymes & life style.
Some are even like maxims. I sometimes even call them "Cantos" or "Blues".
My canto is has more autobiographical & lifestyle info. Ezra Pound would
turn over in his grave.
In fact, I deliberately posted them here instead of in the "Haiku" forum for exactly the reason you used in your criticism. Someone once thought they should be called "Two-cent Haiku". I also have posted them in my standing column, "Life in the Horse Lane", and on Litkicks.com's "Action Poetry". My column, at Studio Eight, lets me "horse around" a little more. I like this blog.
"Bog-Gob", a now defunct local magazine, published a few of them here in Chattanooga, TN. I used to also publish commentary there and elsewhere. My heading used the same name:
"Life in the Horse Lane". My "muse steed" is rather like a "rocket horse" or like "Mr. Ed" and also very astute. I take these poems "straight from the horse's mouth"... Pegasus ain't got nothing on me... A rocket horse for a "rocket age".
But the Pegasus is still a great metaphor for my brand of physical poetry and prose. If it wasn't for Hunter Thompson inspiring me, my prose would not be possible.
One of the first poems that I used the phrase was used with an
abbreviation: "P. Haiku". People thought it was more clever to
simply say "Phaiku". That title phrase wore out after a while and I soon
started calling them by their full name: "Penny Haiku". These poems
have a thirty year history behind them. I was inspired by T.S. Eliot, "King Lear", Bob Dylan, Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, & John Lennon & many more.
Thank you, eugeneherman, et al, for stinting so well & inspiring me to write this impromptu history of "Penny Haiku". This is a reprise of a post I wrote in the Poetry forum, under the title: "Shum Penny Haiku, Outside the stall"...
then renamed "Some Penny Haiku, Outside the stall, Part 1". A copy is now in my
column and is locked down.
***
Oh, I should like to name my "rocket horse muse" : "Stewball". So, you are the first persons to hear of it, outside my immediate circle of friends. I "knew my song well before I started singing..." to paraphrase Bob Dylan in a "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"... (Would you believe Bob Dylan will be seventy next May? ) I absorbed influences like a sponge and I have a legion of influences. Like it was once said: "Build a dock and a ship will come in". So, welcome, new friends.
This is a history of my own personal invention: "Penny Haiku". It is a non-syllable short poem with biographical or anecdotal narration. I try to break out of the restriction and asiatic tightness of the current format of the so-called "haiku". I am quite aware of the poems "non-syllable" appearance.
I've been posting these for many years and only a few critics have
been astute enough to realize or care about the difference.
I used to call them "graffito" or "graffiti" or "shortening poems".
Some of the poetry rhymes, some has rhythm and some have
syllables--but not necessarily. Most are uplifting narration and
use whimsical references to nature, songs, and nursery rhymes & life style.
Some are even like maxims. I sometimes even call them "Cantos" or "Blues".
My canto is has more autobiographical & lifestyle info. Ezra Pound would
turn over in his grave.
In fact, I deliberately posted them here instead of in the "Haiku" forum for exactly the reason you used in your criticism. Someone once thought they should be called "Two-cent Haiku". I also have posted them in my standing column, "Life in the Horse Lane", and on Litkicks.com's "Action Poetry". My column, at Studio Eight, lets me "horse around" a little more. I like this blog.
"Bog-Gob", a now defunct local magazine, published a few of them here in Chattanooga, TN. I used to also publish commentary there and elsewhere. My heading used the same name:
"Life in the Horse Lane". My "muse steed" is rather like a "rocket horse" or like "Mr. Ed" and also very astute. I take these poems "straight from the horse's mouth"... Pegasus ain't got nothing on me... A rocket horse for a "rocket age".
But the Pegasus is still a great metaphor for my brand of physical poetry and prose. If it wasn't for Hunter Thompson inspiring me, my prose would not be possible.
One of the first poems that I used the phrase was used with an
abbreviation: "P. Haiku". People thought it was more clever to
simply say "Phaiku". That title phrase wore out after a while and I soon
started calling them by their full name: "Penny Haiku". These poems
have a thirty year history behind them. I was inspired by T.S. Eliot, "King Lear", Bob Dylan, Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, & John Lennon & many more.
Thank you, eugeneherman, et al, for stinting so well & inspiring me to write this impromptu history of "Penny Haiku". This is a reprise of a post I wrote in the Poetry forum, under the title: "Shum Penny Haiku, Outside the stall"...
then renamed "Some Penny Haiku, Outside the stall, Part 1". A copy is now in my
column and is locked down.
***
Oh, I should like to name my "rocket horse muse" : "Stewball". So, you are the first persons to hear of it, outside my immediate circle of friends. I "knew my song well before I started singing..." to paraphrase Bob Dylan in a "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"... (Would you believe Bob Dylan will be seventy next May? ) I absorbed influences like a sponge and I have a legion of influences. Like it was once said: "Build a dock and a ship will come in". So, welcome, new friends.