POETIC BEGINNINGS

The Stroll of Poets 30/30 Challenge finished yesterday, and it wasn’t until late in the day today that I realized I wanted to keep on going. However, a 4am wake-up, focused video production work, and 5 hours of Zoom gatherings had me “deep fried” as Stephanie said when I alluded to being fried.

Stephanie also calls Haiku “Hiatus” because I mentioned that to comply with the 30/30 challenge even when I was whupped and/or muse-devoid- AKA uninspired, I could always write a Haiku. Writing Haiku would be a form of hiatus from having to come up with something more extensive.

I did one on Days 6, 8, and 12 of the Challenge. On Day 27, I intended to do one, but ended up doing four, and stretching the prompt theme, which was “loophole.” It’s listed below. Today, I intended to write one just to keep the streak going, but I ended up writing three, again extending the theme of the original Haiku that I came up with.

Rick Lupert

Having just had an exchange with Rick Lupert- founder of the Poetry Super Highway (PSH), Cobalt Poets and so much more- about my mispronunciation of Haikuniverse (where my first ever poetic expression had been published less than a week ago) probably stimulated the notion of naming what I was doing with these multiple Haiku pieces.

I thought I would name the piece I had written today a Traiku, but when I Googled the name, I found a website- Hello Poetry- that is actually devoted to Traiku, and it was the same basic idea that I’d had. Not sure if it is an active site though. If you follow the link you’ll know why I’m unsure. I also thought I would name the piece I wrote on Day 27 a Quaiku, but that name, too, was taken! Glad I’m not too hung up on being original or I’d have had salty beer.

I may be fried but I’m not daunted. I figured I’d try Quaraiku and that did not come up with a Google search. That name might be out there, but for now, this is what I am calling that piece from Day 27 and any like it I write in the future. If someone shows me that the term is already out there, then I’ll be back at the writing board.

1st published Poetic Expression

So, what’s’ a Traiku? As I am using the term, it is a somewhat coherent piece/poem that contains three original-
form Haiku (three lines of 5-7-5 syllables) that share a related theme. Unlike the original Haiku form- according to my coach- titles and rhyming are optional in Traiku and Quaraiku as I’m thinking of them. A Quaraiku would contain four Haiku on a related theme, and we could go on: Quintaiku, Sextaiku, Septaiku…you get the drift. How cool would it be for the Haikuniverse to spawn another poetry galaxy!

Rick might not want to claim it, but there’s no doubt in my mind that without me stumbling upon all the immeasurably great work Rick has done for a quarter century or more in the realm of poetry, the notion of combining multiple Haiku to form a single expression wouldn’t have occurred to me. I would be very surprised if people haven’t been doing this for centuries, but being a neophyte, I have no idea what they’re called.

J R Turek Collections

I will be consulting with my poetry guru- and I’m using that term about as loosely as my 10-year-old boxers- Judy J R Turek. She let me know that the plural of Haiku was not Haikus, that Haiku don’t have titles, and other bits of must-be-important-poetry-stuff that I had no clue about. I still don’t have much of a clue, but just like there’s Google, there’s J R Turek when it comes to poetry…and she’s probably google-esque with other stuff I don’t know about…YET!

Hiram Larew

My poetry Godfather, Hiram Larew, maybe be as knowledgeable, but Judy is way cuter! I mean, she has purple freaking hair! She takes that “Purple Poet” moniker seriously! Oh stop people, we’re both m-word, and it ain’t like that. Listen, if you have Hiram Larew and J R Turek as your mentors, and you don’t learn stuff from them, put a plug in your left ear (or right, depending on which way the wind is blowing) to stop the breeze from flowing through. Shoot! I think I hear some whistling.

So anywho, below is the Traiku I wrote today, and below that is the Quaraiku I wrote on Day 27 of the 30/30 Challenge.

Traiku #1- No Finish Line

Finished line is crossed
So soon nostalgia beckons
A new beginning

New accomplishment
No time for dust to settle
Resist laurel rest

Inspiration steeps
Pregnancy but no labor
Wet and gushing words

Quaraiku #1- Escape

Loophole- an escape
Ethically in question
A me-first venture

In some instances
A smile becomes a loophole
Honesty recoils

We rationalize
The external takes umbrage
Rest in peace Dear Truth

Living off target
Secure in my false knowledge
Aim was not quite true

Thanks for stopping by 🙏.