HAIKU DIALOGUE – the way of the housekeeper

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1. .
   What an incredible poem, and just in seven words!

   .
   .
   deep autumn –
   dusty piano
   without mom’s fingers
   .
   Tanpopo Anis
   .
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   The power of the ‘d’ consonance in the first two lines, and then the startlingness of “mom’s fingers”.
   .
   Intriguingly, even though I’m a great fan of the grammatical articles [a/an, the], the intensity of poignancy and loss is better accentuated without the perhaps grammatically correct addition of the article (“the”).
   .
   A superb and deeply moving haiku.

2. Among the many excellent selections this week, two immediately captured my thoughts.

   vacuuming
   creating mandalas
   on the carpet

   Rehn Kovacic

   I may never view vacuuming (an onerous task for me) quite the same again!

   old floorboards
   worn down by my chair—
   this room’s depression
   — Dorothy Burrows

   The wood floors of my parent’s and grandparent’s homes come immediately to mind – especially where the same chair had once rocked so many loved ones.

   Thanks to both of you for allowing me to view floors in a new way.

   1. For some reason the reply above eliminated most of my name. Sorry!

   2. Marg, Thank you for mentioning my poem. And I hope I changed your opinion of vacuuming.

   3. Many thanks, Margaret, for your feedback. I am glad you enjoyed my verse.

3. for better or worse
   the house is much cleaner
   empty nest
   .
   Charles Harmon
   .
   This reminded me of how surprised I was when everything was exactly how I had left it on returning from work, when my sons had left home. It was a mixed feeling. And the first line made me question any relation to the marriage vows, since used there often.
   *
   stubborn as him…
   grandpa’s glass stain
   on the highboy
   .
   Pris Campbell
   .
   Good comparison of stubborn natures, plus I see a double use of stature in the aging man, and the piece of furniture.
   *
   old floorboards
   worn down by my chair –
   this room’s depression
   .
   Dorothy Burrows
   .
   The matter-of-factness of every line moved me, and a clever double use of depression. Powerful.

   1. Many thanks, Debbie, for your kind words about my poem.

4. Another great selection of verse! I enjoyed the entire selection. Congratulations to all the poets and many thanks, Craig, for including mine. Many thanks to Lori for the administration.

   I particularly enjoyed some of the spider verses…

   *
   my office
   a thousandth generation of spiders remain untroubled
   *
   paul geiger
   *
   cleaning day
   from room to room
   the swept spider
   *
   Bryan Rickert

   I can definitely relate to these 2 verses. It’s always a shock when I put on a pair of glasses and discover yet another cobweb lurking in the corner of the room!

   And I also loved the following 2 verses.
   *
   delicately woven web…
   the spider’s bite
   still stings
   *
   Margaret Walker
   *
   self-isolation thoughts mending the broken cobweb
   *
   Hifsa Ashraf
   *
   In Margaret’s I enjoyed the contrast between a beautifully crafted cobweb and the fact that its maker stings. That tension between a creation and its creator is a fascinating subject. I really admired Hifsa’s poem as there are so many possible scenarios in the verse. It makes the reader stop and consider the meaning which is great!

   i very much look forward to reading next week’s selection!

   1. Thank you for commenting on my “delicately woven web…”
      Cobwebs and spiders seemed to be a part of several haiku this week. (Perhaps the lure of the cobweb in momentarily sunlit corners offers number of metaphors for life today?)

      1. I’m sure you’re right, Margaret. Cobwebs are metaphorically rich in their insubstantial, impermanent way.

         Also, the Issa haiku I alluded to in setting up this prompt may have inspired some writers to emulate him.

         It is one of my favorites of his:

         Don’t worry, spiders,
         I keep house
         casually.

         Kobayashi Issa

5. Charles Harmon’s verse surely resonated with parents who have empty nests, it did with me.

   If you haven’t read Hifsa’s lockdown work, seek it out. It doesn’t disappoint.

   1. So many good ones that I can identify with! The following two especially resonated with me.
      .
      I’ve been eyeing a nicely developed spiderweb wondering whether to clear it or let it do its work, so really appreciated this one:
      .
      delicately woven web…
      the spider’s bite
      still stings
      .
      Margaret Walker
      .
      Thank goodness my grandkids are past the crawling stage so I don’t have to worry about this one by Vandana!
      .
      crawling kid
      my eyes follow
      the dust bunny
      .
      Vandana Parashar
      .
      Thanks for this interesting theme, thanks for including mine and thank you to all the poets who shared their talent.

      1. Thank you for mentioning my “delicately woven web”. They are so beautiful it does often seems a shame to destroy them

6. Fascinating set of haiku this week, I absolutely loved the vowel and consonant sounds in this one:-
   .
   soot on clock
   the cuckoo silent
   since the lock down
   .
   arvinder kaur, Chandigarh, India

7. I related to the two poems that are spawning creativity and fun from housework. During this time of isolation, I find myself doing the same. Also brings a great deal of presence to the moment, an enjoyment rather than a chore.

   vacuuming
   creating mandalas
   on the carpet Rehn Kovack

   for a change
   I doodle
   in the dust Kakshmi Iyer

   1. Thank you so much Sydney for mentioning my poem. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

8. Thank you Craig for including my haiku on housekeeper ways this week! A good theme during the pandemic when we are home more to notice things in our home surroundings. I appreciated the subtle humor in this one:

   hang in there
   get well balloon scraps
   in the ceiling fan

   Kath Abela Wilson

   and this one too, a different take on spring cleaning:

   spring breeze
   dust bunnies scurry deeper
   under the bed

   Michele L. Harvey

   I also love this one as I too had a moon haiku here this week. Deceptively simple and open to many interpretations:

   moonrise
   the dust
   settles

   Helga Stania

9. So much to enjoy this week but I was caught by Sari’s “thunder moon” – what a scene setter! Alan’s ‘politicians’ is so clever (shame the old dust keeps blowing back); love it. Pris Campbell’s ‘stubborn’ is also so very insightful – I think I know him; I think I am him!! Brilliant.
   .
   As for Craig’s theme of ‘dust’ falling over this group of poems…
   .
   retirement day
   my LinkedIn profile
   gathering dust

   1. Thanks for the mention, I wasn’t sure if the verse would click with people here, but hoped it would. 🙂

      1. Alan, I thought the brevity here was effective. Biased on first read towards dust, on second read it reminded me of clicking the tv remote from one talking “expert” to the other, in these crazy times.

         1. Thanks Debbie! 🙂
            .
            Yes, more than one meaning, sometimes even at the same time! 🙂

   2. Thank you John for the appreciative comments on my haiku!

10. Craig, thankyou for placing my verse for comment, a lovely surprise, and a wonderful start to a (hopefully) quiet evening after a busy day.
    .
    You are right, a rich harvest of verses for this session. How to choose from so many wonderful and heartfelt poems, as they are all a delight to read. Well done to all poets, truly wonderful.
    .
    I’ll just pick a few that have brought back memories of loved ones, some fun ones, and one that has intrigued me.
    .
    her old room
    porcelain dolls still stare
    from their boxes
    — paul Geiger
    .
    old floorboards
    worn down by my chair—
    this room’s depression
    — Dorothy Burrows
    .
    dad gone . . .
    a lone cricket chirps
    under his bed
    — Kanchan Chatterjee
    .
    thin air . . .
    floating around my bedroom
    a pigeon feather
    —Manoj Sharma
    .
    my office
    a thousandth generation of spiders remain untroubled
    — paul geiger
    Had to smile at this one, reminds me of my little studio, only thinking the other day it needs the feather duster treatment.
    .
    there all that time—
    the empty flowerpot
    in the corner
    —Alex Ben Ari
    .
    politicians
    swept through
    the TV
    — Alan Summers
    There’s always more to your words than meets the eye.
    First thoughts were, dusting the static dust from the screen while the politicians were talking, maybe wishing they too could be wiped away with the dust or maybe, the swiftness of their appearance not wanting to over elaborate on matters in hand. Could there be a technical fault?
    An interesting one, I hope you will elaborate and bring us a bit closer to your thoughts on this one 🙂
    .
    Thanks Craig and Lori for the opportunity of posting, and reading all these poems.

    1. Hi Carol! 🙂
       .
       While Karen is taking a recuperative sleep, as her M.E. flared up, I’ll
       .
       re:
       .
       .
       politicians
       swept through
       the TV
       — Alan Summers
       .
       Carol said:
       .
       “An interesting one, I hope you will elaborate and bring us a bit closer to your thoughts on this one 🙂”
       .
       .
       You know me too well! 🙂 Yes, I often have an underlay of extra or alternative meaning. Also, now that I am persuaded that verbs can play a useful part in haiku “the poetry of nouns” I am fascinated by both their direct application, and how they can mean or direct the poem both on a singular route, and a cheeky second one too! 🙂
       .
       .
       Carol said:
       .
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       “First thoughts were, dusting the static dust from the screen while the politicians were talking, maybe wishing they too could be wiped away with the dust or maybe, the swiftness of their appearance not wanting to over elaborate on matters in hand.”
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       That would be a preferable option to those people who throw something solid at the TV screen, or blast it with a handgun or shotgun! 🙂
       .
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       We try not to catch the news too often, as however good or bad the interviewer is, not enough is being done, and there’s too much waffle, prevarication, excuses to think about it, think about it more, and then have a discussion and another discussion to have a meeting, a meeting to have a meeting, another meeting to book the next date of the meeting etc…
       .
       The countries that act, not talk, or make excuses or dissemble, have saved their countries:
       New Zealand; South Korea; Italy; Germany; and certain countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as of July 8, 2020: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114603/latin-america-coronavirus-mortality-rate/
       .
       We have too many over-privileged politicians (mostly but not exclusively men) who got rich in their 20s with access to better housing, food, medical cover etc… that cannot or will never relate or do practical life-saving acts for the people of a country that elected them.
       .
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       So the verb “swept” which I did have a long think about was chosen as politicians both glibly sweep through our television sets smiling, laughing, sometimes giving expensive school grimaces of exasperation at being caught out in a lie that was obvious anyway; and the action of Karen and myself, and probably others, who just click to another channel, either news or entertainment, or documentary, but away from the debased lies and not feet on the ground action. After all this virus was known as far back as December 2019, and not enough has been done even in seven months. We could have mobilised specialised drivers to deliver food and medicine (taxi drivers, military drivers, public transport drivers of buses and coaches) and saved half the population that died.
       .
       Everything gets swept away, including the new lies that the virus is allegedly the fault of the healthcare sector, the opposition politicians, China, and possibly that the moon is made of cheese as well, who knows? 🙂
       .
       .
       I wrote to Craig, a little note:
       .
       “We try to enforce a rule that no politicians can enter our household. When they do, they get swept along with the dust and debris.” – Alan Summers
       .
       .
       So I choose the simple past tense of the verb as it could both mean the politicians swept through, and also that they were getting swept past by us, as they ‘swept’ through. In ‘outside life’ we can’t do that, but for the moment, we can do a little within our ‘indoor existence’.
       .
       I have so many thoughts (parallel/alternative) going on as I create a haikai verse, which is why I talked slower than I would have preferred on a recent podcast interview! 🙂
       .
       warm regards,
       Alan

       1. Alan says:
          “We have too many over-privileged politicians (mostly but not exclusively men) who got rich in their 20s with access to better housing, food, medical cover etc… that cannot or will never relate or do practical life-saving acts for the people of a country that elected them.”

          Well said … although maybe you forgot to mention privileged education, which doesn’t go for Trump.

          It’s sad that it should be, but it’s good to see we’re getting angry.

          Unfortunately, however, we’re not angry enough to change the situation/system you talk about. Nobody wants civil unrest, but why is it that we stand by seemingly impotent, while certain politicians and leaders knowingly mislead all but themselves, and get away with it? I despair of both the U.S. and the U.K.

          1. Ingrid-
             I share your sentiments. Why is it so hard and time consuming to make change for the better, while tearing everything apart happens so fast? While many social changes can eventually be rolled back, the lives of the animals in exploited ecosystems are gone forever, and gone in great suffering and pain.
             Sorry to be a downer here. Haiku is a wonderful lift, but its reach is limited.

       2. Firstly, Alan, I’m sorry to hear Karen’s M.E, has flared up. Please pass on my best wishes for her speedy recovery, and to go easy with those ‘spoons’ when she starts to feel more herself.
          .
          I just knew I could rely on you for a spontaneous reply, but this is an amazing read, and I agree whole heartedly with your sentiments.

          I too used to switch the T.V. over when I felt the outlandish comments coming from politicians mouths got over baring, however, the rhetoric they use is supposedly for our continued support for them, and its cleverly contrived, I listen to it very carefully now, because there will come a day when they will be quoted, and I for one will hopefully be able to add my little bit, especially when it comes to environment issues, which, as we all know not only does this affect humans, the natural world as a whole, and the flagrant disregard with which, as Laurie has mentioned, some seem to be getting away with, without hindrance or leave.
          Even within our own communities there is always destructive elements being tolerated, and always excuses form the authorities when we point them out.
          When you come up against this kind of behaviour, it brings home just how much c**p we are being force fed, the sad thing is, so many just don’t see or hear it.

          You are bang on the nail when you mention a meeting to arrange a meeting for a meeting, just a good ol’ excuse to spend hard earned tax payers money on a fancy-pants dinner and a few bottles of the best. Cynical? No.
          I now alight from my soap box 🙂
          .
          So much in so few word, as usual, Alan. great stuff 🙂

          1. Thanks Carol! 🙂
             .
             Karen is under orders, once we are up to date, to restore ‘spoons’ over the rest of the Summer, and part of the Autumn. It’s the combined onslaught of doing too much so we can buy essentials, facing the dire news about ruthless unfeeling greedy politicians, and all the negative vibes on social media, and the unceasing constant washing containers and contents, etc… and thoughtless arrogance by a minority of joggers, cyclists, and others who feel they are either immune or don’t care.
             .
             I’ve had published quite a lot of different haiku sequences etc… on Covid-19, but looking forward to other projects now.
             .
             I am so glad we got to meet you on two separate occasions before the pandemic was ever heard about!!! 🙂
             .
             And yes, everything you say is unnervingly accurate. And even today a British Black woman politician for the opposition was forced to close her constituency office due to INCREASED death threats. Being black, female, and a socialist, is a deadly trinity of excuses for bigots. I cannot believe that the police cannot or will not protect democracy, and people who are not white. As a child I had always hoped things would get better.
             .
             We can only do what we can do. And every haiku helps, along with other legal practices!
             🙂
             .
             warmest regards,
             Alan

             1. Always good to look forward and move on, Alan, good to know you are doing so, even under such diverse conditions.
                We too have had those joggers and cyclists, but glad to say now people can move about with a little more ease, things are going back to normality, and they too have more freedom to use their regular routes.
                .
                It was always a great experience being present at the ‘live’ workshops, and also online.
                I still have wonderful memories and photos of the two venues Karen and you provided for us, happy days, indeed 🙂
                .
                Can’t say I ever witnessed any racial tensions when a child or in early adulthood, but it does seem to have raised its ugly head this past few years, could just be the place I live, and it is awful that people, such as you have mentioned, and even ordinary every day folk, have to put up with such abuse, and not a lot done about it, if anything.

                Take care you two

                Carol

          2. Bristol has certainly gone through very deadly times, which never got into the newspapers, but as someone who had their entire childhood, and young adulthood, I got to see and hear some horrible stuff, both racial, and otherwise.
             .
             The struggle goes on, as too many people judge people purely by skin tone. What will people think of this a thousand years hence, I wonder.

    2. Thank you !

    3. Many thanks, Carol, for mentioning my verse. I enjoyed yours too. I can definitely relate to attic windows with layers of dust!

       1. Thanks, Dorothy.
          Your words can relate to so many house-bound people, and within the current situation, more so.

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