Haiku Dialogue – Social Issues – Basic Human Rights

This Post Has 31 Comments

1. cancelled engagement
   was I wrong in asking to keep
   my maiden name
   .
   Vandana Parashar

   your poem speaks of the (sometimes) conflicting feelings…. which arise as an awareness of people who wish to do things differently, and how to deal with the pressure to conform to the expectations of others. to be needy of the approval from others verses to be true to oneself.

2. park bench…
   the man with no address
   sings to his dog
   .
   Madhuri Pillai

   i appreciate the respect and compassion shown in this poem.
   “the man with no address” can be anyone….maybe his house was burnt down from a wildfire…..maybe he lost everything he had paying medical bills for a wife who passed away….after all! …it is refreshing to me to see… that no negative judgement is made about him….and that he gives love and comfort to his dog shows a heart-warming example….that although he may not have the soft material comforts for himself….he has a big heart to share with his companion…and provides a loving, harmonious home…where ever he is. very zen!

3. A significant read this week. Am looking forward to the next. Commenting on a couple not previously mentioned:
   .
   confectionery box –
   a little refugee fills it
   with mud dumplings
   .
   Aljosa Vukovic
   Croatia
   .
   The hope the child maintained in play moved me. Plus I associated the box with being boxed in.
   *
   cancelled engagement
   was I wrong in asking to keep
   my maiden name
   .
   Vandana Parashar
   .
   I loved this in the form of a question. So many life decisions represented here.
   *
   park bench…
   the man with no address
   sings to his dog
   .
   Madhuri Pillai
   .
   Both sad and uplifting, which I appreciate in a poem.

4. Dear Lori Zajkowisky, Lori A. Minor, and Catherine Munoe,
   Greetings. Thanks for selecting mine. I am honored. MY favorite for this week is the following, of so many.

   under open skies
   unharvested corn fields
   demarcation line

   Natalia Kuznetsova

5. Thank you Lori for hosting these poems.

   My favourite, such a poignant image and choice of words !

   a small boy
   the ocean has delivered
   face down

   Ron Scully

6. it is clear, not only from these comments, but from the poems themselves, that ‘social issues’ have a place in haiku – thanks to Lori & to all you brave poets for your powerful words!

7. lori you have done a great service to humanity for choosing to run this series. thank you for posting my poem here.
   the poems are all terrific. will comment later.

8. Prison visit
   the guard admires
   my amber brooch

9. I meant to avoid reading the newspaper first thing this morning by visiting this site! I momentarily forgot the topic of the week. So much disrespect, so much violence, always inflicted on the most vulberable. The world is buckling under the pain.

10. Congratulations Lori on a strong start. Many powerful pieces here. I particularly responded to Debbie Scheving’s memories of war / he keeps to himself / Veterans Day. The way line 2 can serve double duty (as the veteran keeping silent about his experiences and as the veteran isolating himself) is so effective and eye catching. War wounds are often invisible.

    1. Thank you Craig, for seeing the overlap of lines, and the sentiment. I had a family member in mind when I wrote this. He was drafted and served honorably but chose to share very little about the experience with family.
       I’m still reading and absorbing all of the thoughtful poems this week.

11. Again I have taken the prompt much more literally than most, but this week I particularly admire for their power or poignancy –
    *
    street protests
    bread and freedom
    on banners
    -Goran Radičević
    *
    a small boy
    the ocean has delivered
    face down
    -Ron Scully
    *
    at the tavern
    we think twice
    about holding hands
    -Janice Munro
    *
    distant moon
    love me for
    who I am
    -Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo

    1. Thank you for including my haiku in your choice.

    2. Mark, I enjoyed your concrete checked ballot.

    3. Thank you so much Mark, for your mention.

12. Thanks to Laurie Greer for remarking on my poem – I was hoping that the many forms of “freedom” would come through. Thanks to all who submitted and to Kathy and Lori,

13. Maybe it will let me post now!
    Thanks, Lori–for all your work on this–an exciting and important prompt, and insightful and sensitive comments; I appreciate your remarks on mine.
    I liked and was moved by too many to comment on. but some thoughts:
    gay pride
    the churchyard
    out in pink
    Helen Buckingham
    *
    Love the new spin on the old trope of flowering trees in the cemetery
    *
    homeless camp
    other things on their mind
    besides Thanksgiving
    Stephen Peters
    I agree with Ingrid’s remarks on this one. Also like the way thanks and Thanksgiving aren’t counted out, just put into a larger context. And when we give thanks for what we have, how often do we think of the fine lines that separate us from those who go without?
    *
    child bride –
    the acrid smell
    of shame
    Maria Teresa Sisti
    *
    A subtle comment here: who, exactly is feeling the shame, and who should be?
    *
    heavy heat
    how he keeps on insisting
    after she said no
    Olivier Schopfer
    Switzerland
    *
    This one is loaded—in several senses of the term
    *
    work day
    the chimney of a nearby factory
    without smoke
    Slobodan Pupovac
    Croatia
    *
    Like the strong visuals here and all the lack says about dying dreams, homoe fires, etc.
    *
    in the clinic
    the freedom of having
    no choice
    Pat Davis
    NH USA
    *
    This one nicely gets at a range of meanings of “freedom”
    *
    her whisper
    at the reception desk
    no insurance
    Peggy Hale Bilbro
    Alabama

    *
    More shame here—not having health insurance does make one feel like a second-class citizen, and it often seems to incite suspicion among health-care givers. Or maybe it’s just their confusion over not knowing which form to fill out for an atypical situation.
    *
    empty hands
    the weight of spare change
    in my pocket
    Rich Schilling
    Webster Groves, MO
    *
    This is nicely done—that “weight” suggests guilt and substance and probably more.
    *
    a small boy
    the ocean has delivered
    face down
    Ron Scully
    *
    Powerful image. And “delivered”—not into a new life here.
    *
    now exposed the brittle roots of dreamers
    Steve Tabb
    *
    Nice reflection of the DACA situation, and of those following the American dream more generally.
    *
    human writes
    the refugee stories
    of children
    Christina Pecoraro
    *
    Yes—we need to listen: each figure in the headlines is a person with a past, present, and future, not just part of a data set or issue.
    *
    house call
    in my black bag no cure
    for hunger
    Ruth Powell
    *
    Another one that conveys complicated feelings and problems elegantly and powerfully
    *
    cough syrup
    one tablespoon short
    for the third child
    Anthony Rabang
    *
    And here, too; I’d also add poignantly
    *
    my girlfriend
    reveals her bruises –
    coming out
    Tia Haynes
    *
    Startling and rich—the coming out of something to be proud of as well as raising awareness of the thoughtless assumptions and bias in response
    *
    Thanks to all for contributing!

    1. Thank you for commenting on my poem, Laurie. This week’s theme brought out some powerful writing. I’m honored to be included with them.

    2. Thank you very much, Laurie, for mentioning my poem!

    3. Thanks so much, Laurie, really appreciate your comment…..and thanks also to Lori for doing an excellent job, some really good work here, congratulations everyone!

    4. Thanks for enjoying my haiku!

14. I’ve sent a comment four times–it hasn’t appeared.
    Anyone else having trouble?

    1. I also sent and it was not published, most likely there was a selection

15. Thank you Lori for hosting this series. The poems this week are moving and awakening. One that reaches into my personal experience:

    I learn
    I can say no
    somnolence’s end
    .
    Christina Sng

16. some wonderfully heartfelt, gut wrenching poems here. congrats to these brave poets! keep on keeping on…

17. .
    tyrants with guns
    among the innocent
    heroines and heroes
    .
    Carmen Sterba
    .
    .
    We seem to idolise and empower the tyrants who use guns directly or indirectly and decry and despise and attempt to disempower those who do straight talking, such as Greta Thuberg (environment) and the college young adults who eloquently denounce excessive gun use on their own or other college students by fellow countrymen (usually male).
    .
    Every time there is a mass school shooting we learn about the murdered, how young or older, they gave so much on a daily basis, and on the killing day, and can no longer enrich our society.
    .
    A powerful piece about guns from Carmen Sterba.
    .
    .

    Reading Garry’s post, I’m reminded way back in 2007, undertaking a lot of research for a manuscript that teachers were being sold various ‘bullet-proof’ accessories including clipboards that would slow down a successful incursion, and ‘bullet-proof’ blankets to envelop children to give them a chance to survive a school or college invasion.
    .
    It’s shocking enough to have to require accessories to survive an onslaught of live ammunition, but for schools or individual to be made to buy them for themselves and children is astonishing to me. It’s capitalism going too far, in taking monetary advantage from these evil acts.
    .
    This haikai verse was inspired by a quote, I believe, from novelist Edna O’Brien. And at 88 years she continues to talk about guns, and weaponising:
    .
    Author Edna O’Brien: ‘Women and girls are weapons of war now ’
    https://www.channel4.com/news/author-edna-obrien-women-and-girls-are-weapons-of-war-now
    .
    Edna O’Brien Bears Witness To Horror In ‘Girl’:
    https://www.npr.org/2019/10/16/770434488/edna-obrien-bears-witness-to-horror-in-girl
    .
    .
    This haikai verse is inspired by a much earlier quote, which sadly I cannot locate, where she talks about mothers, and their child either dying by a gun, or carrying a gun and committing a crime in aggression or in defence, but nevertheless resulting in death:
    ,
    .
    she carries the warm gun’s child
    .
    Alan Summers
    is/let ed. Scott Metz (January 2017)
    .
    .
    and
    .
    .
    inside the apple core
    a pocket full of sorry
    kills the gun
    .
    Alan Summers
    Publication credit: hedgerow #111 ed. Caroline Skanne (2017)
    .
    Article: “Loading a Gun: Imagery in Haiku” by David Grayson
    (Frogpond vol. 41:3 fall 2018)
    http://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/2018-issue41-3/Grayson-LoadingGun-Fp41-3.pdf
    .
    .
    We have gone past the stage where capitalism was the enabler, and we need to get back to ordinary business that benefits not parasites or weaponising the innocent populations around the world.
    .
    In the U.K. it’s knives and hot air by politicians, and running interference or not funding any decent person in public service by doing something to stem the growing violence often exacerbated by crippling cuts by a single political party in power/government.

    1. And I see that Kath Abella has:
       .
       .
       child shows off
       a bullet proof backpack
       no joke
       .
       Kath Abela Wilson
       Pasadena, California
       .
       .
       I’m reminded of when someone took a potshot at me at night walking home from a poet’s house, in a semi-dodgy part of Bristol once. It sounded like a gunshot, and the thing zing-popped by my ear and the concussive effect stung and I got a headache.
       .
       The emergency police call didn’t get anyone out that though, even though a second blast was heard by the operator.
       .
       I worked out that my bright green backpack was actually highly luminous, night club luminous, and that’s what they were aiming for, driving past in a car. I liked that bag! But it’s not bullet-proof, and neither is my head. 🙂
       .
       It’s strange that in the 21st Century there is enough violence, of one kind or another, going around to equal a small to medium war.

18. back to school
    bullet proofs vests for sale
    all sizes

    1. Such an important issue and sad reality that we face knowing our babies are not safe. Thank you for sharing this heartbreaking poem.

19. Thank you to Lori for this opportunity to ‘air our views’ on basic human rights — a subject of ever increasing importance in our world today.
    .
    This week produced some great reads, among them, but by no means all:
    .
    homeless camp
    other things on their mind
    besides Thanksgiving
    .
    Stephen Peters
    .
    Transitory migrants who are stuck in limbo for whatever reason may well have a roof over their heads, and even a little food, but what goes on in Libyan camps, which are no more than prisons, and especially how women are treated, is utterly shameful.

    1. I could not agree with you more, Ingrid. Stephen’s piece really captured what hunger and poverty is actually like. He did a stunning job of not just retelling a story, but actually making us feel something for the homeless. I think that many times we tend to acknowledge that these things do happen and want to help, but fail to fully empathize unless we’ve been there ourselves. Haiku is a brilliant platform for helping others to step into our shoes. I firmly believe it’s the next best thing to experiencing it ourselves and that is how we will gain an understanding and compassion toward others. This is how we can change the world; by recognizing the problem, spreading awareness, and fighting for a solution.

       Thank you for commenting and for sending to me this week. I loved your piece. Such a brilliant monoku that I get lost in with every read.

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