# The Haiku of the Straight Dope **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222 "2003-10-24T00:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/1 "2003-10-24T00:30:57Z")
In this thread, you can create some haiku for all the Dopers to read. My orthodoxy in writing this poetry celebrates my world. [A fossil tumor](http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=3678344§ion=news) (Paleo-oncology?): Faithless cells now stone. The clouds are giants sitting in their northern realm. Are they the sky’s sons? As the dead leaves fall I compose my poetry. Verses to be read. The wild gusty wind plays havoc with the people but it knows no shame. As I drink my chai poking at my keyboard’s keys, I count syllables. The old Montanans sitting in musty diners sip their hot coffee. Greedily, the Sun takes most of the Earth’s colors leaving the ground pale. Both my small Corgis would enjoy going outside although it is cold. When the moon rides high my spirit sings out to it keenly as a blade. Even the most trite and simple observances can become haiku. The cold air has come out of the north-western lands. Finally, we freeze! My cat Yowler died after finding some poison. I’ll miss him always. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/2 "2003-10-24T00:33:49Z")
Every now and then Someone here will instigate One more haiku thread. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/3 "2003-10-24T00:42:54Z")
From “Guy Stuff” to the 1920s-style death ray, None tops “Gotcha ya!” ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/4 "2003-10-25T01:55:29Z")
I can certainly relate I do like haiku Oh yeah, nature:dirt. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/5 "2003-10-25T07:06:59Z")
[bitter memories](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=76249&highlight=attack+haiku) of embarrassing defeat haunt my soul nightly ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/6 "2003-10-25T10:21:57Z")
Doping at work Getting paid for doing this life is good ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/7 "2003-10-25T10:49:18Z")
[Christianity Libertarianism Objectivism](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=3284) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/8 "2003-10-25T11:07:08Z")
I’m: Atheism, Libertariansim, Objectivism. 🙂 Odinoneeye’s work simply doesn’t count up right in lines one and three. I’m not ragging him. I’m simply observing it. Counting can be hard. Practice makes perfect. (And writing many haikus makes one very terse.) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dodyskin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@dodyskin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dodyskin)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/9 "2003-10-25T11:14:19Z")
the time spent counting five syllables often takes up the whole haiku ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/10 "2003-10-25T11:43:25Z")
This is my first line. And this is my second line. Lame haiku, I know. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/11 "2003-10-25T12:07:30Z")
Unsanitary And so inconsiderate Get your own toothbrush ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/12 "2003-10-25T14:43:41Z")
[observation] Counting syllables does not always make haiku – nor leaves make a tree. Translating language requires flexibility and skill – so does form. Haiku does not fit the English language as well as the Japanese. ## My own preference is to approximate the form, not echo it. [/observation] Autumn. Lilacs withered months ago. Now leaves fall into still, black water. **Derleth** , this is very, very fine: > [@](#): > > When the moon rides high > my spirit sings out to it > keenly as a blade. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/13 "2003-10-25T16:35:28Z")
Thanks, **Fatwater**. It’s nice to know that my art can inspire a feeling of beauty in others. That’s one of my favorites out of that group, too. Free-form haiku? Maybe it is still cool. Freeverse chic. 😉 The arising Earth feels the kiss of the sun upon its skin. The sun is golden. Its brightness is painful. I love the moon. Air like wine. Its touch invigorates my blushing skin. This day is dying and the sun is bleeding all over the sky. The night is alive. The stars shine like eyes looking out of oblivion. The sky is deep and rich with nothingness enhanced by jewels. The moon sleeps. The stars take her place among eternity. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/14 "2003-10-25T22:27:08Z")
type long genius post click and wait, post is now lost god frickin’ dammit ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/15 "2003-10-27T01:50:10Z")
The voices howl lost in cybernight they cry “Cite?” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/16 "2003-10-28T00:16:48Z")
Nerds in the ether! Learning wows the unseen crowd! Who needs to get laid? Digital hive-brain Flame-war threads will bifurcate The seizure is grand mal Cafe Society Klingon proverbs, _Simpsons_ quotes How bored are you guys? Four windows open Three for SD, one for porn Multitasking rules! The page loads slowly Hamsters strain, the server clogs Time to get a life? Ignorance rules all Dopers are the mind’s elite! Stand back while I hurl Lost in the masses No one knows you, no one cares Username can shine! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/17 "2003-10-28T00:29:17Z")
“Cannot find server” Hit the button, try again Curse my full bladder! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/18 "2003-10-29T02:02:58Z")
Here’s a link to _haijinx,_ “a haikai journal that primarily focuses on modern interpretations of the haikai poetic and artistic tradition, including the role of humor in haiku”: [http://www.haijinx.com/about.html](http://www.haijinx.com/about.html) And here’s one to the Spam Haiku Archive: [http://www.spamhaiku.com/spamhaiku/site/](http://www.spamhaiku.com/spamhaiku/site/) And here’s a page on the Matsuyama Declaration of 1999: [http://www.shiki.org/contents/matsuyama-declaration.html](http://www.shiki.org/contents/matsuyama-declaration.html) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/19 "2003-10-29T02:12:08Z")
I tried to write a poem. I tried to write a poem. I tried to ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222/20 "2003-10-29T03:11:03Z")
The rock in the box A catchphrase without meaning Is my dog on fire? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-haiku-of-the-straight-dope/209222.md?page=2)