Fit For Feasting
The Sketchbook editors
have selected their
Monthly Haiku Choices from
the November 2007 food thread.
As we enter the
2007 holiday season I begin to think about all the riches for
which I can be thankful. The gift of well written haiku is one
of the riches that overwhelms me each month as I read,
re-read, and read again all the submitted haiku and attempt to
choose a few outstanding verses. The task becomes more
difficult than I ever imagined.
In November there was an abundance of riches. Here are some of
the exceptional food haiku sent to Sketchbook:
ripe avocados—
I carve the moon's phases
with a penknife
# 08. Hortensia Anderson , US
This delightful
haiku celebrates not only the phases of the moon but the
abundance of an avocado crop carved into tasty shapes. This
haiku both surprises and delights.
hunter’s moon
a mandarin soaked
in brandy
# 09. Trish Shields, CA
The Hunter's
Moon and Harvest Moon are not brighter, smaller, or yellower
than during other times of the year, but they certainly seem
quite memorable. The full moons of September, October, and
November, as seen from the northern hemisphere correspond to
the full moons of March, April and May as seen from the
southern hemisphere But all full moons have their own special
characteristics, and this one has the enhancement of a brandy
soaked mandarin. The juxtaposition of hunter’s moon and the
color of the mandarin orange are a complimentary match that
delights.
In all the hustle and bustle of any season there is a certain
contentment about the thought of coming home. Sometimes there
is also frustration as demonstrated in this haiku:
coming home
more tired than hungry—
who ate all those crisps?
# 26. Sally Evans, UK
And of course no
one will confess to the deed. It must have been the elves—you
know—Christmas elves—they get hungry too. This delightful
senryu ends with a question the prosecuting attorney might ask
during a court case. This question haiku is a delightful use
of technique!
In this season of celebratory dinners the efforts of the cook
should never go un-noticed.
I burn my
tongue,
I cut my finger—
dinner's ready!
# 16. Zhanna P. Rader , US
This humorous
depiction of the cook’s plight is good-natured. Here, the
senryu format allows us to experience the lengths to which a
family cook will go to in order to create a holiday feast.
Of course the cook must shop
for the ingredients to prepare the meal:
rows of red
peppers
in the farmer's market—
a sharp autumn wind
# 25. Hortensia Anderson , US
This two phrase
haiku juxtaposes the images of “red peppers” in a farmer’s
market with the “sharp autumn wind”. This sharp contrast of
very different images provides the reader with the sudden
recognition of a stinging sensation.
The diverse effects of food can be quiet surprising. Consider
this:
peeling onions
tear after tear ........
my divorce now final
# 12. Karina Klesko , US
This pivot
constructed haiku extends the impact of the verse: 1) “peeling
onions / tear after tear” is a familiar activity every cook
has experienced, but also 2) tear after tear . . . my divorce
now final” is an experience shared by women and men alike.
Uniting the two images captures the moment in a special and
memorable verse.
Or:
stolen cherries
she keeps washing
red-stained hands
# 23. Hortensia Anderson , US
The
juxtaposition of “stolen cherries” and the continual “washing”
of “red-stained hands” is masterful. My mind is immediately
flooded with the image of a very guilty Lady Macbeth who can
not sleep because she has the blood of the king on her hands.
This oblique reference to a literary image is very powerful
for me. The guilt of this thief must be overwhelming.
And finally, with Thanksgiving behind us let us beware of the
impact of celebrating the Christmas season with an
overabundance of food.
Thanksgiving
dinner—
the zipper on my skirt
breaks apart.
# 14. Zhanna P. Rader , US
Holiday dinner—
my belt cuts sharply
into my belly.
# 58. Zhanna P. Rader
What man or woman has not experienced
overeating during a holiday meal?
Read all
of the
food
haiku
