Month: December 2019

Vandana Parashar’s War Zone

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn Haiku, SenryuLeave a comment

war zone…
no one left to decide
who is right

– Vandana Parashar (India)
Cattails, May, 2017

I see two ways readers can interpret this haiku.

1) Both sides of a conflict have sustained great casualties, and ideas of morality are left outside the realm of comprehension.

2) War always engages in violence and in that respect, neither side should be able to decide what is right or wrong.

Both interpretations contain a sense of irony. It is ironic that we try to be moralistic when it comes to killing other people for land, resources, domination, and more.

I feel the ellipsis conveys the tragedy of the circumstance and the silence after an intense battle. The structure is standard, but the chilling “o” sounds strung through the haiku provide a strong impact.

I think this haiku, or even senryu, makes for striking but subtle commentary on the irony and tragedy of war.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (USA)

This poignant haiku takes us not only to the actual battlefield but also to the daily grudges and rows that are mostly endless and bring harmful effects to our lives. I have observed such situations many times in my own life where fights based on egos don’t end just because everyone thinks he or she is right and the next person is wrong.

The first line of this haiku is about a war zone: a zone that is a territory full of danger and harmful effects. The war zone indicates our mindsets and our egos with negative thoughts and feelings that disturb us mentally, physically, and spiritually, that bound us to not see out of the box, that steal our positive energies and act as a slow poison.

When one is in that war zone, one is not able to think or act rationally or logically. This is the level where we don’t go beyond our limited perceptions of the world and relationships, which makes us judge our relationships without having set criteria. We hallucinate about our surroundings and defend ourselves, merely giving reasoning to what is delusional and not reality. We feel that we are right and we justify our point of view with arguments without logic. We live with such delusions all the time which takes us to the comfort level of not being rejected, defeated, or surrendered.

Overall, this haiku is all about our negative attitude towards relationships when we are having trouble handling issues and problems. We end our relationships without even reaching any conclusion about who is wrong and who is right. We have a false self-image and we live with it all our lives and get involved in an endless war that we pass on from generation to generation without reaching any finality.

– Hifsa Ashraf (Pakistan)

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“The Battle of Sekigahara” by Kris Knapp

Wiesław Karliński’s Agave Flower

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn Haiku2 Comments

agave flower
in a gardener’s notebook
last entry

– Wiesław Karliński (Poland)
Akisame 43:1, 2016

Understanding this haiku takes a bit of know-how about the agave. This extraordinary plant only blooms once, and when it does, it is a sign that it will soon die. It is even nicknamed “century plant,” as it can take 100 years for it to bloom.

So, the gardener, before his or her passing, wrote about an agave in bloom. It is a sign of not only interconnection but also that humans are not so distant from plants. Both the agave and the gardener perhaps both lived for up to 100 years and also had one true shining moment in their lives that could be said to be the pinnacle of beauty or realization.

We can assume that the gardener died around the same time as the agave. However, maybe the gardener was so affected by the passing of the plant that he or she ceased from writing. It could be a testament to how much the gardener felt for the plants he or she cared for.

In a technical sense, the poem is minimalist and lets the imagery and the implied notions do the work. I am always impressed when I see haiku written in such few words that carry enormous weight.

In terms of sound, the “r”s that run through the poem give it a serious tone. The sparse language points to the stark nature of the content.

This haiku is layered: it is intriguing at first read, aesthetically pleasing at second read, and greatly nuanced at third read.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (USA)

If you enjoyed this haiku and commentary, please leave us a comment.

agave-azure-web– “Agave Azure” by Cathy Carey

Lori Ann Minor’s Last Orchid

On By Nicholas KlacsanzkyIn Tanka1 Comment

uprooting
the last orchid
from its pot
I accept
my infertility

– Lori Ann Minor (USA)
First Place Winner, 2019 Mandy’s Pages Tanka Time Contest

The crisp pacing of this tanka brings out the starkness of the imagery. Succinctly, Lori zeroes in on a single act and relates that to her state of being. You can say the poet felt the Japanese aesthetic of “aware,” which relates to an object or thing conjuring emotions when perceiving it.

It seems that the poet finds a moment of connection between an orchid and herself, maybe symbolically. This kind of sentiment is expressed in Japanese poetry often and is a highly effective way of conveying a state of being. Instead of elaborating about oneself or others, poets of Japanese forms allow plants and animals to embody who they are.

Maybe the poet looked at the uprooted orchid, in all its beauty and frailty, and spontaneously had a sense of acceptance about her infertility. Or, maybe this acceptance came well after the fact. It does not matter so much about the time frame. What is significant is that readers can instantly feel the power of the words while reading this tanka. The emotion with which the poem was written is effectively conveyed, and that is the most a poet can wish for. A piece of themselves is passed onto the reader and so, the poet lives on in those who read their work.

I enjoy the humbleness of this poem. It gives the feeling that a plant and a person are not so far apart. In a way, the orchid becomes a conduit through which Lori can find acceptance. In this sense, the orchid is a martyr without even knowing it is.

The main sound I hear in the tanka is the repetition of “t.” It might mimic the “tick” or “thud” of an orchid being uprooted. Also prevalent is the use of “o,” which slows down the pace to allow the reader to take in the tanka to a greater extent.

The first line standing as “uprooting” makes the experience of imagining the poem more intense. From there on, the line breaks are more standard but well done.

A poignant tanka that uses excellent pacing, sound, and imagery to deliver a feeling straight from the poet to the reader.

– Nicholas Klacsanzky (USA)

Did you enjoy this tanka and commentary? If so, please leave a comment.
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