My Inglorious Attempt at Writing Haiku

Ok, I’ve never pretended to be a poet, and that’s not gonna change anytime soon. But I’ve been reading a collection of Basho’s haiku, and I was inspired. It’s just astonishing to me, how such a light turn of language can conjure such depth of feeling.

So here are some haiku I’ve written in the margins of my Basho book. Utterly profane and sacrilegious. Commonplace and tedious. But what the heck…

Konbini screams
Money can buy you love
Late-night comfort found.

Cafe cat purrs
Ruffling fur
Lonely day.

Hot steamy udon
My arm in the sun
Needs more miso.

Robot vacuum hums
Dust bunnies dance
Circuit of dreams.

Wet confetti
Cold front coming in
Time you old bastard.

Zen gardens don’t exist
Not for me and you
Gravel here and mud there.

Another pachinko place?
Why do you say “another”?
Piss off, I’m tired.

Tele’s on the blink
A million hidden selves
Yearning for connection.