“A Few Haiku & Senryu (58)”

On By Mike U.In Poetry

(c) 2023 by Michael L. Utley

(#343)

in these dead woods
only the storm crow
knows my name

…..

(#344)

an entire universe
in the bowl of my old hands
and still I’m alone

…..

(#345)

red-wrought destruction
right-wing nihilism wears
a death’s head grin

…..

(#346)

there’s no need for books
when guns speak louder than words
red-hat terrorism

…..

(#347)

blood on our hands
bullets don’t discriminate
another child gone

…..

(#348)

love and lenity
the earth pleads for sanity
as the bullets fly

49 thoughts on ““A Few Haiku & Senryu (58)””

    1. Thanks, Cassa. Yes, it’s a brutal world we live in, both here in the States and abroad. Globally, wars are killing children indiscriminately; here in the U.S., we have a heinous gun violence problem that will never be fixed until we rid ourselves of our lust for guns and stop selling our souls to the gun lobbyists. Meanwhile, families mourn the loss of innocent victims. It feels so hopeless…

      Thanks so much for reading and stopping by today, my friend. 🙂

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  2. “there’s no need for books
    when guns speak louder than words
    red-hat terrorism”‘
    Oh Mike… violence is its own language, which only the vile can speak fluently, and the rest of us stutter when provoked. 💕

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    1. Yours is an eloquent response to a horrifying trend in America and around the world. I hope those who are fluent in the language of violence are few and soon to be silenced. May compassion, tolerance and love become the language of all.

      Thanks for stopping by today, my friend. Have a good week ahead. 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Michele. I love haiku/senryu and have written a bunch of them, but hadn’t posted any new ones since January. I wanted to try to rekindle that flame that burns so briefly yet intensely that is Japanese short-form poetry. Hopefully I can get back to writing more of these little ones. They’re much different than longer forms of poetry, much more urgent and in-the-moment, you know? I appreciate your kind words, my friend. Thanks as always for visiting. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much, trE. Your words really mean a lot to me. Some things just demand to be said, and they won’t give you rest until you give voice to them. I’m so tired of all the senseless violence here and abroad. It’s never-ending, and I feel powerless to do anything about it. Mere words seem pointless and ineffectual, but words have power, and sometimes they have impact and can make a difference.

      I truly appreciate you, my friend. Thanks again for your kindness. 🙂

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    1. Kindest thanks, Filipa. It’s always a pleasure to see you here. I hadn’t written any short verse since January so it was good to post some of these little fellows. Thanks for your support, my friend. 🙂

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    1. Thanks, David. I’ve always been sort of fascinated with hands. They exude so much character. I imagined my cupped hands holding everything and nothing at once…so many possibilities, or so many opportunities lost…a sense that we have the ability to shape our lives or destroy them…hope or despair. And at the end of the day, regardless of what we have or don’t have, we’re still alone in the universe. You know me and my depressing poetry. 😀 Oh well. It was nice to be able to return to writing some short verse. I hadn’t posted any since January and I missed these little guys. Thanks for your kind words, good sir. I appreciate it. 🙂

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  8. rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja

    So beautiful & interested Haiku written you.
    #344)

    an entire universe
    in the bowl of my old hands
    and still I’m alone

    …love and lenity
    the earth pleads for sanity
    as the bullets fly

    I like. My friend. .

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    1. Many thanks, my good friend. I’m always pleased to hear you enjoy my words. It means a lot to me to be able to connect with people through poetry. I’m always happy to see you visit, too, and I hope you’ll stop by again. Have a good week ahead, my friend! 🙂

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      1. rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja

        Yes, my pleasure 💗
        I am always stop & enjoying you post. You always interesting words written in Haiku & poem. It means lot to your contact.
        Tack care my friend!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Ashley. Dark verse for dark times, indeed. Just a little venting on my part due to this overwhelming sense of hopelessness regarding the current state of humanity. I appreciate your kind words, my friend. 🙂

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    1. Thank you kindly, Lauren. Hopefully I’ll have some more upbeat poetry in the coming weeks and months. Right now, everything just seems so dark, you know?

      I hope you decide to give senryu a try. I’d love to see what you come up with–you’re a brilliant poet. 🙂

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  13. I tire of feeling sad and angry at the senseless violence and subsequent lack of empathy, Mike. Your last four poems mirror my dismay and despair. The first two haiku feel more personal, though still despairing. How can anyone find happiness in a barbarous world, where compassion holds so little sway? All the more reason to love.

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    1. Thanks, Diana. You said it all: “All the more reason to love…” And the strange thing is, it’s not difficult to be kind and compassionate if one puts in the effort. Hatred is taught and goes against our natural inclination to love (in my humble opinion). And violence is the ugly progeny of hatred.

      I’m fatigued as well by all the constant bad news and yearn for a respite from all this hate and violence. Honestly, I wish I could just take a long walk in a dense forest by the ocean and breathe in the clean air and never return to the real world.

      Anyway, thanks as always for your kind words and support. It’s invaluable to me, my friend. 🙂

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      1. It’s so wearying, Mike, because it’s all so senseless. I just don’t understand the mindless hate. Why? One thing I like about living in the woods is I can close the gate and sit in nature’s bubble for a while. Hang in there, my friend.

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    1. Many thanks, Peggy. It’s been a while since I posted short verse and I really missed writing these little bursts of immediate emotion. There’s a kind of purity that emerges when words are distilled down to the very basics, a kind of simple truth that can sometimes get lost or become obscured in longer verse. Thanks for your kind words of support as always, my friend. I really appreciate you. 🙂

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  19. Thank you for sharing these moving poems. You express so well, the senseless actions of people corrupted by power, fake news and right-wing, nationalistic rhetoric. These are heart-wrenching moments of time you’ve captured in haiku, and I share your despair.

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    1. Kindest thanks, Peggy. It’s a scary, frustrating, tenuous time in which we live, and things appear so dire at this moment. Writing has always helped me process my emotions and attain perspective. I love haiku and senryu due to their distilled brevity and immediacy of message. Sometimes I can’t help but to write about harrowing subjects–if I don’t let it out, it feels as though I’ll explode. I’m glad to know these resonated with you. I hope we can change as a species and correct our course before all is lost. Thanks again so much for your thoughtful comment and your kindness. I appreciate it. 🙂

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  20. Mike that first piece is like reading my autobiography. The rest is this world that makes sadness sausages and beats those of us who are different. Your work is masterful. Know that I love you although I don’t know you In person, I don’t need to, you wear your beautiful heart on your sleeve. Please don’t ever stop writing. You make a difference trust me. ❤️❤️

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    1. Thanks so much, Joni. I’m truly humbled by your kindness. It’s nice to know someone else understands, you know? And yep, my heart appears to be permanently embroidered on my sleeve, for better or worse. Oft times I worry about that, but it’s who I am and at this late date there’s no use trying to change. Thanks for your wonderful words of support, too. The feeling is mutual, my friend. I also hope you’ll never stop writing. Words are magical and can change hearts and minds and perhaps even the world, given enough time. Thanks again, dear friend. 🙂

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