Haiku (Part One)

First and foremost, if you have ever talked to me about writing then you probably have heard me say how much I hate haikus. For the most part I really, really dislike haikus. Poetry is subjective, but it also has its limits and boundaries. Haikus can completely break these rules, and approach a level of subjectivity so extreme that nothing is as it seems. Therefore the interpretation of haikus is extremely varied and inconsistent, with the real meaning the writer intended being shrouded in mystery and obscurity. Therefore, I will include my own commentary about a haiku that I write. I may write some more in the future, but all of them will include an additional commentary. Please feel free to leave your own comments on what you think they mean, and what you think of my commentary.

Haikus
I dislike haikus,
They are all almost alike,
I hate this one, too.

Basically this haiku says that all haikus are basically the same, and that all of them are stupid. The last line seems to hint that even a haiku saying that haikus are stupid is stupid, since it itself is a haiku. This is somewhat paradoxical, but what I wanted to get across is that all haikus are so incredibly subjective that it is almost impossible to distinguish between what is a simple haiku about nature, and what is a haiku about discovering your true identity by utilizing your inner strength. This haiku, of course, ends up performing a self-fulfilling prophecy, as it is arguing the use of haikus to portray a subjective message, but does so in a subjective way, as a haiku itself no less.

Tombstone
My tombstone shall read:
"The cycle continues here",
For we all must die.

This is straightforward. I am saying that my tombstone will read "The cycle continues here", because my death will symbolize the continuation of life. My decaying body will be used by the earth to nourish plants, and herbivores will eat the plants, and carnivores will eat the herbivores, then the carnivores will die, and so on (roughly how it works). Everything in the world has to perish, as stated in the last line. More than that, though, every death that occurs in the world is not the end of life, but also the beginning of a continuation that will take place even after we no longer exist. In short, death can also be seen as birth in a sense. Life will always exist and operate in a circle cycle. Nothing can stop it. Not even humans.

The World and All Its Happenings
Dinner with your friends,
But a thousand miles away,
Iraqi child dies.

What I'm trying to get across here is that you should always be aware of the pain and suffering that exists in the world, even if you don't have to experience it. On a simple night when you are eating dinner, somewhere in the world, someone is going through a traumatic experience. This is not a haiku to question the motives or reasons for being in Iraq. It is not a political literary piece. Still, the deaths of young, innocent Iraqi children in order to carry out an operation for a so-called "greater good" can hardly be called fair. A laugh you share with your friends may also be the last breath of a youthful six-year old, who didn't want to die yet. In a larger sense, his death symbolizes the very freedom that you have to eat dinner with your friends. His death is not needed in the effort to fight terrorism, but it was an unfortunate outcome of the actions taken to quell it.

Mama!
Girl runs to see mom,
She was abused and depressed,
Hung dead on the fan.

The second line talks about the mother, not the girl. She hung herself from a ceiling fan because she was abused (perhaps by a spouse) and very unhappy. Her child is running to see her - but we aren't told why. The notion that she is running seems to suggest she is excited about something, probably something enjoyable or happy. We can only imagine the horror the young girl must experience seeing her dead mother hanging from a fan. This is a very depressing haiku, and I'm sorry if it made anyone who read it sad. It is a reminder that your life can change in a split second. It can go from good to bad, or from bad to good (a theme seen in Suicide Poem). Always be vigilant and treat the inner balance of your life with extreme care.

I Am How I Am
Is my life just sad?
Is it hard to be happy?
Ask yourself and see.

This is another theme which I've drilled in to the ground quite thoroughly now. The concept that whether you are happy or sad is dependent on yourself. Don't allow others to determine your mood or how you want to feel. Also, do not reject your instinctive emotions and thoughts. Only you know how you want to feel - so why not feel that way? Life is too short to not live it the way that you want, and every human has the capability to do so - so why not you? Don't be afraid to be yourself, and don't be afraid to realize that if you're in a bad mood, you can change it at the drop of a hat simply by coming to terms that you have the power, and you have the control.