Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

Limbs and torsos the
seaweed wreathes as crab claws shred
the fabric that breathes.

Leslie, you have proven yourself an adept! Have you read through this thread from the beginning? If you can find the time, it is worth it. There are some extremely funny sequences: Star Trek and the beano gas cloud, drunken priests, mermaids with fishnet hose and... So funny and so much fun! Oh, and as a bonus, there are also some exquisite 'real' Haiku too.

Holy Cosmic Corndog Smoke! This thread has over 4,000 posts.

LoL! Yes, I noticed that too. LoL!

Thanks Guy! I appreciate it. I might as well give credit to M for 'pushing' me to join this thread. I didn't expect it would be so much fun. Yes, I'll find time to read all 4,000+ posts. I think it would be a great help to refresh my mind :)

Now, I have to get the song Under the Sea out of my head..I'll post something later lol

I’ve been a bad influence. Can you imagine?


It’s often been said
of the haiku thread--long, tart,
and labyrinthine--

of crew members lost,
the dreadful cost of talent
flushed down the latrine.

M. I shouldn't be laughing. LOL

"shouldn't."

Yes, M. I definitely can imagine, just kidding :)

Why did I ever let Guy
talk me into reading the posts?
I'm dying, trying not to laugh :D

Kat's seventy feet of hair and
Al's trees and sleeping with
someone kinda stuck with me

Not to forget Guy's writings
with philosophical dimensions,
Witty yet entertaining stuff.

****

I know it's sort-of out of topic, but I'm trying to connect this with M's post..It's not yet done, I don't have time to edit it as of the moment :D I promise to finish it later..

Leslie wrote: "Thanks Guy! I appreciate it. I might as well give credit to M for 'pushing' me to join this thread. I didn't expect it would be so much fun. Yes, I'll find time to read all 4,000+ posts. I think it..."
I know! Sometime it's amazing how far 'proper' teaching is from the real thing — who knew that 'real' haiku are actually funny! LoL!

You are within topic well enough! I have re-read the thread 3 or 4 times, and each time it reads better than the time before. I am tempted to say I am happy to have 'talked you into reading the posts!' Yes, it would seem that I may have a bit of a mean streak because trying not to laugh at these Haiku is a tough, tough torture!

Speaking of funny. You commented that you need to get the song 'Under the Sea' out of your head. Well, I came to this thread with David Byrne's cover of 'Take me to the River' reverberating in mine. Once there it can take hours to leave! (Here's a live production when he was quite young - it is funny and amazing: Take me to the River.)

M, I'm splitting a gut! That is so funny!

Now to write a Haiku!? How can I follow that?! LOL!

The vast ship sailing
The WSS
Sometimes we have mates

who don't come again
I miss the ones, come and gone
The seas may show they

are not too long, far
'Las, it is good to be a
Weekly ship matey!

Arrrgh!

CJ, a witty take on M! The arrgh! made me laugh.

Thanks, lol. :D

It's often been thought
of the pirates' haiku that
to enter is death.

Alas! True poets
are replaced by loud gigglers
who knell ribald mirth.

Kat! I saw that. LOL!

I came across Al's comment about you and M being a bad influence, so I guess it's already proven from way, way back :D The video is hilarious and I'm still trying not to laugh (I don't want to look crazy when other people in the office are quietly doing their own thing).

I find it amazing how Snow White ended up in Haiku. I hope to do that one day. My humor left and went on tour around the world.

:-)

:-)

LOL!

Why did I ever
let myself be talked into
reading all the posts?

I'm dying, trying
not to laugh. It’s a torture
to keep it all in,

not being able
to let out just a giggle.
I’m now short of breath.

Where should I commence
my enthusiasm on
ingenious haiku?

With Kat's seventy
feet of hair or Al's trees and
sleeping with someone,

which quite stuck with me?
Or Guy’s philosophical
writings and M’s witty yet

amusing accord?
Then Snow White became
imp, threw her apple for a

PC -a dwarf’s thought.
How about Voldemort and
Nottingham’s Sheriff?

Sweeney Todd came in
the picture but was there a
mention of Audrey?

I can go on all
day and take much of your time
with feeble writing

When all of you has
the knack for being funny,
All I do is laugh.

I lack for best words
to describe the talent, you
all clearly possess

And the crew was not
lost, only sleeping on their
warm bunk beds, off-duty.

Pardon the blabber
I tend to be like this when
excitement creeps in.

Oh and Thank God for
a husband who listens and
agrees all the time.

With me.

*of course, this attempt doesn't give justice to the wonderful haiku all of you have written :)

*edited

*speechless*

Haha, the thread had exactly the same effect on me when I first read it, Leslie! The are some incredibly smart, witty and talented people that have contributed to it over time. I've read it through from start to finish a few times now and it gets better each time.

And now you also are part of haiku-thread-history with your fantastic efforts :)

I'm not yet halfway through and both my stomach and head are aching, mean Guy! lol

I've never tried writing haiku, not once in my thirty years, well, including the formative years :D Just last week and I enjoy learning it, learning from others too :)

Welcome to the 5/7/5 thread, Leslie!


Amidst towering
waves, or through sweltering calms,
or in cool enclaves

of sheltering palms
(and places we’ll not mention);
whether rolling dice

or watching sea birds,
neither pirates nor mice are
at a loss for words.

Thank you, M. See, I didn't know that, I didn't do a thorough research :)

Words are elusive
in a rainy night like this.
I struggled and failed.

As I watch the time
slip from the palm of my hands,
I learned to let go.

Tomorrow is a-
nother day to try harder,
hoping I'll succeed.

I know very little about haiku other than that it’s a kind of writing that tries to capture an immediate impression, usually sensory. I don’t think authentic haiku necessarily breaks down to the 5/7/5 syllable count that defines the verses in this thread, but a specific number gives us a useful standard.

The verses I post here aren’t (at least, not often) haiku, but are ordinary English verse, merely rendered in a 5/7/5 format.

In the verse below, by Ishikawa Takuboku, the 5-7-5 is the kami-no-ku (“upper phrase”) and the 7-7 is the shimo-no-ku (“lower phrase”):

On the white sand
On the beach of a small isle
In the Eastern Sea
I, my face streaked with tears,
Am playing with a crab.

It might be interesting to write some of these longer verses, just for variation.

Thanks again, M. I always end up thanking you :) I think it's a great writing exercise, to convey an objective impression without being subjective, but arrghh, it's not easy.

Contemporary haiku may stray from nature as a subject. Urban environments, emotions, relationships and even humorous topics may be haiku subjects.

I can try :D

I hope Alex and Kat would be around soon :) I enjoy reading the previous posts so much, it puts my attempt to shame lol

Leslie, your Haiku efforts have been superlative! The clever, very clever linking between your and M's palms, for example, was expertly done.

I laugh at our mostly strict adherence to the 5/7/5 form because it strikes me as the foundation on which we actually pervert Haiku from stuffiness to being alive. I have found it challenging to describe this thread to people who are familiar with Haiku because their expectations get in the way of how funny and dynamic and pure fun it is.

You will have noticed that we pirates have, as is their wont, strayed off, occasionally, form the 'proper Haiku decorum' and perverted even 5/7/5. I remember writing 7/5/7 at least once to see if anyone would notice. Of course M did, right away! LoL! And M has done the same.

Re M's suggested use of incorporating the lower phrase variation might be fun in two ways: writer A completes both the kami-no-ku & shimo-no-ku; or writer A does the kami-no-ku and Writer B can opt to do the shimo-no-ku — or not. I like it.

Guy, thank you too :) You've been all nice to me and I appreciate you and M teaching me Haiku. You have no idea what this group does to me. You are all pushing me to explore more, to learn more, to play with words more.. yeah, it's all about more. I like it :)

I think I'll stick around, just let me know if I'm blabbing too much.

But you've given me a massive headache today, after reading the posts (not yet done) and watching two videos of Talking Heads, urgh! :p Just kidding :)

I haven’t heard of Talking Heads in more years than I’m going to mention.

Lol! I watched a 1984 video :D

So did I! Two last night. It was a delightful evening.

This one follows from #4199:


Words were elusive
because the rain knew what things
had to be confessed,
that had sought to hide themselves
in my mind’s darkest cisterns.

But curiosity
crawled under the skin, leaving
a trail of goosebumps.
Determined to know the truth,
I'm tempted to twist your arm.

An old lounge light’s glow
slid along her fine, straight hair
as her eyes inquired
and her lips produced the smile
I had dreamed yet could not name.

As the smoke from his
cigar caused her eyes to sting,
she managed to keep
the smile on her face. As she
sauntered with grace, dark thoughts in

her head, the man could
never imagine what lies
for him ahead. She
slipped beside him only to
ask, "Sir, do you have a light?"

Leslie wrote: "But curiosity
crawled under the skin, leaving
a trail of goosebumps.
Determined to know the truth,
I'm tempted to twist your arm."

Delightful!

Guy wrote: "So did I! Two last night. It was a delightful evening."

Yes, indeed. I failed to show husband the video of Take me to the river, I can't believe he's not familiar with it. Burning down the house rings a bell, though.

He's not?! And you married him? Wow! That has got to be true love! LoL! ;-)

I would try a Haiku tonight, but I'm supposed to be writing a 'succubus' story.

Guy wrote: "He's not?! And you married him? Wow! That has got to be true love! LoL!
;-)


I would try a Haiku tonight, but I'm supposed to be writing a 'succubus' story."

Oh my! Lol! He's in a midlife crisis, I think. Pretending to be young, forgetting things that remind him he's old and yes, true love it is :)

I'm curious, what time is it over there?

Leslie! Oh my word! That train of haiku was gorgeous! I love it, and wish for you to write more!

*


"The only light I
have is the end of this 'ere
cigar," was puffed, coughed
from the man's withered throat he
used to swallow the rain with.

Kat wrote: "Leslie! Oh my word! That train of haiku was gorgeous! I love it, and wish for you to write more!"

Yay, thanks a lot Kat :) I hope to write more too. The 'haiku coaches' here are pretty awesome yet mean lol

"That will do." She said,
mesmerized by his blue eyes.
Is he Chris Hemsworth?
She thought, but before her knees
turn to jelly, she walked out.

Leslie! You're a natural-these are beautiful. Well done :)

Thank you, Ryan lol I don't take compliment too well, like, I'd say that all of you are far awesome than I am, but it is, nevertheless, appreciated. See, blabbing :)

When bottled peat bogs
bring their moss to his parched throat,
the smoky darkness
talks with hesitant fingers
that play jasmine-haunted notes.

A discordant note
plucked on an old Fender Strat
reminds her of home.
Closing her eyes, deft fingers
strum echoes of days long gone.

What home? She refused
to remember. As somber
melody filled the
haunted lounge, her limbs went numb.
Revenge had taken its place.

She sensed the calm gaze
of blue eyes in a trench coat:
he sat at the end
of the mahogany bar
like a weary movie star.

With perfect pretense,
She peered through a glass of wine.
I’ve seen him before,
She muttered under her breath.
He’s from Despicable Me.


*Sorry, kids are watching that movie. I felt the need to include it.

OMG! Ryan, Kat, M. Leslie, these are fantastically well done! Leslie, delightful conclusion and no apology necessary. I'm laughing with it and how awesome is the entire chain. Great way to start my day. Thank you!

@ Leslie; when you asked what time it was, it was around 10:45pm (on the 14th), which was really past my bed time.

Often he pondered
the lounge-hopping lives of bored
and erring housewives.

She couldn’t seem to
guess his age. A maudlin tune
sung by Patti Page

came dully from the
old Wurlitzer. The patrons
hardly seemed to stir,

but lolled in the booths
or at the bar. She left and
went out to her car.