Things Fall into Place

29 Replies

Sorry, in the earlier version of this post I may have been a bit sloppy and given the impression that the haiku I wrote was the one in this post. In fact I did write the haiku in the post, but merely by taking words from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 19 to illustrate how he used a lot of words that he could have used for something else.

My haiku, which won’t be published until October, is not as good. Though it does have ducks in it.

I just had a poem accepted for publication, my first in fourteen years.

This isn’t as bad as it may seem at first glance, as I actually didn’t submit anything for fourteen years. After a few years of limbering up and writing limericks I decided to give it a try again.

The first two submissions came back so fast it felt like they were on elastic. In the days when we had to use post it was all much more stately. So I tried again and seem to have sneaked in under the quality bar.

It’s only a haiku as I’m famously lazy and can’t see any point in writing more than I have to. Three lines, ten words, fourteen syllables, no rhymes.

In terms of effort it beats a sonnet hands down.

This is Sonnet 18 cut down to a haiku. It’s ninety-nine words shorter and though it’s not going to achieve immortality, it’s an example of what Shakespeare could have done if he’d have set his mind to it.

(Looking at it, I wish I’d thought of doing this sooner as it’s a lot easier than writing one from scratch).

a summer’s day

rough winds shake buds of May

eternal lines

If Shakespeare had written haiku instead of messing about with sonnets he’d have had more time to write things like a spin-off from Henry V where Sir John Falstaff opens up a small hotel on the south coast, with hilarious consequences. Falstaff Towers could have been so good…

 

29 thoughts on “Things Fall into Place”

  1. Pingback: Back in the Game | quercuscommunity

    2. quercuscommunity

      I think the “nal lines” must be “eternal lines”. Not sure where the first four letters went – they are all there in my version of the post.

      That’s just an example of what Shakespeare could have done if he’d written haiku. Mine will, I fear, be a disappointment when it eventually comes out in October.

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  8. Jodie Richeal

    Wow – Congratulations on your poem acceptance! It’s lovely. But don’t they require first rights? Perhaps you should delete this post – don’t want them to be upset that it’s already been published.

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    1. quercuscommunity

      Sorry, I may have raised your hopes about the quality of my poetry – the one in the post iss put together from Sonnet 19 as an example of a Shakespearian haiku.

      You are correct about the first rights. My haiku is less good, features ducks and won’t be published until October.

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      1. Jodie Richeal

        “My haiku is less good, features ducks and won’t be published until October.” hilarious. CAn’t wait to see it!

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