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laughALONG! 21 February

A TUESDAY FEATURE

host: Muskaan Ahuja

guest editor: Susan Beth Furst


THE COMEDIAN


“There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.”


--- Erma Bombeck


Kobayashi Issa is one of the early Japanese masters of the haiku tradition and a favorite of

mine. His name means “cup of tea,” or “a single bubble in steeping tea.” Issa loved to write

about the little things in God’s creation, like snails, spiders, and frogs. He loved to write about

everyday village life and children. He has been compared to his contemporary Robert Burns,

whose poem “To a Mouse,” is characteristic of Issa’s love of small animals. And Issa like Charles Dickens often used humor to make his point. Issa’s writing style included speaking to animals, the use of local slang, and onomatopoeia. He called it “countrified haikai.” Yes, I think Issa is just my cup of tea!



The holes in the wall

play the flute

this autumn evening


--- Issa




Don’t know about the people,

but all the scarecrows

are crooked


--- Issa



It seems that no matter where you live in space or time, some things remain the same.


A poem in response to Issa’s…


Politicians—

so many shapes and sizes

of hot air


--- Susan Beth Furst



Write a humorous haiku in the “Countrified Haikai” style of Issa. You can post it in the box

below!




*Verse translatations by Robert Hass.

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91 views16 comments

16 Comments


Kala Ramesh
Kala Ramesh
Feb 27, 2023

gravedigger hoping there would be diamonds this time


any good?

Thanks, Kanjini. Corrected the typo :)))

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Kanjini Devi
Kanjini Devi
Feb 27, 2023
Replying to

hoping?

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lakshmi iyer
lakshmi iyer
Feb 26, 2023

#2

.

spring rain

cats try to catch

the tiny rainbow

.

feedback

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Kanjini Devi
Kanjini Devi
Feb 26, 2023
Replying to

Cats are always catching something, and manage to look cute in the process. I wonder what the tiny rainbow is, a drawing?

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lakshmi iyer
lakshmi iyer
Feb 24, 2023

#1

.


spider stops short

on the spellofun word

webmaster


.

feedback please

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Muskaan Ahuja
Muskaan Ahuja
Feb 27, 2023
Replying to

It is sounding telly to me, Lakshmi. I would prefer a different L1 and in the last.

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lakshmi iyer
lakshmi iyer
Feb 24, 2023

Lets ask for feedback please.

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Kanjini Devi
Kanjini Devi
Feb 22, 2023

Not sure if this ku conveys the humor I found in that moment . . . Feedback please _()_


long grass . . .

me and the frog

face to face


Kanjini Devi

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Kanjini Devi
Kanjini Devi
Feb 26, 2023
Replying to

@lakshmi iyer I have notification that you have commented but unable to see your comment. Would you mind reiterating?

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