triveni spotlight
A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY!
hosts: Teji Sethi and Kala Ramesh
guest editor: Stanford M. Forrester/sekiro
Theme: The Editor's Best Haiku from bottle rockets
late winter
his letter
with postage due Wanda D. Cook (br32/16:2)
Triveni Haikai India
Walking through some of the back issues of bottle rocket a collection of short verse
bottle rockets is a haiku literary magazine that has been in print for 23 years. At the invitation of Kala Ramesh, I have gone through ten or so back issues and have chosen some haiku, senryu, and short poems that I feel have contributed to the magazine's overall feel. I'm happy to share these poems with the readers of Triveni Haikai India. My only wish is that you will enjoy reading them as much as I have.
—Stanford M. Forrester/sekiro, editor of bottle rockets press
There are two images in it. First, late winter, second a letter with postage due. Late winter indicates spring is not far away. A time to look forward to. Simultaneously, there is a mysterious letter from a person the poet is acquainted with. "his letter". Do I see a desperation here? Spring will unfold in all its glory, but he doesn't have flowers to offer. And he is sending a message despite his circumstance. The circumstance is a mystery. Alternatively, he is heartbroken that spring is so near, when he is far away. He laments over the separation and sends a letter. In his hurry, forgetting about postage stamps. This is truly a great haiku. The poet simply presents two…
a very poignant haiku.
I still do write letters!
A simple and lovely ku. There is such pathos and such a sense of melancholy in these 7 words and the poet has managed to do it by setting the last 2 lines against the backdrop of a simple season word. No unnecessary word, no other enhancement by describing the mental state of anybody. Mono no aware definitely, probably a hint of wabi-sabi too?
Lovely to see a haiku with 'letter'. Who writes letters nowadays.
My father used to write a lot and we have preserved them. In fact like Nehru to his granddaughter, my dad has written quite many to my daughter too!! She has compiled them.
.
his letter with postage due!!!
Striking!!