Bravo! Wonderful, ironic and touching haiku and a super tribute to William Blake who was the first poet who envisioned the dangers of industrialization:
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep![a]
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.
A good way of saying time is running out, as we think of those timers. Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia mentioned grains of salt, as did the Roman general Pompey.
Bringing in polymer reminds me the original slavery tightly wove around cotton, now it's polymers in all its applications.
A lot of allusions here, and that the planet Earth (odd name for a water planet) is safe but human animals could become extinct.
Excellent example of saying a lot in very few words.
I love the juxtaposition of images here – we have the ability to see and know our "blue planet" through technological miracles such as the satellites, which have provided the photographs of Earth that for the first time allowed humans to see and appreciate the world like a "grain of sand" on the shores of the cosmic ocean; and yet that same technological advancement risks polluting and destroying the environment we rely on for survival.
I particularly love the confronting choice of final image. Polymer beads – seed-like, yet almost completely non-biodegradable for thousands of years. As we reap we shall sow…
April 22nd, 2014 at 9:38 am
Bravo! Wonderful, ironic and touching haiku and a super tribute to William Blake who was the first poet who envisioned the dangers of industrialization:
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep![a]
So your chimneys I sweep, and in soot I sleep.
April 22nd, 2014 at 9:55 am
Earth Day
the world in a grain
of polymer
A good way of saying time is running out, as we think of those timers. Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia mentioned grains of salt, as did the Roman general Pompey.
Bringing in polymer reminds me the original slavery tightly wove around cotton, now it's polymers in all its applications.
A lot of allusions here, and that the planet Earth (odd name for a water planet) is safe but human animals could become extinct.
Excellent example of saying a lot in very few words.
Alan
April 22nd, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Hi Alan,
I always enjoy your thoughtful, insightful response!
Best
Bruce
April 22nd, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Thanks Bruce, it just goes to show that haiku are not limited in their scope, they can be ecocritical, as classic haikai verses often were.
warm regards,
Alan
April 24th, 2014 at 11:51 pm
I love the juxtaposition of images here – we have the ability to see and know our "blue planet" through technological miracles such as the satellites, which have provided the photographs of Earth that for the first time allowed humans to see and appreciate the world like a "grain of sand" on the shores of the cosmic ocean; and yet that same technological advancement risks polluting and destroying the environment we rely on for survival.
I particularly love the confronting choice of final image. Polymer beads – seed-like, yet almost completely non-biodegradable for thousands of years. As we reap we shall sow…
Strider
April 26th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
An excellent play on the Blake! Of which I feel sure he'd applaud. LeRoy Gorman's astute observations and sharp wit keeps haiku on it's toes.
May 2nd, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Just brilliant!
marion