goldfish bowl
my daughter asks
if I’m going to die
Published by
John McManus
John McManus is 32. He live is Carlisle, Cumbria, England with his wife and children. He is the former Expositions editor for A Hundred Gourds, and is the founder and current editor of Frozen Butterfly. He was awarded a Touchstone Award from The Haiku Foundation in 2012, as well as winning the annual Heron's Nest Readers choice awards. His haiku have been published in over 20 different journals and he was one of the poets featured in New Resonance 8 (Red Moon Press).
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I love this haiku – the symbolism of the goldfish bowl works so effectively. And kids have that way of speaking so directly and taking us by surprise. A 'jolt' of a haiku that makes me smile and think.
__The -goldfish bowl, in my inept view, refers to the limits of life; perhaps that is the key to the daughter's caring question. A deep, humanistic senryu. _m
Whenever I see a goldfish haiku, I always remember this fun one from David Cobb,co-founder of the British Haiku Society, and I enjoy the comparison of:
goldfish bowl
my daughter asks
if I’m going to die
—JOHN MCMANUS
And
it's no use mouthing
O after O at me —
I don't speak Goldfish!
David Cobb
Mounting Shadows (142 haiku and senryu), Equinox Press, 1992
.
.
Despite a life of goldfish when a youngster, I've only ever written one goldfish haiku, from a British Haiku Society residential event:
scattered leaves on a pond
goldfish surfacing
[two line haiku]
Alan Summers
Publications credits: Albatross, The Constanza Haiku Society, Romania
Vol. III No.1 Spring-Summer/No.2 Autumn-Winter 1994
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.
The question comes as a surprise in the midst of the daily or mundane (as children's questions so often do). A goldfish bowl is an excellent 'objective correlative' for the idea of the (invisible) limits to our lives.
There's a lot more to this one than the usual run of 'cute kiddie ku', as you show in your selection of 'goldfish bowl' to juxtapose with the question.
Most morbid haiku I ever read!
LIGHTEN UP!
bali beach
full moon
on full moon
Mike
I love this haiku – the symbolism of the goldfish bowl works so effectively. And kids have that way of speaking so directly and taking us by surprise. A 'jolt' of a haiku that makes me smile and think.
Excellent ku, John – a poignant parental moment conveyed with gentle humour – simply and perfectly executed.
Great one!
__The -goldfish bowl, in my inept view, refers to the limits of life; perhaps that is the key to the daughter's caring question. A deep, humanistic senryu. _m
An absolute winner.
Bill K
A terrific juxtaposition, John, and it feels authentic, even if it's not. Perfection!
Susan
.
.
Whenever I see a goldfish haiku, I always remember this fun one from David Cobb,co-founder of the British Haiku Society, and I enjoy the comparison of:
goldfish bowl
my daughter asks
if I’m going to die
—JOHN MCMANUS
And
it's no use mouthing
O after O at me —
I don't speak Goldfish!
David Cobb
Mounting Shadows (142 haiku and senryu), Equinox Press, 1992
.
.
Despite a life of goldfish when a youngster, I've only ever written one goldfish haiku, from a British Haiku Society residential event:
scattered leaves on a pond
goldfish surfacing
[two line haiku]
Alan Summers
Publications credits: Albatross, The Constanza Haiku Society, Romania
Vol. III No.1 Spring-Summer/No.2 Autumn-Winter 1994
.
.
Ah, we are only here for a short time, aren't we? I particularly love your children haiku, John.
marion
The question comes as a surprise in the midst of the daily or mundane (as children's questions so often do). A goldfish bowl is an excellent 'objective correlative' for the idea of the (invisible) limits to our lives.
There's a lot more to this one than the usual run of 'cute kiddie ku', as you show in your selection of 'goldfish bowl' to juxtapose with the question.
Very well done, John!
– Lorin
Having lost a number of goldfish in my time, this haiku feel so authentic.
Startling!