Great to see a contemporary war haiku, as we have old and new fronts opening up, and rarely closing for long.
.
fallow field
a young man planting
mines
—Rich Schilling
Such a sad indictment that fields that could grow food, or feed cattle or horses, are used instead to bring life-changing injury to children, women, other non-combatants, and occasionally someone who doesn't know better than to be 'on the other side' of peace. The two parts of the haiku are chilling, opening with an agrarian image, and concluding with a killing device inserted into soil instead of seeds for food and beauty.
November 9th, 2023 at 10:10 am
Great to see a contemporary war haiku, as we have old and new fronts opening up, and rarely closing for long.
.
fallow field
a young man planting
mines
—Rich Schilling
Such a sad indictment that fields that could grow food, or feed cattle or horses, are used instead to bring life-changing injury to children, women, other non-combatants, and occasionally someone who doesn't know better than to be 'on the other side' of peace. The two parts of the haiku are chilling, opening with an agrarian image, and concluding with a killing device inserted into soil instead of seeds for food and beauty.
.
the war she never returned Vergissmeinnicht
after Keith Douglas
Alan Summers
Haiku Canada Review, vol. 11, no. 2, (October 2017) ed. LeRoy Gorman
November 9th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Beautiful!
November 9th, 2023 at 10:20 am
Stunning.
November 9th, 2023 at 10:26 am
well done, Rich! Chilling.
November 9th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Thanks, Rich.
November 9th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
I am always astounded by these poems, submitted and chosen months beforehand, yet so spot-on relevant to the day's events. The power of art!