Almost Composed

Haiku on Twitter

September 26, 2019

I’ve recently been writing some haiku on Twitter. I like the concision and concreteness of the form. But I especially like that a haiku is a place where my interests in poetry, nature, and Buddhism converge. I’m particularly interested in using the form’s traditional focus on nature to highlight the climate crisis. There is a disconnect between the ancient worldview of the world as eternal and cyclical, and the precipice at which we now stand.

Rain collects on tiles.
Sirens and hurried footsteps.
Trees recede in fog. pic.twitter.com/o9qWFxKVfI

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 9, 2019

The old pond.
My son falls in.
Plop!

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 9, 2019

Listening to rain,
chillhop, aimless thoughts. Drinking
alcohol-free beer.#haiku

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 9, 2019

In the magic hour
crows discuss dark politics –
autumn’s sudden cold.#haiku #micropoetry pic.twitter.com/pqqSpHttmj

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 10, 2019

Playground hemmed by mist.
Children live in memories –
The morning bell rings.#haiku #micropoetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 11, 2019

Round moon behind clouds.
Car alarms. Neighbours chatter.
Sadness on my bench.#haiku #micropoetry pic.twitter.com/ct6Wl54w0t

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 12, 2019

A slow, clear morning.
Bubbles rise in the green pond –
no sign of a fish.#haiku #micropoetry pic.twitter.com/4RvLssv9Wi

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 13, 2019

Clear sky, empty sky.
Brilliance cast on rooftops –
look, the harvest moon.#haiku #micropoetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 13, 2019

Stones rise with each wave
like ballerinas en pointe
then fall with a click.#haiku #poetry pic.twitter.com/o7JlWoJZgc

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 14, 2019

Looking out at stars
as the feedback loops begin.
We will disappear.#haiku #poetry #ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateStrike

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 14, 2019

Some of these are senryu, which aim to satirise human follies.

Writing in the loft
when suddenly the old church
sounds a lonely bell.#haiku #senryu #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 14, 2019

September morning,
the lake impossibly still –
light splashing on leaves.#haiku #poetry pic.twitter.com/a8DQ3ydvfb

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 15, 2019

I used to resent
waiting for the bus – today,
suburban sunlight.#senryu #poetry pic.twitter.com/Omh57oh3YD

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 19, 2019

A quick wind outside –
better unpack the blanket
for my evening sit.#haiku #poetry #meditation

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 20, 2019

The neighbours’ wind chimes
dance in dark gardens – even
stars could blow away.#haiku #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 20, 2019

I take the coast path
hoping for inspiration –
waves applaud the rocks.#haiku #poetry pic.twitter.com/qyu36tYTHJ

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 21, 2019

Seasons turn around
a eucalyptus rooted
beside the steep path.#haiku #poetry pic.twitter.com/WNKB4QTEDT

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 21, 2019

As the sky darkens
a seabird crosses the cove
leaving only this.#haiku #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 21, 2019

Rooftops slick with rain.
The sky unknowable, blank.
What will today bring?#haiku #poetry pic.twitter.com/DM5oDibEvo

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 22, 2019

Nursing old grudges
while, outside, a stone Buddha
sits vipassanā.#senryu #haiku #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 25, 2019

Unlit church beneath
a night-blue sky. Chimneys, stars –
faint scent of wood smoke.#haiku #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 14, 2019

Important old men
argue for their preferences
on a dying world.#senryu #poetry

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 26, 2019

But not all of these were intended to be taken seriously.

Chicken in minecart.
See you in the mountains, friend.
I’m too old for this.#haiku #minecraft pic.twitter.com/Djfw6x45Ck

— Mark Cooper (@markcpr) September 10, 2019