{un}holy haiku - 3rd Edition

[Wistman]

*  It's a supreme masterpiece.  One of my favorite paintings.

 

vanitas, Holbein's

sharp eye, death incised inside

suavity, beauty

[Blue Star]

suavity, beauty

contrast amplified light and dark

juxtaposed clarity

[+joc]

juxtaposed clarity

is clarity juxtaposed

or something like that

[Wistman]

or something like that

will guarantee success, or

maybe give you warts

[Helen of Annoy]

maybe give you warts

since only a prince can be

turned into a frog      

[Wistman]

turned into a frog

and live in Poitiers  - oh,

that's not what you meant

[Helen of Annoy]

that's not what you meant

but where there's a will there's way

sometimes through the wall 

[Wistman]

sometimes through the wall

come sounds of night, a howling

of wind or canine

 

[Helen of Annoy]

of wind or canine

naming the same yearning with 

their own mother's tongue    

[Wistman]

their own mother's tongue

steeped in nuances pecu-

liar to their breath

[Blue Star]

liar to their breath

micro expressions reveal

body language tells

 

[Wistman]

body language tells

secrets - cat is eyeing me

have I said too much

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by The Wistman

[Blue Star]

have i said too much?

with or without words, we read,

all is there to see

 

[Wistman]

all is there to see

though the programs shutter sight

from the pond's mornings

 

 

[Helen of Annoy]

from the pond's mornings 

to the night that comes from woods'

sheltering darkness 

 

 

(Or should it be woods's? 'scuse me, I'm a foreigner  ) 

[Wistman]

*  Ooooh, grammar puzzles!   Possessive plurals ending in 's', according to Stunk and White (whose usage I follow), require only an apostrophe.  If we take 'woods' as plural of 'wood' such would apply.  But that isn't right.  It is common to use both 'wood' and 'woods' as a form, singular, of 'forest.'  Singular plurals ending in 's' would require an additional 's' following the apostrophe.  That would give us woods's...which sounds a little clumsy but is also correct.   However, not all grammarians agree with Strunk and White, especially here in America, and would simply use woods' and have done with it.   Don't you just love English, Helen.

In this context, rereading your haiku, the single apostrophe sounds best to me, violating S&W, but what the hell.

 

 

sheltering darkness

refuge from electro darts

being hurled about

 

 

 

 

[Blue Star]

I may be a local, (English) but i think the first woods' is correct but what would i know. 

I find the use of s's' to be like saying, woodses..... Which is obviously incorrect.

I use wood to mean a piece of wood as in timber, singular or not, or for a singular smallish size wood of trees.

A woods, to mean a collection of woods. 

And a woods' to be a small forest.....Indeed, the English language, though mostly a bastardization of every other languages is indeed a fascination.

 

being hurled about

unseen but still affecting

moods, feeling and thought

 

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Blue Star

[Helen of Annoy]

I absolutely love English. The only trouble is that the more I learn, the more aware I am just how little I know. It feels much better when you're a total beginner and so proud of each mangled sentence you somehow manage to produce  

Thank you both 

 

moods, feeling and thought    

water rushing to find peace 

in a quiet pond   

 

[Wistman]

*  A pedantry.  Here's Yeats:

                    I went out to the hazel wood

                    Because a fire was in my head

It's a little old fashioned, but wood and woods can be interchanged.  

I agree, usable timber is wood weather singular or plural.

The issue isn't as difficult with other words that don't possess such ambiguity in singularity/plurality.  

 

in a quiet pond

I found your message floating

in the reflections

 

 

 

[Ozymandias]

When creating poetry you can throw out the rule books on usage and grammar. 

in the reflections

knowledge and experience

make the thought anew

[Helen of Annoy]

@Ozymandias ! Where have you been? And thank you too for the advice  

 

By the way, that was exactly what confused me - how do natural speakers feel the word 'woods' - does it sound like singular or plural? Mystery solved, it's a bit of both and mostly in between  

 

make the thought anew

some mistakes were meant to be 

a cherry on top 

[Ozymandias]

Hi, Helen. Still haikuing in your own {un}holy and inimitable way. 

 

a cherry on top 

gracing a glaze of icing

bitten ruby red

 

[Blue Star]

"I absolutely love English. The only trouble is that the more I learn, the more aware I am just how little I know. It feels much better when you're a total beginner and so proud of each mangled sentence you somehow manage to produce  

Thank you both ."   "MRS H of A, Quote."

I feel the same and I'm a native 

 

bitten ruby red

as I hold back this, my tongue

so much to be said

 

[Helen of Annoy]

so much to be said 

the painting would remain still

let it live in dreams  

[Blue Star]

let it live in dreams

where i talk with ease and flow

together we converse