My Haiku Issue

Introduction

When Vocal gave us the High-Ku challenge I was quite pleased, but a Japanese friend informed me that what I was writing was not actually haiku but in fact senryū. You can read about the two forms in the links below, but a haiku should include a preferably implied seasonal reference and a “cutting word” to redirect the poem. Vocal completely ignored this in the requirements and when I checked, I don't think one of the winning entries was a true haiku, though I may be wrong.

Because the haiku is so short, Vocal reduced the hundred-word requirement for poetry, which suddenly meant that people started submitting many entries. Some people doing over a hundred and that just flooded everywhere with short poems that actually affected me badly because I do like variety.

This would have been fine but they have completely removed the word requirement and I have just had a one-word “poem” published which, in context, is very good but it just has one word in it and really that should not be allowed. It was published but was then moved to drafts by Vocal so I added some context, at least someone looks at it.

After a note from Cathy Holmes, she told me that a piece had been published with no content so I thought I would try it (I feel like Andy Warhol or Yoko Ono doing this) and Vocal published this but later moved it to drafts so I added explanatory context.

And There Is More

Vocal has done away with the word limit and had three more “haiku” challenges, none of which require a true haiku form. I have seen some that don’t even conform to the syllable count and it has got to the point where when I see someone posting their “last haiku of the day” I just don’t read it. It really seems to me that the form is being treated as a quick fix, and almost all the Top Stories in poets are faux-haiku. It really reeks of laziness on Vocal’s part and the continual Top Story award just encourages more haiku. Why put in too much effort when you get get a five-dollar award for seventeen syllables that don’t have to rhyme?

I do drop into some writer’s haiku and see that they have included preambles and explanations and I shouldn’t be missing these because people are putting in the effort and that should be rewarded by at least a read from me, so my apologies to all that have put in the effort, but that I have not yet read.

It is ironic that my poetry writing really took off from Vocal's Summer Sonnet Challenge, but since there has been no defined form asked for until their pseudo-haiku challenges. One should be enough and then they should look at other formats to keep people's interest, although in reality, because their faux-haiku requirements are so limited they are bound to get loads of entries with people doing hundreds.

But Hope Is Not Lost

There are so many talented writers on Vocal and not every poet limits themselves to haiku, and haiku is a wonderful format to try and get so much meaning into a few words. I was actually thinking of interspersing this story with senryū written on the fly such as:

I Am So Sorry

I Never Read Your Opus

I Should Try Harder

I was considering submitting this under Poets as I wouldn't have to hit six hundred words but that would be lazy of me.

Conclusion

I wish Vocal had a suggestion box or would choose another poetic format for a future challenge, but just at the moment, it's the Vocal Haiku Railroad all the way.

Please Mister Vocal

Can We Have Another Verse

Type For A Challenge?

The music I am including is "Thomas The Rhymer" by Steeleye Span which is appropriate for a poetry piece and you can read about the subject here.

Here is a piece I wrote on how I write poetry with links to many of the forms that people can write.