Keeping your distance
A brief touch of the elbows
A covid welcome.
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Author:
Michael Edwards (
Offline) - Published: January 5th, 2021 01:38
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 22
Keeping your distance
A brief touch of the elbows
A covid welcome.
Offline)
Comments7
It is so sad that touching is not allowed, even a simple handshake is missed by me.
Ah, back to the artwork I know and love.
Andy
Thanks Andy - this painting is of Bradgate Park in Leicestershire - done as a commission for a dentists practice.
Good write and pic M.
Miss B do fist-bumps?!
She does bum bumps
Has she thunder thighs?!
indeed, an insightful write Michael,
personally, I think I have perfected the best system for receiving package deliveries:
throw down the rope from my ground floor window and wave 'warmly' with my full hazmat suit zipped-up tight,
then put on my oven mitts, spray it all with 99% killing antibacterial acid, hoping all the time that 1%: doesn't get me at night...
'oh those horror few seconds - we brave, between a cough and our thermometer results of fate...' lol
(ignore me, I was just having a little fun in my scribbled reply my friend)
You could use a long handled snow shovel and marigolds.🤨🤨
Good write and fine water color.
Thank you Jerry
A facemasked greeting
conceals a smile or grimace
secrets of lockdown
Being stuck indoors seems more like lock-up to me.
I fear not masking the grin this read left as I tried that elbow-touch and missed my distance - - .great artwork again Michael.
Bless you Fay - thank you - keep smiling.
Let's hope that, with the coming of the vaccine, that Covid (should be capitalized) will become the kigo (season-word) of this haiku. A colon mark after elbows would represent the kireji.
As I've written it I don't agree that the common noun covid should be capitalised nor would I want to use a colon - each line is a seperate statement in its own right hence the capitals at the start of each line which is, to my mind, more elegant and is the format I prefer - that's why I never classify my 575s as haiku.
To me the joy of poetry is to write something which reads well. I find if I try to observe the strict dictat of the Japanese forms I find they don't translate well into the English language.
With my background, you'll understand why I do biological nomenclature "by the book". The name Covid-19 is the WHO name for the disease.
I like the colon in a haiku as a substitute for the kireji ("cut-word"). I rarely write haiku, but when I do I call them haiku and try to follow the Japanese rules. But I'm used to engaging poetry in foreign languages - right now I'm learning to read Paul Celan in German, a language I read well.
I see WHO do write Covid-19 as a proper noun (in fact they tend to spell the entire word in capitals) but I've used the single word covid as used fairly extensively, rightly or wrongly, here in the UK. I can understand your preference to adhere to the strict rules but for the reasons given above, I prefer not to. I merely follow the syllable count which appeals to me. I don't regard my 575s as haikus and don't label them as such.
I have no knowledge of Celan and will look into his work - thanks for pointing me in his direction.i
New York Times style is Covid-19 rather than COVID-19, but I think the latter may be the WHO form. I'll try to find the AP Stylebook style.
The choice of a name for the disease was unfortunate - needs something catchier.
I teach a program in reading poetry at a rather informal senior-adult education institution in nearby Oak Ridge TN (we're on Zoom now, of course). I think I've find the Celan poem I want to use next term. I'm still finding out about translations.
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