You remember the haiku from high school literature class, right? It's a form of Japanese poetry with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. It's short and sharp, and we need some about our commute. Planes, trains, buses, bikes, automobiles and walking are all good subjects.
We'll run the best ones in the Monday Ride column. Here's a few examples:
On the CTA
A slow adventure on steel
How I miss my home!
My new book on tape
Will never outlast the jam
On the Ike tonight
Most eloquently
Your giant Hummer tells us
Where you are lacking
You just cut me off
You Mercedes-driving jerk
I hate hate hate you
Not a great effort -- I'm sure you all can do better. We'll publish the best, and the top of the heap will get a Sun-Times t-shirt.
Thanks, Fiona! This book looks great. Commuters and haiku lovers -- here's your source!. See http://www.honku.org/
Did you ever read the book of "Honkus" by Aaron Naparstek? He writes about the total frustration of commuting/living in the city, being eased by writing Haikus about it. You can visit his website also, and submit your own. This is mine:
You there, on the phone
Is that call more important
Than your life and mine?
To the CTA Ticket Machine
Indifferent machine,
You spat out my last single
Though it is crisp and new.
Fed into the slot,
Facing the right direction--
Unjust rejection!
High above, the tracks
Rumble with new arrivals
But I cannot ride.
I am late again,
Ticked and ticketless.
You're ridiculous!
Got to leave early
It’s dark when you start the trip
light when you’re still late
He rides the redline daily
Singing the same old song
"Socks, movies, cigarette lighters,
Loose "squares"
No American Idol, his baby needs
Pampers
He is sooooo annoying
My home is Saint Charles
The metra's how I get by
Half the day wasted
The El Haiku:
Standing, Staring, Beat
Cramped, jerking, motion, Stinks
I want to sit down
Two dollars a ride
CTA take me away
For once be on time
In the Depression
Kids rode the el, all alone
Ah, those good old days.
2nd-hand yak swirls
"Waiting for signals ahead"
Purple Line delayed
"Bush" on your bumper
Fills my heart with more despair
Than your bad driving