by Ray Jason
It was a most unusual voyage. I was sailing South in search of a world free of screens. Still reeling
from a month in El Norte, witnessing the tyranny of technology, I needed serenity. I sought a peaceful lagoon, where people were
not submissives - dominated by their TV screens, computer screens and Smart phone
screens.
When the anchor was down in one of
my favorite hideaway coves, it felt like a great emancipation – a return to solitude
and stillness. Within a few hours I was absorbing
the tranquility of the tiny bay. I knew
that I was truly being cured of the frenzy when the haiku began to flow.
*******
This ancient form of Japanese poetry has appealed to
me since my early days in college, when I was introduced to the great master of
the form - Basho. Basically, the poems
are tiny snapshots of Nature. But in
their most exalted moments they speak to the sublime interface of the Human
with the Natural. They amplify the often
uncelebrated aspects of the world around us that are elemental, commonplace and
eternal. And they do so with austere
elegance.
The most standard form is three lines with the first
and last comprised of five syllables and the middle line having seven
syllables. They should be immediate
impressions of a real-time encounter with Nature. They should not be abstract and
intellectual. They also require simplicity
rather than ornamentation. An old adage
that expresses this perfectly is: “If the finger that is pointing towards the
moon is bejeweled, that to which it is pointing will not be noticed.”
*******
When I was in Vietnam on a U.S. Navy ammunition ship,
my spirit was deeply wounded. One of the
great comforts that helped me make it through that chapter of my life was the
solace that I received from haiku. I had
with me four slender volumes of the work of the great American haiku poet -
J.W. Hackett. These poetic gems were a vital
bridge over troubled waters for me. I
wrote an entire essay on that topic which you can find with this link.
I still love composing haiku, and when out in the
islands I spend most twilight hours observing the waters and wilds around me. Seated with my back against the mast, I am
poised with my clipboard on my lap, hoping for a spontaneous revelation.
During my Voyage Away from Screens, the haiku gods blessed me repeatedly. I thought I would share some of these with you. It seems like a particularly good time to do so since the essays have been fairly heavy of late. May my little haiku poems bring you some comfort and insights.
During my Voyage Away from Screens, the haiku gods blessed me repeatedly. I thought I would share some of these with you. It seems like a particularly good time to do so since the essays have been fairly heavy of late. May my little haiku poems bring you some comfort and insights.
The wood-fire smoke –
as ancient and primal as
this jungle lagoon.
Beneath a half moon
children are fishing – but they
only catch laughter
Sleeping on my deck –
on a night full of moonlight
and honeysuckle.
Thousand year jungle
next to a chain-sawed hillside –
sad Humanity.
Coconut water,
and a fish from my spear gun –
a sea gypsy feast!
Even far from shore
a skunk’s defense overwhelms
my sailboat’s cabin!
A brilliant full moon
and the night dew on the deck –
my shadow glistens.
True simplicity –
a sailing boat, my freedom,
and the Wide Waters.
Indio children
laughing on the twilight shore –
gift me Happiness.
A cup of sake
to toast the full moon rising
from this tropic sea.
A Christmas full moon –
it’s the perfect gift for this
happy sea gypsy!
P.S. If there is anyone out there who has contact
information for J.W. Hackett please let me know so that I can tell him how much
I admire his artistry.