Morning:
6°c
Thousands enter comp / Seeking haikus for London / Can you do better?
Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter28 May 2009
A new breed of “commuter poet” is capturing the spirit of London in, ideally, just 17 syllables. On buses, Tubes and trains across the city, people are using modern technology to communicate an ancient form of Japanese poetry.
A unique competition to find the best haiku to sum up summer in London has attracted thousands of entrants. The would-be poets send in their entries via online messaging service Twitter.
The haikus have been submitted — or tweeted — to what the organisers are calling the world's first “interactive mobile social-media poetry competition”. Topics so far range from the Woolwich ferry to crowded trains; from sweltering offices to skimpy bikinis.
The haikus are checked for decency before they are projected on to a giant screen at King's Cross and St Pancras. The winner will be chosen by Yoko Ono and the poet, playwright and novelist Jackie Kay. Ms Kay, a professor of creative writing who recently was in the running to be Britain's first female Poet Laureate, said today: “Some of the haikus have been really lovely while it's interesting that so many people have responded.
"This is a whole different way of using communication which is very exciting, combining an old form, the haiku, with the modern form Twitter. Poetry is good for the soul and the great thing about a haiku is it is simple and complex at the same time. Haikus are little parcels of surprise wrapped up in words. Anybody having a go at this will just feel good about themselves.”
The competition is being run by Network Rail and Kings Place, an arts venue in Islington that opened in October last year which each Monday hosts a spoken-word event.
The writer of the winning haiku will receive free entry to the event for the rest of the year — although earning the honour of being London's best haiku tweeter may surpass the actual prize.
Peter Millican, director of Kings Place, said: “We have been amazed by the number of entries. We always thought it was a lovely idea but it has really captured the imagination. It's been great for commuters to use their dead time' travelling to do something creative.”
Haikus traditionally consist of three lines of alternately five, seven and five syllables — but with arguments raging that the 17-syllable rule need not be adhered to in English haikus, organisers have decided not to disqualify entries that contain more.
Simon Brake, 34, a graphic designer whose haiku “Beneath the morning sun/The city is painted gold/People move like bees through honey” is one of the frontrunners for the top prize, said: “It's the kind of thing Twitter lends itself to. I just thought we had some nice sun this week and my haiku reflects that. The idea people can look up at King's Cross to a screen that has haikus on it rather than miserable information puts a smile on the face.”
Send your haikus in and we'll post the best ones here at standard.co.uk/haiku. Send your haikus to news@standard.co.uk or post them in the comments section below
To visit the Kings Place website click here
Reader views (51)
July in the Smoke
Sunshine on Priscillas shoe
I smile in the crowd
- Sue Webb, Colchester, 19/07/2011 00:10
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It's fantastic how haiku captures the imagination, and pure raw enthusiasm that people always have despite the recession.
As the term "haiku" was only officially created and adopted in the early 20th century it's really more modern than the novel. It does have its roots in older poetry, but it was always going to keep up with modern ways of communication.
Well done Kings Place and Yoko Ono for embracing haiku, and well done Londoners (and beyond) for joining in with so many enjoyable micro poems! 
all my best,
Alan
http://www.withwords.org.uk
A previously published haiku of mine:
slowing
the French train passes
trees with mistletoe
Alan Summers
- Alan Summers, Bradford on Avon, 29/06/2009 16:16
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48 Hour Strike
London Tube Stop Starts Chaos
People off their Seats
@RiceyC
- Colin Rice, Isleworth, UK, 09/06/2009 21:55
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Summer in the city haiku:
London in grip of
Indolence apathy fear
Polls votes politics
- V Liber, London, 04/06/2009 23:13
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Summer Time
Bare heads in the park
Music blastin after dark
Summer time is here!
- Karinskie, London, England., 04/06/2009 22:01
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1. Night
Mellow velvet nights,
A fat chat over a pint;
Curry or kebab?
2. Street
Flip-flops on white legs,
Cellulite and wife-beaters;
Busy, busy, bees
3. Tube
Muggy velcro licks,
As warm armpits sussurate;
Oh beloved tube
- Cosmo Duff Gordon, London, U.K., 04/06/2009 14:08
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Tony Whitmarsh - Can't you see the guy in the foreground with the bright yellow (Australian?) fleece looking directly at the screen? Must be obscured by the curvature of the Earth I suppose.
cocking his tricorne
the old soldier leaves barracks
new nurse on his arm
- John Hawkhead, Yeovil, 04/06/2009 13:55
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I couldn't help noticing in the photo at the head of this article that none of the people in the picture were actually looking at the haiku displayed on the screen above their heads. Is ths, I wondered, an indication of the true level of interest in this particular piece of artistic frippary?
- Tony Whitmarsh, Melbourne, Australia, 03/06/2009 01:25
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Mist lifts off the old father to welcome the new Day.
- Peter Cooley, London, 02/06/2009 17:47
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Just one hour for lunch!
Dive into green Fitzroy Square
And roast in the sun
- Susan Sarfaty, London, England, 01/06/2009 19:25
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Government doesn't solve our problems, they just rearrange them to thier advantage.
- Ruck, Myrtle Beach SC USA, 01/06/2009 02:12
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An Evening Standard
Read Haikus, Sipping Pimms In...
The Dream of Sunset....
By Colin Rice
@RiceyC
- Colin Rice, Isleworth, UK, 31/05/2009 19:54
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With buttons undone
I walked to Liverpool Street
Sweltering journey home!
- Susan Sarfaty, London, England, 31/05/2009 17:00
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See, hear, smell
Life, breath, human, blink
time, place, local
- Ge, Cornwall, 30/05/2009 21:03
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London shimmers. Gold
The bright sunlight. Finally
Summer shines on us.
- Vivi Roos, weybridge, surrey, 30/05/2009 21:02
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summer wind
a sparrow re-rights itself
at the peanut cage
Alan Summers
http://www.withwords.org.uk
- Alan Summers, Bradford on Avon, 30/05/2009 00:57
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Meltdown on the tube
icecreams trickling down our seats
sticky fingers. yum.
- Vivi Roos, weybridge, surrey, 29/05/2009 22:25
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Opulent palace
throngs at bay by golden gate
Queen vacums bedroom.
- Pedro Roos, weybridge, surrey, 29/05/2009 22:22
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Life is precious, treat it well or it may end before you realise its fragility
- Tony, hastings uk, 29/05/2009 21:50
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Boats bobbing, birds fly
we sunbathe, oblivious
watched by London Eye.
- Vivi Roos, weybridge, surrey, 29/05/2009 16:44
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Our London Eye spins
sparkling in the bright sunshine
smiling silently.
Summer is en route
like the big old bendy bus
red faced and huffing
Taxis dressed in black
scurrying like ants
shimmering.on time in line
wheels screech whistles blow
platform empty then full again
all day ebb and flow
the train arrives
late. the Gheurkhin glowers
bristling and glistening
- Vivi Roos, weybridge, surrey, 29/05/2009 16:34
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Sulphurous cloud over Westminster
palls, the stench fills the air
- Sad But True, Oxfordshire, 29/05/2009 16:10
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rattling tube trains
push wind through the station
her breath on my cheek
spring rain pattering
against the tube train windows
she keeps on talking
on railway tracks
in the silent station
the wrong type of snow
tramp on the platform
sleeping under yesterday's
Financial Times
Deathshead Hawkmoth
in the British Museum
my breath on the glass
city office block
Seventeen storeys up
a single light
late night closing
broken glass in the gutter
reflecting starlight
mist round the street lamp
an orange-grey dream dragon
fading into dawn
morning hangover
the sun flashing from windows
without a warning
- John Hawkhead, Yeovil, England, 28/05/2009 22:15
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Shady parks, cool grass;
Marble floors and secret pools.
Barefooted bliss - ahh!
- Anna Van Boesschoten, Sunbury-on-Thames England, 28/05/2009 17:45
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Laughter, warm and light,
Slips down softly with the sun.
A glittering Thames.
- Anna Van Boesschoten, Sunbury-on-Thames England, 28/05/2009 17:39
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Trudging on the train
to Victoria. Thought I'd
write this aria.
- Rob, Bromley,Kent, 28/05/2009 16:38
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Boats on the river
Honeysuckle in the air
Picnics on the lawn.
- Findatvexpert, London, England, 28/05/2009 16:28
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Miles of glinting tracks
take us to postcard places
sleepy sun beats us home
- Clive Osborne, Weybourne, England, 28/05/2009 14:37
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wake up to live
live to work
work until death and die to rest
- Carlos Corneiro, london england, 28/05/2009 13:51
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I long to get home
via the Peckham bus
I feel like a tourist
- Mark, South-East London, 28/05/2009 09:02
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Drunk chavs
Sleeping in the gutter
Whata night?
- Ge, Cornwall, Nation of, 28/05/2009 08:31
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Mince and tatties
Boiling on an ancient stove
My favourite meal
- Kenny Harris, Caterham. England., 27/05/2009 23:05
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Mellow rays of slanting sun
Light dark bricks
And calm the evening sky
- Sally, London, 27/05/2009 17:10
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Wan eyes next to me
Who be you , my lovely
I sigh fleetingly
- John Jones, Bromley, 27/05/2009 15:43
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We enjoy the warmth
Of sun, people and landscape
This place is for all
- Eddie, London, 27/05/2009 15:12
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Beans, beans,
The musical fruit.
The more you eat the more you toot.
- Richard Evans, UK, 27/05/2009 15:07
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Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal
Plenty of noise
No class like West Ham
- Hackitbs, Brentwood, 27/05/2009 14:48
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Commuting might be
A hellish nightmare, but hey -
At least we’ve got jobs
- Phil, London, 27/05/2009 14:03
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Red red Wine
Goes to MP's head
Make them forget
- Anas, Preston, Kingdon of the free, 27/05/2009 13:55
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failed points, cancelled train
road crash gridlock jam
I grieve, I cry, I commute
- Mr Pastry, Streatham, 27/05/2009 13:47
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"If he's available or not
I just know he wants to play for us
For sure"
H Redknapp, 5 minutes ago
- Joe, Romford, 27/05/2009 13:37
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Love n lust
Full moon bright eyes
be mine tonight
- Ge, Cornwall, 27/05/2009 13:20
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Tottenham Hotspur
Are such a big massive club
Not really a joke
- Stu, Beckton, 27/05/2009 13:13
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The Tube stops again
The driver fails to tell us
why it is is we have halted
- Carl, London, 27/05/2009 13:05
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In the example pictured above, it should be spelt 'divine'.
- Sue R, London, 27/05/2009 12:59
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EDITED by admin @ 8.16 on July 2 2009
Removed at user's request
- Rebecca Woodhead, Cotswolds, England, 27/05/2009 12:58
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Is it me or does the featured haiku not actually following the rules of haiku? It is meant to be 5-7-5, 17 syllables - not 21!
- Rebecca D'Moyes, Reading, 27/05/2009 12:46
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Are we Ida or
Are we evolved primates
Just be cheery
- Gary, Brentwood, 27/05/2009 12:12
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London is a nasty place even under Boris. So glad I left.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 27/05/2009 12:11
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Sad train,
Long tracks of gloomy thoughts through Monday morning blues,
Off to work.
- John Frum, Bracknell, 27/05/2009 11:09
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EDITED by admin @ 8.32am on May 28 2009
Religious/Racial
- Croyboy, Croydon, 27/05/2009 09:24
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