General Common Room

WHR January 2016

GCR (General Common Room)

A short essay by Jesus Chameleon

“ Contemporary Haijin”

Land of the rising sun. And, now, the English world evolving in translation. Each season is filled with thematic conditions of brevity, mostly restricted to showing yearly circumstances and events unfolding as they normally and naturally do.

Haijin. The writers of these terse things called a short form poem or haiku. The most famous haijin in contemporary times might be difficult to easily determine. Famous haijin? The now times. The hip times! From a list of favorites, suggestions might include: an'ya, Linda Papanicolaou, Marie Marshall, or Terri French. Others might fight for Susumu Takiguchi, Kuniharu Shimizu, or Gabriel Sawicki, as the best poets. Still others might offer a favorite Indian, or South-Central Asian superstar of the short form like Sonam Chhoki.

Etiquette is what is lacking with so many in the short form. This is, of course, reserved only to the opinion of a mere writer. Very few poets of the short form seem to get along and each reserves personal criticism that still might require mending. One about helping out. Another about leaving things along. As an example, an editor like Takiguchi has the right idea about the direction of haiku that—in the very least—is likeable.

In any case, each poet has favorites, as mentioned above. But, for now, there can be no telling the singular most favorite haijin from the least most favorite one. It is not about the sort of thing that is immoral, anyway. Certainly, in any case, the favorite haijin knows Japan well and embraces conditions that affect a singular nation with an extremely complex psyche in translation.

haijin poet

highest virtue exudes from

brevity

short form poetry

the extra beats count

in English

translated tanshi

western writing occurs in

the best world lit