Insensitive haiku

I’m insensitive
today, have decided to
be that way today.

– James Steerforth ( © 2010 )

History and postamble
A reading I gave last week was attended by a small crowd including a woman (more of a friend of a friend of my ex-wife’s) I had not seen in more than 10 years. In fact, I only recognized her after she told me who she was. We talked for a while, and eventually she told me she’d been writing haikus lately. I told her I’d been writing a few myself, and that I found it very easy to come up with them. Which caused her to protest. Writing haiku, she said, was not easy at all. It wasn’t all about 5 + 7 + 5 syllables. No, there were lots of other rules & regulations to be observed to write a successful haiku.

Well, I guess I’m too much of an anarchist to get off on a bunch of rules. I’d rather drive them ad absurdum, if anything. And step on some sensitive toes that way, I’m sure. Which is why I wrote this insensitive haiku today (in a matter of seconds, of course). It cannot be mistaken for anything but insensitive and should thus avoid hurting too many toes.

As a general rule, I’d be tempted to proclaim that there are far too many haikus out there, and far too many about awe-striking birches in spring time and other such rule-sanctified topics and feelings.