|
Family Relationships in Haiku
We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott
Family is such a heavy emphasis on who we are, how we act, and who we will eventually grow into being. Because of the teachings, advice, and mistakes of our parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins, we choose to either do the same or act out in defiance, promising never to repeat their disasters. Families are like large sample platters of life, encouraging you to try a little of everything before finally deciding what to order as an entrée. It is for this reason I chose to look closer at haiku depicting family relationships and any sort of common theme or idea that they had.
One of the main artists I found to research was Dr. Randy Brooks. In his book School’s Out, he has many haiku speaking of his children and wife and their overall relationship.
pair of robins
in the tall grass . . .
my daughter’s swing slows
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 55
This haiku paints a fairly simple picture of a young girl on a swing, slowing her swing to jump off or simply to stare at the robins. There is a clear sense of curiosity and wonderment from the young girl. But what interested me more about this haiku, is the feeling of an on-looking father. Though there is no mention of said parent in the haiku, because it is from another’s point of view, there is a sense of protection and watching over that is also given.
I found this very common in many haiku about family, especially regarding children, the sense of an over seeing pair of eyes in a comforting way. It seemed to further the overall theme of family, that sense of always watching out and being there for each other, even if just from the porch or inside the screen door.
It also emphasizes the idea that no matter what, you cannot escape your family, whether it be their overlooking eye, or reiterated habits, they stick with you.
Similar to this idea of always being present and over watching, I came across another of Dr. Brooks’ haiku switching family roles this time.
sisters bent over
the heating vent . . .
adult talk below
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 24
I thoroughly enjoyed this haiku because once again it highlights the theme of an ever-present third party, but this time it is the young girls, sneakily listening to their parents. Even though the parents think they are hiding and keeping secrets from their daughters, still there is the ever-present-ness of family, as if they never can fully escape each other.
The third haiku illustrating this theme is another of Dr.Brooks which shows a different type of over-watching feel.
dirt farmer’s wife
at the screen door—
no tractor sound
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 20
This haiku gave the feel of someone still waiting and watching at the screen door, even though the tractor sound has died away and her husband is no where in view, she still remains frozen at the doorway, waiting and hoping.
The next theme of family that I found was that of a sense of comfort, or a feel of supporting each other.
home from the funeral
hands in the dishwater suds
sister-to-sister
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 67
This haiku had a sense of comfort and support between two sisters who have experienced some sort of loss. Whether it was a husband or friend of one sister, or perhaps their father, there is undoubtedly a feel of comfort and safety between the two as they go back to something routine as a symbolic promise of ever lasting support between them.
Similar to this haiku, I also chose one about searching for comfort from family.
In the guest room
where my mother slept
I look for comfort.
Alexis Rotella, The Haiku Anthology, pg 173
This haiku shows a daughter (or son) returning home and longing for that feel of comfort. Going to a place where her mother slept, she searches for her spirit or lasting sense of comfort, simply from her presence.
Similar to that haiku is another by Gary Hotham.
home early—
your empty coat hanger
in the closet
Gary Hotham, The Haiku Anthology, pg 82
This haiku, similar to the first, gives off the feel of someone needing to get home because they need comfort or the feeling of safety at home. They get there early because they simply cannot wait any longer. Whether the empty coat hanger gives them comfort or not is unclear, but either way there is a sense of searching for serenity.
Sometimes it isn’t about the words a family can say, or the way in which they can hold you, but just having them simply being there that gives a feel of comfort and safety. Similar to the idea of ever-present family, we need to know that we can always count on our family and have them be there.
The third theme I found very common in family haiku is that of completion. Families have a way of filling certain holes, adding that last little needed bit to a life, or meshing together with our spirits to almost make us one. It is often without them we don’t feel complete, as if a piece of ourselves is missing. This I found true with haiku as well.
Looking at two very different haiku, it is still obvious that they portray a very central theme of completion.
graduation day
my son & I side by side
knotting our ties
Lee Gurga, The Haiku Anthology, pg 57
the daughter taps flour
into a mixing bowl . . .
mother’s apron tight
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 78
Both of these haiku have something to do with clothing which I found very interesting, since they both have a sense of completion or needing the other. In the first haiku, there is a feel of a father needing to be there for his son. Though the son probably knows how to tie a tie now, he was more than likely taught by his father when he was younger. Had it not been for his father, he would have gone through life tie-less. Perhaps not that dramatic, but his father taught him a life skill that he will use forever. And it is here, on his graduation day that he needs his dad to be with him again, to tie his tie with him, the way he did all those years ago. Not only would his outfit not be complete without the tie his daddy taught him to knot, but it wouldn’t feel right tying it alone.
The second haiku also has the mother’s apron and sense of a mother teaching her daughter a life skill, cooking. Perhaps her mother is overseeing the whole process, or similar to the first, maybe the daughter is grown up and returning home for thanksgiving to help cook. Either way, there is the feel of a lesson taught, and the un-orderly-ness without the parents guidance. Not only would the cooking process be empty with out the apron to tie tight and keep her clean, but also the process would fail to have taken place at all without mother’s cooking lessons.
Another haiku that I enjoyed relating to this theme was another of Brooks’ writings.
big brother’s grin . . .
the last piece of the puzzle
out of his pocket
Brooks, School’s Out, pg 75
This haiku gives the feel of a family game night of some sort, everyone working together to make one beautiful puzzle picture, like the family themselves. Together they all make up one beautiful family, where as alone, they are small, disfigured, colored pieces. The brother having the last piece is symbolic of him being the final piece of the puzzle himself. The soft humor that is present in this haiku of him hiding the last piece until the very end, also is his place in the family. His jokery and humor is the final piece to the family puzzle, without it, it just doesn’t fit together.
The last haiku I found relating this theme was yet another by Dr. Brooks.
mother & child
lie in bed—
rosebud on her breast
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 43
This haiku, unlike the others, has more of a literal sense of completion. Together the baby and mother’s bodies are almost being united as one. Since the baby came from the mother’s womb there is even more a highlighted feel of them being one body. Rosebud gives the idea of new life being birthed from it’s plant. With the mother being the symbolical shrubbery and baby being the newborn bud, it is together that they create the life of the flower.
Finally I wanted to look at family haiku with a less uplifting sense as the others. I wanted to see if haiku of a more depressing sense had the same themes.
after all these years
she asks about her mother . . .
I put on another log
Brooks, School’s Out, pg. 91
I loved this haiku, because despite the feel of loss and hurt that radiates from the missing mother, there is the feel of warmth and comfort given off of the fire. The father is a guiding light and feel of help in this seemingly dark haiku. He has been the one to raise and teach her and give her what she needs. However now, she asks for the missing piece of her life, the answers about her mother. The overall sense of comfort, and completion are there. Also, as the father places the log on the fire, you can sense the young girl’s eyes on him, afraid to remove her stare for fear of losing her chance. Even the over-watching feel is prominent in this haiku.
second husband
painting the fence
the same green
Carol Montgomery, The Haiku Anthology, pg. 123
This haiku once again had the sense of an on-looking family member, watching her second husband repeat the mistakes of the first. There is a sense of worry and fear in this haiku, unlike the prominent feel of comfort and completion. It is tragic because the fence that needs that finishing paint to give closure to the new wife is so close to following through. However, because of his repeated mistake, he paints it the same failing green.
Finally I chose this haiku by Alexis Rotella to examine broken family haiku.
Discussing divorce
he strokes
the lace tablecloth.
Alexis Rotella, The Haiku Anthology, pg 173
This haiku once again takes one of the three themes, being comfort, and highlights it despite the darkness of the haiku. Though the couple is discussing a divorce, there is a soothing feel given by the stoked lace cloth. Lace being fragile, pure covering, it gives a feel of comfort and peace to a nasty situation.
What is interesting however, is when I questioned the author, Dr. Brooks, he seemed to have no intention of portraying any specific themes in his work. As he explained, “I just write in my journal and most of what I write is junk, but sometimes one or two resonate with feelings or insight and have significance that readers might relate to—in other words some reach some universal, human experience level worthy of editing and polishing and submitting for publication. So emerging themes or values are simply from who I am and what I consider worthy to write about. They are not deliberate attempts to ‘write on a theme’ although sometimes I do take up an effort, like writing about things not present.”
According to this idea, there is no rhyme or reason on how to actually write a good family haiku and those themes which stood out to me, are indeed similar themes or ideas important to the authors. As Dr. Brooks further explained when discussing one of his haiku, “I see them in sync with each other, passing the plates from the sink to the drying rack (one with a dish towel) drying off the dishes. They don't have to say anything. They just know they support each other and will continue to coordinate efforts to get things done as needed. I admire that.” Clearly, like many other authors, the sense of support and always being there was something important and haiku worthy to Dr. Brooks, as was to many other authors on the similar subject.
It is clear that when in attempting to create a family haiku, whether it be about broken family, a family made up of three sisters and a grandmother, or a family partaking in some idol task, there needs not to be a theme of comfort, completion, or on-looking, overseeing, members in order to make it successful, but just some over all powerful emotional drive, important value, or note-worthy experience, like most haiku writing, in order to make it touch the readers.
Works cited:
Abbott, Shirley. "Family Quotes." The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. Web. 22 Nov. 2010.
Brooks, Dr. Randy. School's Out. Foster City: Press Here, 1999. Print.
Heuvel, Cor Van Den. The Haiku Anthology. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and, 1999. Print.
|
