Nathan Carden • Nate's Haiku •

Bud Goodrich’s Baseball Haiku The author I chose to write about is Arthur (Bud) Goodrich. I had help in selecting this author because I was really interested in baseball haiku; so Dr. Brooks helped me obtain some of his work. Bud Goodrich has been published in a few books, but the one I really looked at most was Past Time Baseball Haiku. I find the poems he writes about baseball very interesting, insightful, and fascinating. The game of baseball is caught up in time. It is America's past time and defines decades and millenniums. Although it takes up precious time, it is timeless and Bud Goodrich really captures the essence of baseball. Even if you’re not passionate about baseball, his work would still appeal to most people. After reading some of Bud Goodrich’s haiku, I have picked up on the liveliness in his haiku that I have not felt as strongly with other authors. His haiku bring simple things like baseball games, nature, family, hockey, football, and funny instances to life and provides a significance to such objects and instances that one may not have recognized. I like how he focuses his work upon events or subjects that pertain to everyday life which all readers can relate to in one way or another. I think his greatest contribution to the haiku community is this focus upon simplicity, and his ability to bring such simplicity to life. The first haiku that attracted me to Bud Goodrich, as I said earlier, was his haiku on baseball. I also liked his work on hockey. I was instantly drawn to his baseball haiku because of the affect baseball has had on my life. I love the sport, and it was the first sport I learned to play, and it has been a part on my life since. His haiku of baseball bring the game to life whether it is through the shoes of a player, coach, umpire, or fan. Liveliness emerges from these haiku sparking fond memories and good feelings. home run trot— the batter's eyes a tape measuring the distance This particular haiku gives a good commentary of someone hitting a homerun and they have that light trot like they know its gone but they want to see how far it goes. I know that feeling personally. It is a great feeling hitting a homerun. Even if you have never felt the feeling, probably everyone alive in the U.S. has seen this happen. Today most could see Sammy Sosa and his homerun trot, or maybe back in the day people imagine Babe Ruth hitting a homerun and trotting along so as to see how far he hit it. It all happens in an instant. There’s a crack of the bat and before he drops the bat he knows it going over the wall, and they just want to see how good of a hit it really was. I like this haiku because it brings the reader in and forces them to feel exactly what its like hitting a home run. It can also be seen through the spectators’ eyes as well. Another favorite baseball haiku of mine from Bud Goodrich is: squeeze play umpire whisk brooming home plate This haiku takes you right into the action. There’s a runner on third, only one out and they need the run. The batter lays a bunt and it’s what is called a squeeze play. The first fielder to get the ball whips it home and it’s always a close play. I really like the last to lines though. The first line sets up the image, but the last two describe what happens after the close play  . . . leaving the rest of the image for you to decide of whether he was safe or out. The umpire brushing off the plate signifies that there was a play at the plate because when a runner slides into home dirt goes everywhere and usually completely covers the plate. This haiku can go many ways for people. An umpire might see this in his eyes, whereas a player or ex-player might see this through the runner or fielders eyes, and a spectator would see it as they where in the stands or watching it on T.V. Goodrich really brings out the joy of watching baseball to life in this haiku. Many great authors often discuss the simple things in life, and Goodrich does just that with great success. The incorporation of everyday life into haikus provides for us an excellent read. One such haiku is: squirrel staring his tail a question mark From this haiku I envisioned myself at my house during late spring when the squirrels are collecting their nuts and the squirrel is on its hind legs just staring at something, and the way its tail hangs looks like a question mark (?). I thought that was a great observation because I had never looked at a squirrel like that. It is simplicity in life readers relate to. I think that readers like poetry they can relate to and I think this particular haiku provides for that opportunity by focusing on a simple, nothing special, image. I also like the humor he finds in sports and writes about. One such example is another favorite of mine goes as follows: “I love You Truly”— organist serenades the penalty box players When I read this haiku I laughed hysterically. I don’t think that there are as many people who have seen a hockey game as compared to baseball but this brings out one of the funnier sides of sports. The organist is almost a comedy routine when they time it right. This example is of two, maybe more, players getting into a fight and receiving time in the penalty box. As they are escorted to the box the organist plays “I love you truly” which is making light of the situation. It’s like having big brother or sister tell you and your brother/sister to kiss and make up after a fight. It really brought out a funny image of the crowd laughing and the hockey players still pissed, which really leads to some good entertainment. Goodrich’s hockey haikus are very fascinating. I really like how he brings this image to life. You can hear the slicing of ice by the skates, players yelling, the whistles, horn, and the cheering (with laughter) of the crowd. Bud Goodrich manages to clearly detail the lives of those whom most people are generally unaware of or cannot easily relate to. He brings the reader into the haiku and attempts to place the reader in the shoes of the individual or individuals he is writing. His haiku tell only a piece of a story, and the reader is responsible for filling in the rest of the detail. His haiku are open-ended and require imagination and some insight from the reader. Another haiku that relates to this is: intentional walk each fan winding up his own boo This haiku really details the fans involvement in the game. Without the fans the game would be nothing. This haiku lets the readers set the picture for themselves. I really liked this haiku because I see a major league game and it’s the home teams best hitter up at bat but there are two outs, runners on second and third, only down by 1. If he gets a hit they will most likely score a run or two. So they intentionally walk him and that sends the crowd booing. You hear a big roar of boos go through the stadium. I think its great how he emphasizes the point of the spectators involvement of the game. He brings you into the mind of the spectator. Several other noteworthy Bud Goodrich haiku are: memorial service— his grandson’s clarinet solo keeping both clarinets alive “Three blind mice”— hockey refereeing crew wave to the organist heavy make-up hiding her age still dining alone my shuffling father forefingering telephones’ empty coin returns Bud Goodrich has made a great contribution to the haiku community. His haiku bring places and objects to life in a way many authors haven’t been able to. Though often bringing simple, nothing special, events, Bud Goodrich brings to life the seemingly meaningless things in the world. He grants significance to what many would call insignificant—baseball, hockey, humor, thoughts. He provides the reader the opportunity for the reader to connect to haiku. That is why Bud Goodrich is a great haiku writer. —Nathan Carden