Kerry Hammergren • Kerry's Haiku •

The Unique Range of Form in the Haiku of Nick Avis The unique haiku of Nick Avis cover a very broad range of form. He uses the traditional three line form, spacing variations, one line haiku, and visual images in his poetry. He writes a combination of haiku and senryu and explores nature, humans in nature, and human nature. He does not place boundaries on form in his writing; most of his haiku are unconventional and show many dimensions of his creativity. Within his range of form he has a remarkable continuous style, which captures moments with subtle and beautiful words. His ideas are not ambiguous and the reader experiences a clear image from all of his writing. How does Nick Avis stay within his own style of writing, while using such a broad range of form? Nick Avis was born in England and moved to Newfoundland in 1971. He currently practices law in Cornerbrook. With degrees in both law and physics, he is still writes poetry and haiku. He has published books on the subject of law, in addition to his haiku collection entitled, Bending With the Wind, issued in 1993. At poetry conferences in Quebec, Ontario, California, and New York, Nick Avis has given seminars on poetry and readings of his haiku. Living in the beautiful surroundings of Newfoundland has obviously had an effect on Nick Avis’s haiku. Significant haiku moments to in his writing frequently fit under the category of simple beauty and emotions. His descriptions of nature and relationships very real and give a stunning image to the reader. I was first drawn to the haiku of Nick Avis, because of his ventures in form and his focus on relationships. I find that my best work has similar characteristics. However, I have yet to find my own style that allows for such a wide range of form and content, like Nick Avis. Therefore, his haiku are very intriguing and this essay explores his distinctive range in form and his constant style. One important aspect to the range of Nick Avis’s haiku is his organizational style and the form of his entire book. In, Bending With the Wind, his haiku are arranged into 12 groups with a topic heading for each group. For example, each haiku in the section entitled "the birthday cake" relates to a cake. This style reminds me of Rengay, because there is a series of links in each section. The links may be in order of sequence, directly related to the topic heading, or loosely related to the topic heading. I think this organizational style demonstrates Nick Avis’s range of creativity. Here is an example of two haiku from the section entitled "the stone madonna": the monastery wall so cool on our backs we talk of the heat storm clouds gather her face              darkens These two haiku are both related to the subject of "the stone madonna." The first haiku is about the monastery where the stone madonna is located. The image is of two people leaning against a cool wall on a hot day. The break from a walk in the gardens to cool their backs on the stone wall in the shade. I think they are admiring the statue as they stand. The second haiku is clearly about the stone madonna. The storm clouds are creating a shadow over her face. I think it is very interesting how the form of the haiku places emphasis on the word darkens. The haiku makes the readers heart drop when they read the final word and the haiku also "darkens." Both haiku are linked through the broad topic, but vary in form and the two are not directly related. Nick Avis writes many haiku in the traditional three line form, which shows not all his work with form is unbounded. This haiku demonstrates his style and ability to put the reader directly in the moment. This example is one of his best-known romantic haiku: longing to be near her i remember my shirt hanging in her closet The picture I get from this haiku is of a man laying in bed alone for the first time in a very long time. He is desperately longing to be near the woman he loves. He lays there and remembers some of the most special things about their relationship, like how he kept some of his clothes in her closet. He remembers the closeness he had to her and how he felt comfortable enough to hang his shirt in her closet. It is a simple reminder of his sadness. The image in this haiku is reflective of Nick Avis’s style and it is very vivid and clear. In many of Nick Avis’s three line haiku he uses variations in spacing in the lines to amplify the image: the game is over           as floodlights dim                              . . . the stars This image of this haiku drifts from an evening baseball game into the night. Nick Avis uses the spacing to reveal the gradual movement of the image. It is a beautiful transition from the game to the stars. Without the spacing the haiku would not be as effect. I imagine a couple watching the baseball game at the park. They spread out a blanket in left field and had their dinner as a picnic. After the game, they are still talking even after the floodlights dim and the stars come out. The couple does not notice the light changing until they look up and see the millions of stars. pothole puddle a robin           bathes in the blue sky This haiku uses spacing to actually form the circular pothole puddle. The image I get from the haiku is of the morning after a heavy spring rain. A tiny robin is happily swimming in a pothole puddle. Every time a car approaches the robin jumps out of the puddle and after it passes it jumps back into the puddle.This haiku is an example of Nick Avis’s nature haiku. Nick Avis demonstrates his range of form with his many one line haiku. Here are three examples:   in my neon dreams the motel vacancy sign says yes   The vivid colors and images in the haiku follow Nick Avis’s style. I picture a man having a dream about wanting to spend the night with a woman. In his dream he sees a motel with vacancy. The man probably does not care about the quality of the motel. I imagine the man in dreaming of a rundown motel with a bright neon red sign blinking on and off. Some readers get the image of this scene being in reality, however I see it as a man having a dream. I think it is very interesting how the vacancy sign is personified and almost speaks to the person in the haiku.   spring horizon        a distant sailboat rocks in the dawn   This haiku has the kind of beautiful image, which is so characteristic of Nick Avis’s writing. I picture a person who went to watch the sunrise on the beach. They look far out in the distance and see a sailboat just before the curve of the horizon. It is peacefully rocking on the water where it has been all night long. The overall feeling of the haiku is tranquility and it is very calming to read. This haiku uses a space to separate the images. I think it adds to the haiku, because the reader pauses before they discover what is on the spring horizon.   liptoliptulips   This one line haiku shows Nick Avis’s creativity in style. He uses no spaces and a very simple phrase to create a very colorful image. The word link gives the reader the image of a couple lip to lip in a field of beautiful tulips. This is my one of my favorite haiku of Nick Avis. The most interesting distinction of form in Nick Avis’s haiku is his visual imagery using words. He takes the words of the haiku and arranges them into a visual image of the words. Above all, this demonstrates his creativity in form and individual style. Here are two examples: november wind the mailbox           e           m           p           t           y This haiku is the visual image of a mailbox, while the content is about a mailbox. Also, the word empty goes downward, which is similar to the feelings of the speaker. The form adds a large amount to this simple haiku. Simply the creativity of the haiku makes the reader stop and think. I imagine an old woman who can barely walk venturing down the long driveway to her mailbox. The November wind is frigid and she only has a shawl to cover her shoulders. Her anticipation builds as she slowly approaches the mailbox. She opens it and peers in, again there is nothing inside and she turns around to walk back to her house. I think this in one of Nick Avis’s most creative haiku. The variation in form is complex and visually beautiful. The haiku is only one word, daffodil, but the imagination in the form makes the reader look at the image over and over again. Nick Avis writes many haiku in this style and each one makes the reader appreciate the time and effort he puts into his work. In conclusion, Nick Avis uses his broad range of form to show his individual style and creativity. Each of his haiku is greater enhanced by his imaginative use of form. Through Nick Avis’s diversity in form, his ability to create beautiful images is revealed. His traditional three line haiku, spacing variations, one line haiku, and visual images are examples of his broad range. I think Nick Avis is one of the most innovative haiku authors of our time. His success with freedom of form should encourage other haiku writers to expand beyond their boundaries and explore their creativity. —Kerry Hammergren