Michele LaBrose • Michele's Haiku •

Carol Montgomery At Home with Her Haiku What is it that draws readers of all backgrounds to Carol Montgomery’s poetry? How can one author’s haiku attract so many? For me, it was her spirit that is so prevalent in her haiku. As a modern day poet she captures the everyday ins and outs of life. Her content is usually easy to relate to while at the same time containing a deeper meaning than most would think possible. Her focus on home and family show in her work and that is why I in particular, am attracted to it. Most of her haiku follow rather traditional style yet she sometimes explores with spacing and punctuation. Some times she is part of the haiku, other times she is simply observing. Her haiku have a consistency in the sense that they are typically read with similar degrees of emotions. Despite this, they remain unique and moving all the same. I was able to find little information regarding her personal life. Carol Montgomery tends to focus on family and marriage however, which leads me to believe that these are things she values in her life. Occasionally she will deal with pets but it is always made clear that the animals belong to someone. She focuses on the minute details that we often overlook in life as well as the simple occurrences on which we typically place little or no meaning at all. Her attitude towards the subjects in her work is one of respect. Even when somewhat negative situations are portrayed, Montgomery does not put a negative light directly on any one person, place, or thing in her haiku. While she does make occasional use of nature, she most often focuses on people. Her use of irony is used amazingly well and stirs up a vast range of thoughts in her readers. The majority of her haiku are done in three lines. Dashes and commas are her most commonly used punctuation. Most of the actions in her haiku take place on the second line. Word links are probably her most commonly used linking strategy, although she uses others as well. She does not seem to write senryu, but instead keeps a more real feeling within her work. Her poems are consistently thought provoking. As you read one and stop to think about it, you are inspired to hear what she has to say in the next. The following are a few of my favorite by Carol Montgomery: second husband painting the fence the same green This haiku is a classic example of work. Her subject is a person, more importantly, a loved one. At first it merely describes a scene that you might see on any given day. But something about it makes you stop and think. The irony is almost humorous but not quite seynru quality. While reading this one may picture a man painting a fence outside a home in a little town while children ride their bikes past him on the sidewalk. But the fact that this man is the “second” husband lets us know that this scene may not have always been a peaceful one. This man has replaced someone else for reasons unknown. Yet he follows in the former husband’s footsteps by painting the fence the same color green again. Is round two of marriage for this woman really going to be any better than the first? Has she really found someone different? You can almost feel a little bit of fear in the voice of this haiku. Whoever’s husband this is, is obviously noticing the similarities he has to her first husband. But then again, this may not be a bad thing. Perhaps she is widowed and is looking for someone to be like her first husband. Maybe she finds peace in the fact that this man is painting the fence the same color. This type of openness is what I like best about her work. The reader may take the haiku in whichever direction he or she likes. small child afraid to throw away his Church Bulletin Here again Montgomery is able to capture a simple image that anyone might see on any given Sunday. When I read this haiku, I am immediately placed near a young boy who is hesitating on whether or not to toss his bulletin. It is an adorable thought, that perhaps this child is afraid to throw away the bulletin because he got it from church. Maybe he thinks it is like throwing away God or a gift from God. I can feel the confusion in him, seeing as he probably just came from or is leaving church. For a small child, trying to understand church and what is happening and what it all means is an incredibly complicated task. Any wrong move and you’re hushed by adults or scolded for being disrespectful. Maybe this poor child is just afraid to throw away the bulletin because his parents will scold him for it. Yet if he asks whether or not to toss it, they may still scold him anyway. I like the humble innocence that is captured by this haiku. the aging beauty having her knee x-rayed points her toe One thing I admire most about carol Montgomery’s work is her ability to go from young subjects to older ones without losing any meaning. This haiku to me is about aging gracefully. I like how she lets the reader know that the woman is elderly, yet still beautiful. I picture a woman who was beautiful when she was young and is now growing old, but hasn’t lost any of her grace. Perhaps she was a dancer and years of ballet have worn her knees. As she goes in for x-rays, she points her toe-half on purpose, half on accident. Part of her is still trying to show that she is beautiful and graceful, yet another part of her does it automatically, simply because she always has. The peace and beauty I see in this aging woman, makes me feel that although old age may bring some difficulties, it doesn’t mean that it will change who I am. hearing us argue, our old dog tiptoes past her empty water bowl As an animal lover, especially of dogs, I enjoy this poem very much. It brings me into a kitchen where a couple is arguing over something not too serious, yet both partners are in heated debate. I can see the dog watching them and growing bored of their nonsense. I like the word tiptoes because when I read it, I can actually hear the clicking of the dog’s nails on the tile floor. As she goes past, the couple stops and sees her walk away. While I wouldn’t consider this haiku seynru, it does bring a smile to my face. I like how the dog is given the role of the “adult” so to speak. The dog knows the argument is pointless and not worth her time. She really just wants some water and hopes they stop arguing soon enough to notice that her dish is empty. Her empty water dish reminds us that there are more important things in life than arguments. This haiku makes the old dog come off as wiser than her owners, which is many times true! in my silver wedding shoes . . . spider webs I particularly like this haiku because the connotation is so unclear. It could be that her marriage has grown old, now even her shoes are covered with spider webs. Maybe it is implying that the marriage is boring and insignificant. But I prefer to think of it in a more positive light. After all her shoes are still silver, maybe playing on a silver wedding anniversary, they have not faded. And the spider webs may be used only to show that the marriage has lasted that long and that things are settled in peacefully. old woman, wrapping her cat’s gifts —centering the bows Like so many other of Montgomery’s works, this haiku could be seen in several lights. It appears melancholy that an elderly woman spends so much time wrapping presents for her cat who is seemingly her only companion. The time and effort she puts into getting the bows just right tell us how much time she has on her hands. We could easily pity this old woman. Or we could be happy for her. Many people do not even have a pet to keep them company. At least she has her cat. And for all we know, maybe she enjoys doing this for her cat. I’m sure many people would love to be able to have enough free time to wrap presents for their pets so diligently. Either way I think about it, I still want to give this old woman a hug! summer night newly-weds cutting shelfpaper —their bright light I love the image I get when I read this haiku. I see a dark neighborhood on a summer night. Everyone has gone to bed; no more children play outside. Then I see one window aglow. Inside a warm feeling comes over me as I see a young couple laughing as they cut shelfpaper for their new kitchen. They have just moved into their first home together and are anxious to get it set up. In them, I see hope, love, and the future. I really enjoy the word link in this poem too. The way night rhymes with light helps the haiku flow and makes it sound smooth and clear, like the night I picture. —Michele LaBrose Sources Montgomery, C. (1999). In C. Van den Heuvel(Eds.), The Haiku Anthology (pp.122- 123). New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. The Haiku Society of America (2003). from http://www.hsa-haiku.org/haiku-henderson.htm