| The
most intriguing aspect of haiku is that it can virtually express
any emotion I am feeling or depict any moment I experience.
This is the essence of my haiku. The following pieces take you
on a journey through 21 years of ups and downs, highs and lows.
I hope you enjoy reading my haiku, senryu, rengay, and haibun
as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Reader's
Response
Many
of the greatest published haiku reflect real incidents and
personal encounters of the author, invoking clear and realistic
images in the minds of the audience. The diverse haiku and
senryu written by Shannon Kroner are no different. Shannon
has the natural ability to capture moments common in her life
and then cleverly relay her memories to the readers allowing
them to interpret the words in application to their own lives.
Whether the main image be a budding flower, a shiny new truck
or even a sly smile, she is able to entrance the reader, flooding
them with memories of their past.
Shannon
enjoys writing haiku and senryu based upon her experiences
with the early stages of being in love. More specifically,
she focuses on moments of innocence of dating that young people
take pleasure in. One of her most memorable haiku speaks of
a couple’s first kiss and signifies the beauty and innocence
of the moment:
shivering
embrace
from
the cold night rain
first
kiss
I
am familiar with the background of this haiku, making it easier
for me to visualize the experience Shannon is trying to convey.
However, it is very easy to develop one’s own image and
scenario without knowing the intimate details of the situation.
By keeping the wording impersonal, she is allowing the reader
to produce his/her own portrait of the young lovers’
first kiss. This magical moment is something that almost anyone
can recall—a great topic for a haiku. Another haiku by
Shannon that demonstrates the innocence of young lovers occurs
on a typical date:
crowded
movie theater
his
hand
inches
towards mine
I
absolutely love this haiku! I can almost feel the shyness
of the couple and the excitement the girl feels as her date
tries to subtly reach for her hand. The picture here is clear
and perfect and makes me smile.
Some
of Shannon’s most beautiful and meaningful haiku and
senryu focus around the most significant people in her life—her
family. The haiku she writes about her mother and father are
obvious demonstrations of the love she has for them. One of
my personal favorites ties together the beauty of a flower
and the beauty she sees in her mother:
carnations
in
the crystal vase
mom’s
favorite
This
haiku provides the reader with a soft, sincere image of a
beautiful array of carnations. By putting her mother in the
scene, Shannon is showing the beauty and love she feels for
her mom. Several of her senryu about her family highlight
the fears she has that something might happen to her parents:
sirens
sounding
in
the distance
dad
still isn’t home |
watching
mom in the chair
I
scream for help—
heart
attack |
Each
of these senryu caused me to feel that sudden scare and paranoia
that something has happened in her past. I can only imagine
the fear and anxiety I would encounter if witnessing my mother
having a heart attack.
Besides
writing about her family, Shannon also has a tendency to focus
on current situations and occurrences in college, especially
her studies. These haiku and senryu are probably some of the
easiest ones for her classmates to relate to. One of my personal
favorites is as follows:
the
"to do" list
on
my dresser . . .
I
go to sleep
This
senryu seems to be the story of every college student’s
life. There are simply not enough hours in the day sometimes.
With all of the class work, homework, group projects, meetings,
etc. that college students have, it is sometimes difficult
to completely fulfill a to-do list and the temptation to simply
go to bed is hard to ignore. Shannon captures this realization
very nicely. The format and structure that she uses to print
this senryu makes it even more effective. A similar senryu
that focuses more on procrastination and the stress of a late
night follows:
4
a.m.
first
look
at
the study guide
Overall,
I think that Shannon has progressed dramatically as a haiku
writer. Her collection shows the variety and depth she reaches
in this simple form of poetry. I genuinely enjoy reading her
haiku for the beauty and truth that they contain.
Your
number one fan,
Alexis M. Iffert
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