f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

Earlier this week, f/k/a presented two sneak previews of the haiku

of Andrew Riutta.  One reason should be obvious, once you read his 

poetry: haikuEsq was too excited about having Andrew’s work on

this humble website to wait for a formal introductory post.  The other

reason for putting off an introduction is perhaps a little less obvious:

haikuEsq is trained as a lawyer, not a literary critic, and he’s been

having a hard time finding the right words to explain what makes

Andrew’s haiku stand out — for both their excellence and their unique

voice. 

Our other alter ego dagosan put it like this:  When I

see most high-quality haiku, I allow myself the conceit of

thinking “I could have written that (at least with a lot more

practice).”  With Riutta’s haiku, I often sigh, “I never

would have seen that connection, or said so much

with so few words.”

“RiuttaA”  In an interview with the poet-editor Robert Wilson, in the

Summer 2005 edition of Wilson’s Simply Haiku Magazine, we get

a glimpse of Andrew that helps explain his art and craft — and allows

him to provide the words haikuEsq hasn’t yet found.  Asked which poets

have influenced him, Andrew includes Ralph Waldo Emerson, saying: 

“One of the quotes that has become one of my templates is by Emerson:

‘Step out of the house to see the moon and it is mere tinsel; it will not

please as when its light shines upon your necessary journey’.”

 

When asked his goals, he explains:

Since I am rather new to all of this, my goals still consist

of attempting to give that which seems to have very little

voice in our world, a voice: the bond and the distance between

humanity and the world in which it lives. Ultimately we are all

moving in the same direction, and yet so very few people you

meet are willing to acknowledge this fact.  I want to continue to

notice and write about the little moments that depict this scenario.

Then, after saying that he would like to help people develop their own voices,

Andrew reveals a longterm goal (that resonates with this weblog’s Editor):

There’s also a part of me that would love to help haiku appeal

to those who may not be interested in it because they believe

that it conveys that which is already obvious. I would like to

help people recognize that each of us is participating in all

these moments, and therefore, each of us has the depth to

be able to perceive them in a manner that no one else can.

 

                                                                                 

Juxtaposing emotion (often conflict) with the natural world around us,

Andrew writes haiku that create a mood with a simple image and a

human connection.   He tells us he will “always be a newcomer” to

haiku, because “Every day is a new day.”  That’s not a cliche for

Andrew; it’s the attitude that makes his poetry alive, with real moments

and mood, not contrived ones.

 

Enough introduction.  Here’s another course in the ongoing feast that

Andrew Riutta has generously allowed f/k/a to share with you.  You can

find links to posts that feature his work on his archive page.

 

 

 

 

quiet lake—
all these years
he has held his breath

 

 

 

 

summer:
I leave it to die
in the pasture

 

 

 

 

 

the silver leaves
that were once my life—
autumn wind

 

 

 

every time
a child blinks…
another dandelion
 

 

                                               

 

driftwood…
such a long way
to stillness

 

 

 

 

leafless trees—
an old man stares at himself
in the river

 

  Andrew Riutta from Simply Haiku (Autumn 2005)

 

 

p.s.   Those who like biographical information, should know that Andrew 

Riutta lives in northern Michigan, along with his wife, Lori, and their four-year

old daughter, Issabella (gotta love that name!).  [Her first published haiku

appeared in the Spring 2005 edition of Canadian Zen Haiku.]

 

Andrew grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, surrounded by freighters

and agates; orchards and farms. When not writing or reading poetry, Andrew

loves to sew hand-stitched bags out of canvas and leather. He also loves

listening to wide band and shortwave radio. Mostly, he loves “learning from

his daughter about the world.”