The f/k/a Gang is presented this morning with our first real test since swearing off political punditry on Christmas Eve 2007. As Judgment Junkies trying to control our Advice Addiction, we’re directly faced with an all-important question:
Did we bite off more than we can eschew, when promising to end all commentary on politics and legal ethics at this weblog?
After Barack Obama’s victory last night in the Iowa caucuses [see the Senator’s Victory Speech (Jan. 3, 2007), and David Brooks’ column “Two Earthquakes” (New York Times, Jan. 4, 2007)], we are tempted indeed to make distinctions between positive and negative punditry, or between reporting and commenting on the news. We confess to reviewing some of our prior coverage of Sen. Obama since his amazing speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention — “obama, o mama!” (July 27, 2007); like discussion of Obama on antitrust and immigration; and even our disappointing “inquiry to Obama on Tort Reform” (Aug. 4, 2004). And, we mused over his role in helping to create a Democratic morality and majority. But, we’ve never been able to have just one drink at the punditry bar, so I just put the cork back on that bottle of opine wine.
All we”re going to “say” about the historic political news last night out of Iowa, then, is a reprise of the rather inadequate (but enthusiastic) senryu poem we dashed off on July 27, 2007, after witnessing our first Barack Obama speech:
the skinny guy’s
a heavyweight –
they’re cheering for a lawyer!……………………………………………..by dagosan, 07-27-04
Devoid of punditry, what the heck will the f/k/a Gang post about as we start the New Year? Good question. A heads-up a couple days ago from outside frozen Detroit by our friend Ed Markowski reminded me of a very good place to start 2008: the monthly selection of Haiku in English published in Japan by Mainichi Daily News. Around the first of each month, you’ll find over a dozen previously published haiku — many of them very fine — from around the world at the Mainichi site. Most months, one or more the selected poems will be by members of our f/k/a family of Honored Guests Poets.
I ‘m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I am promising myself to visit the Mainichi haiku webpage early each month in 2008, to find poems worth sharing with our f/k/a readers. Here are haiku by our Honored Guests from the past few months:
– from January 2008 (No. 703)
spring flu —
a dream of swimming
up through new mud………………………… by jim kacian
1 a.m.
the light in an office
on the 33rd floor……………………………. by ed markowki
no verdict
the carpenter’s hand
melts windowfrost
………………………….. peggy willis lyles
light of the half moon
I see my neighbors
are adding a room…………………………………. john stevenson
snow covering things
we see every day —
the fortune left in the cookie……………………………………………… gary hotham (From “Missed Appointment,” Modest Proposal Chapbooks, Pittsburgh, PA, USA)
from I start to judge
the haiku contest entries …
falling leaves…….. George Swede
harbor sunset …
the ruby red
of a maguro filet……………. ed markowski
autumn dusk
a leaf falls into
the sound of grey……………………….. laryalee fraser
old friends —
pines from famous paintings
sway above the ruins………………………… peggy willis lyles
David:
Thanks for repriting Gary’s poems from “Missed Appointment.” I also absolutely love “autumn dusk” by laryalee fraser.
Don Wentworth, “Lilliput Review”
Comment by Don — January 5, 2008 @ 4:48 pm