A friend of mine insists that we all–all!–carry around loads of disfunctionality and depression. He says those who deny this are simply those who carry it at an unconscious level, so, of course, they don’t know they’re doing it. Another friend is more likely to say, “Yeah, whatever. Let’s fix whatever’s broken, then go for a bike ride.” Me? I make photogrphs and write.
The recent transition from winter to spring has been very fruitful for my photography and writing, some of which I share with you here. First the snaps: all are multilevel images offering subjects behind glass along with reflections on the glass. Some are subtle like dirt smears and ceiling lights in the image below:
This one juxtaposes contemporary fashion with both old and new architecture.
An empty storefront with a mirror reflecting the avenue it fronts.
After school at Starbucks.
A Chinatown meat market.
Two new portraits of friends in which I give more respect to environment. First Mike:
Then Bill:
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The haiku are done following–as best I can–the wonderfully flexible guidelines of English Language Haiku (ELH). Like the Japanese style, the aim remains to portray a situation which has stirred feelings–not to name those feelings. Thus the writer presents an opportunity for readers to access their own reactions. ELH does not follow the Japanese conventions of three lines arranged in syllable counts of five, seven and five. Nor does it demand a seasonal reference or consign haikus involving human presence to a separate and inferior category. Finally, there is no consensus among the ELH folks as to punctuation or capitalization. Here are a few from my first attempts:
cycling alone
not far, not fast
just riding
*****
Look, she grins
kneeling in the snow
daffodils
*****
paper crinkles
somewhere in the library
the smell of garlic
*****
spring–
tattoos appear
on the avenue
*****
barroom laughter
spills onto the avenue
midnight
*****
Perhaps you’d like to give it a try or two? If so, please enter them by clicking Comments below.
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