Book Launch and Haiku

John Marcus Powell launched his book Glorious Babe at Suite Bar last Sunday afternoon. Published by Nemo R. Hill's Exot Books, and designed and illustrated by Julio, the book was celebrated with the artistic respect and warm affection that John Marcus has garnered in years of reading poetry around New York City. Hosted by Cordis Heard and John Foy, the launch was the last installment of the Red Harlem Readers series this season. Nemo led off the reading, followed by Thomas Fucaloro, me, and David Yezzi. As Nemo observed, all of us read a little like John Marcus, so powerful was the influence of the man's voice on us. The original came on stage and read for a most entertaining half-hour.

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I started posting the first two lines of a haiku on Facebook, and invited other people to complete it. The results were certainly interesting.

a tiny leaf drops
into my cup of tea


Gwee Li Sui provided the humorous "I ask for refund"; Eric Norris the witty "like Basho's little frog"; Zhang Jieqiang the luxurious "no need to look up"; Chia Foong Yin the childlike "Splash! Caterpillar!" My attempt:

a tiny leaf drops
into my cup of tea
and then another


The next day I posted two more lines.

under the dry moss
yesterday's rain


Desmond Kon completed it with the excellent "no lovers back home"; Adam Alex Sage the earthy "still tastes of dirt"; Yong Shu Hoong the meta "acerbic subtext." My attempt:

under the dry moss
yesterday's rain
soaks my sneakers


Today's haiku, quite a grotesque one:

a dropped napkin
dabs at the corner
of a field

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