Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Haiku Mondays: Inspired by Favorite Song Lyric



Inland empire
ants affect affluence, but
it's all work, no play.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who played this week and to Troll, originator of this here Best Meme Ever, who so kindly hosted while S.B. and I were enjoying a weekend in Southern California to shop until we dropped (our jaws), run the OC Marathon/Half Marathon, and basically wonder at the California dream that seems at once so admirable and yet so dangerously sealed off from the rest of the really real world.

Anyway, those are musings for other posts. And, yes, I'm writing the manager of the Newport Beach Marriott to give him a piece of my mind on the internet debacle AND the fact that we paid $18 a day to park the rental, which we got for $50 for all four days. Madness, I tell you: MADNESS.

Anyway, let's get on with the judging, shall we?

I'll make this short and sweet. Everyone submitted what I can only say are contenda worthy haikus this week, so once again, it comes down to that little extra something, which, I admit, is particular to the particular judge, in this case, Moi, who tends to choose the winner based on how well something both sticks in my head and evokes emotion in my heart.

In this case, it came down to four:

Buzz's

Born on Iron Horse.
To the V-twin thunder roar
Be wild summer knights.

I instantly knew which song he was referring to and as much as I recall my sojourn in South Dakota during Sturgis with horror, I do love riding motorcycles. My father ran through a series of bikes (Triumphs, BSAs, Harleys) when I was in grade school, finally settling on a custom chopper he designed himself and upon which he used to take me and my brother to school. Sans helmet or any other protective gear, I ate more than my fair share of bugs and still bear the faint scar from the exhaust pipe burn, but I loved it. Great, job, Buzz.

K9's

seer of visions
a legend and martyr; shines
exposed in the light

I give Pink Floyd a lot of scheisse for their at times self-indulgent stoner-'tude languidity, but truth be told, they are (were) in many instances utterly brilliant, and this is one of my all time favorite songs, ever. If more haunting lyrics were ever written about life's complex confluence of loss, failed ambition, hubris, and redemption than those contained in "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" I don't know what they are. K9 captured the essence of the song perfectly.

Kim's

"With or Without You"

It's a conundrum;
Staying would mean disaster.
Leaving, just the same.

Yup. A familiar sentiment, perfectly and concisely summed up in a neat little package in that cut to the chase, ah-hah way Kym has when writing haiku. I give U-2 a lot of crap, too, mainly because I find Bono insufferable, but they're responsible for some truly sublime songs, and this is one of them. Kym's haiku pays that sublimity proper homage and as such would have been my winner had it not been for . . .

Fleurdeleo's

Hitchcock cool blonde mom
fights off rage-fueled words like birds
heroine or fool?

Which I chose as the WINNER for this week, because it sums up so perfectly not only her chosen lyric—a reach back into the musical memory banks of the 1990s to Sir Mix A Lot's "I Checks My Bank"—but it astutely ponders the true motivation of one of the most ill-conceived attempts at social control to ever come down the pike in the name of protecting the pwecious chylldrun, Tipper Gore and her army of Jimmy Choo-ed Nazi Mommies otherwise known as the Parents Music Resource Center, or the Big Bad PMRC. My hatred for this and other groups like it (PETA and MADD being just a handful) is legendary and when Tipper first started flapping her mouth at the horror she felt upon listening to Prince's "Darling Nikki," which started the whole kerfuffle, I was all, "Well, then, you dim bulb of a blonde, don't let your kids BUY the thing!" and I wrote her to tell her so. Listen, Party People, it doesn't take a village; it only takes individual parents doing something that I think we have long forgotten in our misguided quest to make the personal political: their fargin' JOB.

Also, I just love the technical aspects of the haiku, everything from comparing Tipper to a cool Hitchcock blonde (an archetype that Hitchcock viewed with both admiration and derision), and the tidy alliteration of "fights off rage-fueled words like birds." Oh, and fool, most definitely fool.

So, Fleurdeleo, you red lipstick wearing, pearl casting chanteuse of the computer keyboard, congrats on your win and let me know where I can send your jar of salsa. You also get the honor of choosing next week's theme and hosting it at your place.

20 comments:

chickory said...

agreed! Fleur's tapping of sound and image and marrying the two in one thought was excellent. I love the idea of tippi as tipper - nice play on the names there, and just know that under that tight tight chignon is a SUPER FREAK. can you imagine having Al Gore's tongue in your mouth? clearly she was insane.

congratulations FluerdeLeo! and Moi, i am DYING to hear your forthcoming epic diss of "california dreaming"

GAG!

Anonymous said...

Poor Kym. She's been in second-place about 5 times. If this was Golf, she'd be atop the money list.

Anonymous said...

Mary Elisabeth Aitcheson Age 20.
Bright, Christian, Republican, Fit and reasonably pretty.

Meets the AlGore at age 21.

Devolves into the TIPPERWHALE by age 30.

There's a lesson there, kids!

moi said...

Chickory: Noooooooooo! Now I have Al Gore's tongue stuck in my head! Yeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww! California. What a concept. And I had an epiphany at Christian Louboutin that shocked even me.

Troll: Kym is a very talented haiku writer and her time will come. Hopefully, when the prize isn't a jar of salsa, ready to send Baby Boy into fits of womb kicking hot, hot, hot.

Troll, Part Deaux: Die Young, Stay Pretty?

Jenny said...

First, Fleur is a gifted writer that is for sure, but I was pulling for Buzz. I liked his wild side coming out.

VERY interested to hear about your ephiany at Louboutin?

czar said...

Congratulations, Fleur, and nice work, Moi. I imagine Fleur's topic will be a head-scratcher.

Buzz Kill said...

I am honored to be in the company of some good haikus this week. Fleurdeleo had me at Hitchcock cool blonde mom.

Moi, you're not suppose to open your mouth when you're riding - tough for a woman I know. Bwahahaha

Many years ago my father was riding his Honda with my little brother (who was maybe 10 at the time) and he insisted on wearing shorts in the summer. He hit some sand in a turn and set the bike down on his leg. He actually had part of the exhaust pipe part number branded into his leg. His arm came down on the mirror and he had several cuts. My brother was ok but by the time he got to the ER, my brother was covered in blood from the old man's cut arm. The ER people came running out and grabbed my brother and left my dad at the curb. Fun stuff.

@Boxer - Do you have a biker babe crush on me? Maybe I'll fix the old sled up and head northwest. Bwahahaha

moi said...

Boxer: Yes, it hit me, like a hammer to the head.

Czar: Might be something to do with red lipstick and/or pearls.

Buzz: Hey, now. I don't talk all that much. Much.

Karl said...

Good afternoon Moi,

Congratulations Fleurdeleo! Although I have to admit until Moi explained I had no idea what it was about. Sorry.

California used to be a really neat place now it's so fruity and nutty, I don't much like to go there anymore. I also find it amazing you can put together this nice write up so quickly. You're definitely the hostess with the mostess.

darkfoam said...

good choices all ..
and tough choices to make, i know.
i wouldn't have been able to pick a winner. on that note i did really like fleur's haiku. congratulations fleur!

Fleurdeleo said...

Oh My God! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!

I just dragged myself in from my first (only) job interview to see this news!!!

I am so honored! And I LOVE salsa! And I can't WAIT to put that cute Haiku badge on my new blog!! (Someone might have to help me if it's complicated.)

First, I must thank the Csar for introducing me to Haiku Monday and to all of you amazing contestants. My horizons have been widened (a little too far, in some cases), which only helps with the haiku writing.

Fleurdeleo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sharon Rudd said...

Excellent entries this week by all, and as always, I am as bowled over by the judging as the contributions!

Definitely looking forward to your post-California post(s), Moi :)

moi said...

Karl: I have very mixed feelings about the place. All that beauty; all those nut jobs.

Foam: It's always a tough field and, again, in many instances I think comes down to the judges' personal likes and dislikes. Which is as fine as way as any to make a pick.

Fleurdeleo: Oh, goody! I hope you like this salsa. If you'd like, email Czar your address and he'll send it along to me and I'll get it out in the mail this week. Hope the job interview is fruitful, and congrats once again!

Eggy: We had some great food. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a lot of photos. I must remember that I now have an iPhone!

Kymical Reactions said...

Congratulations Fleur!!! Your's truly was a wonderfully written haiku. I can't wait to see what topic you choose, and all of the other stuff that goes along with it. :)

Miss Moi, I was seconds, shorter than seconds even, from submitting the following, but I wasn't sure it would fair better than the one I entered.

Death by pretty songs.
My feelings wilt; scars in bloom.
Sounds like Nirvana.

fishy said...

Good job Moi!
I thought Le Fleur's poetry wicked.
Glad the judging was in the hands of a pro.
Horrors! to Chickory for the unwelcome images. Maybe AB will box her ears for all of us.

About the parking fees at the hotel?
I had a fit last month about being charged $15 per day plus taxes to park in the garage of my hotel which was charging hundreds per night per room. I was told this was because the hotel did not own the land the garage was occupying.It did however have internet/web tv and gaming consoles in the rooms. More shocking, a $50 " users fee" for a rental car at the airport. The fee is for picking up and returning a car to the parking garage because ... the land is owned by the airport. Infuriating.

Aunty Belle said...

Ho ho!! Congrats to Fleurdeleo! The very first time Fleur came by, I knowed this wuz a contender--welcome welcome!

@Chickory, very perceptive xtra level of interpretation.

Kym, yores is real good.

Kudos to all the players, an thanky Moi fer a real fun theme.

moi said...

Kym: Oooooo, girl, that one's great, really really great.

Fishy: It's madness, that's for sure. Usually, we stay in a Holiday Inn because we're never in the hotel except to sleep, so who needs the extras? But even a Holiday Inn gives its guests free Internet, free parking, free USA Today, free breakfast, and a free afternoon snack. But we chose the Newport Marriott because it was the host hotel for the race, located right across the street from the start line, and the room rate was reasonable. They also had a spa for a post race massage. So we figured, why not. Why not, indeed. No internet, $18 a day to park, no pre-race dinner, no morning racer's breakfast, and $25 per person to shuttle you back from the finish line. Host hotel, my ass. The only good thing about it is that it was the quietest hotel I've ever slept in.

Aunty: Thanks and I hope you can play next go-round!

Karl said...

Good afternoon Moi,

Hmm, it's Wednesday, I was hoping to see your interpretation of teen movie vixens.

moi said...

Karl: Dang it! I forgot again! I'm moving my stepfather this week and my brain is fried.