a jackdaw’s viewpoint
surveying, head tilted down
shrieking in judgement
I always think there is something lawful about crows, the way they strut around and examine you forensically. They have a judgemental air about them. Stick them in a curly wig and give them a courtroom!
a leaping fish breaks
through the ceiling of heaven
and gasps at his world
Was at Box End Lake near Bedford. Beautiful warm evening. Watched Deb and Neil swim, then just watched the stillness of the lake at sunset when they disappeared to the far end. I noticed fish were leaping out of the water, twisting in mid air then flopping back in.
I know, I know, more lazy anthropomorphism. I’m giving a fish a concept of self, world and desire for adventure in this Haiku, but have you ever interviewed a fish? You might be surprised.
However, a more plausible explanation for this behaviour is they might have been trying to escape from the alpha hunter in the lake, big bruising Pike live in it. Mind your toes!
My pic from Box End.
with tongue flick eye blink
a snake in commuter grass
fang strike seat secured
I find the whole experience of commuting deeply unpleasant. It just highlights to me how self centred humanity is, or perhaps has become. The rush onto the train to grab what few seats remain, which although in isolation appears just a minor act, is fulfilled with such fervour and foaming mad intensity, that is genuinely unsettles me.
It just stinks of selfish competitiveness. The beady eyed horrible passengers reek. I don’t want to be near them.
People are ugly on the inside. I was looking round the carriage, people smacking gum, reading the newspaper, playing on their phones and I felt like shouting “WHY DON’T YOU ALL FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!” which in itself amused me, as I’d labelled all of my fellow passengers as filth, which is clearly ridiculous, I’m sure someone was looking at me thinking the same thing. Luckily I’m far too polite and law abiding to ever have a Falling Down style meltdown :)
The Haiku I’ve written kind of pisses me off too, as I’ve anthropomorphised snakes, giving them values which only we humans possess. They’re just living their lives, trying to survive. It’s weird how we detach our own character flaws and offload them on animals or aliens in writing, to make ourselves feel better. The bible has a lot to answer for. Snakes have been persecuted for thousands of years. Yet we continue to assign morality and values to creatures who have no concept of them. This isn’t particularly fair!
