Sunday, November 9, 2008

Orthodoxes And Paradoxes!

Riverway Street Parallels
Photography: Edward S. Gault

Even though this verse
Has seventeen syllables
-it is not haiku.
x
I wrote half tanka
Then wrote one half the next part
Followed by next half
And continued in this way
Until I got to the en
x
Her smile was friendly,
She looked directly through me
-speaking policy.

In Congress many years,
On the ticket of Values
-feds arrested him.

Wearing a ski mask,
He killed in the name of God
-in hopes of heaven.

Copyright 2008

16 comments:

Jim said...

Very nice, Edward. I was told the last one by a student who was serious. This student liked me very much. He said his if his religion required him to kill (me) if in the name of his religion then he would have to kill me.

Your first is one I should have though of (meaning I like it), do half today, half tomorrow, half the next day, etc, until it is finished.
..

Jim said...

I forgot to mention, thank you for the prompt. I enjoyed playing with paradoxes.
I think I learned as well if I can remember what I learned.
..

barbs.haiku said...

Actually, this was the toughest one for me. The concept of a Paradox makes my brain hurt, Edward!

Beth P. said...

Hi Edward--
Thanks for the prompt and the nice lines!

Makes my brain hurt too, Barb...

Anonymous said...

"He killed in the name of God
-in hopes of heaven'-
_children,women,the old and the sick
_defenceless_killed
in the name of God_which God,what religion-what scripture?..thank u for a wonderful prompt and the thoughts of human sensibilities..

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

O absolutely - how I wish more people would realise that seventeen syllable doth not haiku make.

Well said.

Mandy said...

I totally agree with the first non-haiku and I like your take on the falseness of the politician's smile.

SandyCarlson said...

Edward,
Thanks for the prompt, and thanks for the thought-provoking work here. I suppose we never can finish the task at that rate!

anthonynorth said...

You raise the paradoxical contradiction perfectly. Now, does that sentence make sense?

Anonymous said...

Yes, this prompt was a real brain teaser all right! I like what you did with it.

gautami tripathy said...

That last one is very good and so true.

I liked all...

Thanks or this prompt. I enjoyed writing on it...

Anonymous said...

Some scary,
some in fun,
all good.

Anonymous said...

cool lines and image. :)

Teri said...

Thanks for such a fun prompt! I asked my friends to explain what paradox was and the answer were amazing. I like the poetry.

indicaspecies said...

Nice poetry.

Thanks for an interesting and inspiring prompt that made me participate in OSI.

Cheers!

Tumblewords: said...

Nice work! And thanks for the thoughtful prompt!