Thursday, November 09, 2017

Poetry Friday -- If Truth Be Told


Unsplash photo by Charles Deluvio

I'm the type
who'd rather have dumplings
than blossoms

Issa, 1814




Unsplash photo by nabil boukala


I'm the type
who'd rather have breakfast
than cocktails

Mary Lee Hahn, 2017






I'm the type
who'd rather have sunflowers
than roses

Mary Lee Hahn, 2017







I'm the type
who'd rather have bikeways
than freeways

Mary Lee Hahn, 2017




I couldn't resist using Issa's haiku as a mentor text. It's so unlike any other Issa haiku that I've received in my email inbox via Daily Issa. 

What type are you? What can you learn about yourself through your "rather haves?"

And how perfect is it that Jama, author of DUMPLING SOUP, is our Poetry Friday hostess today? Head over to Jama's Alphabet Soup and check out the drool-worthy doughnuts and accompanying poem.


22 comments:

  1. Oh, I love all of these. What an unusual Issa haiku! Glad you shared it -- now I like him even more. :) I'm so with you on the breakfast rather than cocktails, too.

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  2. What a perfect mentor poem! A great one to play with. And now to check out Daily Issa.

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  3. Love this "form," Mary Lee! Like Jama, I'm with you re: breakfast. Strangely, I'm the type/who'd rather have rain/than an umbrella.

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  4. It is a perfect mentor, Mary Lee. I'm the type/who'd rather have outdoors/than indoors." Thanks for making us think about our 'rathers'!

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  5. Now I'm craving waffles with syrup! :)

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  6. I love all of these--and want to try a few myself. I've enjoyed getting the Daily Issa, too.

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  7. I'm with you--on all three! Thanks for these haikus that made me smile.

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  8. These are such fun! What a great Issa haiku and a perfect mentor poem. I'm with you on two out of three of your "rather" haikus--The cocktail one depends on the day! lol

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  9. This is great! I am going to try this as a mentor text, too!

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  10. Yes to two of yours here, though I do like both sunflowers and roses, a hard toss up. Thanks for these fun haikus Mary Lee. I'm the type/who'd rather have paint brushes/than a drink.

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  11. I love these and I love Issa!

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  12. I'm with you on the breakfast and sunflowers, but instead of freeways, I'd prefer a walkway. (I've had too many bike near-misses on railtrails!) Great post, today!

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  13. I'm the type
    who'd rather get up early
    than stay up late

    Lovely photos, ML. See you soon!

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  14. LOVE, Mary Lee - These are terrific, and I was smitten with that Daily Issa poem too.
    I just came from your 'repository' site and left this one:

    I'm the type
    who'd rather have haiku
    than dissertations

    ;0)

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  15. I love dumplings, and Issa's poem, too. And your responses are sooo clever.

    I'me the type
    who'd rather have poetry
    than mathematics

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  16. What a great exercise to do with students, too!

    I'm the type
    who'd rather have arms open
    than hearts closed.

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  17. I like yours and the ones in your comments. I'll leave one, too.

    I'm the type
    who'd rather read
    than party

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  18. Just had to stop by to read the comments because I knew there would be many other I'm the type responses.
    I'm the type
    who'd rather wear PJs
    than an evening gown.

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  19. I need to try this first line.

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  20. I'm the type
    who'd rather greet morning
    than midnight

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  21. On the daily commute, during meals, or at bedtime, my son loves to ask "Would you rather...?" questions to his family. I can't wait to share this little poem structure with him.

    I'm the type
    who'd rather have books
    than movies.

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