Reflections on the Sky-ku Challenge

I loved the variety of this challenge.

I had lots of reads to catch up on, so, selfishly, I also loved that I could return a read so quickly. If not for the glut of haikus, I might not have caught up.

There were lots of humourous pieces, juxtaposed against pieces expressing great loss. That's where they go, right? Our loved ones. To Heaven. To the sky. I think, being an overly pragmatic (bordering on the downright dull) sort of soul-less, romantic fudge-wit who doesn't personally share this belief, I really didn't see that coming.

I love that we all tried to condense something so wide we can't contain it, or barely fathom it inside our heads... to seventeen syllables. Oh, Vocal, you scamp!

My entries

There were 1588 entries to this challenge. 4 of them were mine. Here they are in order of posting:

Nebula

This was just a spot of fun, really. If there is a God, I like to think of him as a little like the mother in E.T., but with an artistic streak a mile wide. I imagine him (or her) up there experimenting with colours on a gigantic cosmic canvas. Joyfully splattering orange all over the clouds twice a day. Expansive doodling on the edge of the universe. Unique works every time. So completely absorbed in the task that all the suffering and injustice down here goes pretty much fully unnoticed.

sky poet (eagles can suck it)

I can think of nothing more fitting for a skyku than the red kite. He really is a poet of the sky.

If you have never seen them showcasing their mastery of the sky, the way they can swoop and change direction so quickly... I don't think my humble poem even begins to convey it. You must just see it for yourself.

They used to be common in this country, but they were seen as vermin, and they were also killed for the taxidermy trade. Egg collecting didn't help either. They were extinct in England and Scotland for a long time. There were a handful in Wales, but not enough to repopulate. Back in the 90s, in my childhood, they were reintroduced by bringing over birds from Spain. Now there are quite a few in the countryside. If I see one, I never fail to stop and watch his flight; a little slice of triumph.

We have a lot of kites near here, so this is personal to me. My dad loved birds, and he was always deeply impressed by the red kite. This has surely left an impression on me as well. When I see their curved wings and distinctive tail cutting through the sky, I am always awestruck. This bird is where the savagery and beauty of nature meet in a perfect storm of striking feathers. Writing this, I could feel his yellow eyes boring into me, and hear his call piercing the air.

I am confident I've failed to capture even a fraction of all this in these few lines, but it's nice to have aspirations.

#

carried away

This is based on a true story. I was mortified at the time, and still feel guilty enough that I've never attempted to fly a kite since. It wasn't even me flying it.

Remembering it, I can't stop laughing. The kid was fine, by the way. Scared the bejesus out of him, but he was unhurt. His mother was furious, though. I thought she was going to chase us off the beach. (Really. Stop laughing.)

#

objects viewed from under a small woolly bobble hat may appear closer than they are

As a kid, it felt like I could reach out and pluck a star from the sky. They felt so close! The same is surely true of many things (your dreams often feel more achievable as a child, too, I think).

Shout outs

Here are a few from other writers that I enjoyed tremendously:

Loss, longing, and love. Beautiful:

The story behind this one is so sweet! Infused with child's wonder and imagination:

One of my favourites! If this one doesn't place, I'll eat my sock:

Paul is never one to be shy of tackling current issues:

Absolutely thrilled to see someone else wrote about the red kite!

+

Thank you for reading.

If you have an entry to this challenge that you're especially pleased with and I haven't seen, please leave me a link to it in the comments!