It is Christmas competition time again in The Irish Times Books Towers and our non-resident wit Kevin McAleer has come up with another ingenious wheeze. (The television reception is notoriously poor in rural Tyrone and don’t even mention broadband.)
The idea is the classical Haiku form seasoned with an ounce of wit, henceforth known as the Funku. (Editor's note: I have checked with the author and the "n" is pronounced.)The classical form must be strictly adhered to: no titles, a total of 17 syllables in three lines of 5-7-5 formation. Any extra syllables will be removed and used as Christmas decorations.
The winning Funku will be published right here as well as a few deserving runners-up. The winner, as chosen by Kevin McAleer, will receive a signed copy of Little John Nee’s book of haikus, The Apocalypse Came on a Friday. Entries should be emailed to bookclub@irishtimes.com by December 31st. Normal Irish Times competition rules apply.
Turbulence shakes the
Jumbo. No panic. No room
in the elephant.
Off to see Peru.
A Machu Picchu haiku
Waiting to happen.
Ah those bedroom eyes.
But on closer inspection
Two small single beds.
Poor old Van the Man
He has taken to the chess.
Woh, here comes the knight.
Wanted. Players for
Last-minute substitutions.
No timewasters please.
Ali Bowie Prince
Castro Wogan Cohen. What's
wrong with these people?
Hi Cuchulainn, man
of few words, you left us one
Long bloody haiku.
Her final request:
'Don't make a poem of this.'
Another failure.
Dilettante poets
Belittling traditional
Syllabics. J'accuse.
