Reader: Love for P

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Love for P

Princess of internet excellent P requested that in exchange for her recent donation to the Nina is orphaned, disinherited and chronically under clouds of bad fortune fund that I write a haiku for the children of Afghanistan. I embraced this challenge with vigor, but found myself struggling with syllable related difficulties. So I composed three.

Afghan children of God
Mittens I would make
Bright colors for you

Smalls of war torn land
Hot sun and terrible noise
Still - be not afraid

Americans love
cheese - do your people make it?
Afghan kids - try it.

Your turn.

In comments, compose a haiku, or tell me which one of my poor attempts pleases* you most.

*Appreciating Lisa and Ingrid and a few other people, initial KP and LW. Do you folks have blogs? If you do, clue me in.

9 comments:

M@ said...: Are you in Afghanistan now? I have a rug from there.; August 16, 2008 at 1:53 PM
utenzi said...: That Paypal interface is slick, Nina. I work with a young doctor from Nepal and I'll focus on his country:

Troubled is Nepal
Years of corruption
lend a summer's stench

Land of elevation
beauty reaches towards stars
humbled by earthly ambition

red flag from afar waves
farmers grumble anew
the future trembles; August 16, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Lisa said...: I just want to give you props for the haiku. I can't think of anything right now with an 8 year old asking me questions about Bratz fashions (for real) and an 11 year old on the other side asking me Webkinz questions. I'm really missing college classes and intelligent conversations at the moment.

I've been thinking about you and hoping you are doing O.K.; August 16, 2008 at 2:58 PM
LizLSB said...: Here's the one I commented you with the other day:

Children want to play
Peace in Kabul is shattered
Scars of war run deep; August 16, 2008 at 3:37 PM
Julie said...: So, wee Afghan Kids
Is your lion okay now?
Please go to the zoo.; August 16, 2008 at 5:01 PM
sybil law said...: This one is my favorite:
Smalls of war torn land
Hot sun and terrible noise
Still - be not afraid
My [bad] attempt:
Afghani children
have the world on their shoulders
too heavy; so strong.
GOD I SUCK! :P; August 17, 2008 at 12:41 AM
P said...: Oh how I love you,
Nina of haiku greatness.
Cheese is what they need.

Perhaps some string cheese
Would make war-torn smalls feel good.
I like how it peels.; August 17, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Kate P said...: Nice job on the haiku.

(P.S. look at my initials.); August 17, 2008 at 12:21 PM
ellie said...: LW = Ellie :)

I hope you're well. You sound better each day.; August 17, 2008 at 7:45 PM

Who are these people?

Bibi - God bless the guy who gets Bee. I can't even think of anything obnoxious to say about her. She can eat pasta without gaining weight, she can run the ridges at Gertrude's Nose with no fear, and she is by miles the best climber of all of us. She's going to Kili with us. Hell, she'll be leading.
Buzz Elder Brother. Cross me at your peril.
Jib computer wizard, entrepreneur, stand-up comedian, stand-up guy I can count on to catch a movie and hold hands in the dark without it having any meaning whatosever. Every woman needs a man like Jib.
Joe - locquacious, flirtatious, 40-something hiking buddy - also, ex-manfriend of Pax.
Larry, WPITW - climber, hiker, badass (not in the good way, either). At a given moment, at least half of us are not speaking to him.
Liam - My nephew, whose favorite words are "noing," "Bobby," "dumptruck," "job-site" and "Daddy." He also says "obstreperous" "pulchritudinous" and "Nina" upon request.
Merry - Australian BFF spends the summers on a yacht, nannying for a celebrity couple with two children. She lives in a brownstone and she has a chauffeur. And we have no idea who she works for.
Newsy has been my friend for about 22,000 hours. Or more. I don't have a calculator. She has about 3423% more professional and personal commitments than I do, and yet she still finds time to think about me. I find this astonishing. If you knew her, you'd be astonished, too.
Pax - climber, hiker, corporate warrior, used to date Joe. Sticks by Larry in spite of his horribleness. None of us understands this.
Skatey- he rides a skateboard. He can dance. He can throw a frisbee and he's not bad at karaoke, either.
Sri - Bengali princess who, aside from kicking my ass at climbing, and aside from being a smokin' hiker, brought down the evil empire of Larry and also once told me that "even girls' are turned on my breasts." Also never turns down "one more round."
Supajewie - Long distance drinking buddy, just about the only person I know who "gets it". And no, she's not Jewish. It's a long story.
Tex - is what happens when you take a normal man, add alcohol, subtract common sense and tact, and then buy him another drink.

English Teacher Disclaimer

I teach English, and I sometimes get a emotional about grammar, punctuation, and usage. I sometimes write posts about other people's grammar - or mine. This does not mean, however, that my blog is without errors. I constantly go back and edit for typos and sometimes even... misspelled words *clutching skull and gagging*. If you find a mistake feel free to call me out on it. I will persist in making mistakes whether I attempt to catch them or not, and I will continue to be my bitchy English teacher self despite my capacity to screw up just as often as the next person... and maybe more.