WESTERN HAIKU, KEROUAC STYLE

Jack Kerouac in his "Explanatory Note" to "Some Western Haikus," proposed a way to write haiku in Western languages:

The "Haiku" was invented and developed over hundreds of years in Japan to be a complete poem in seventeen syllables and to pack in a whole vision of life in three short lines. A "Western Haiku" need not concern itself with the seventeen syllables since Western lan- guages cannot adapt themselves to the fluid syllabic Japanese. I propose the "Western Haiku" simply say a lot in three short lines in any Western language. Above all, a Haiku must be very simple and free of all poetic trickery and make a little picture and yet be as airy and graceful as a Vivaldi Pastorella.

The above quote is from Scattered Poems, San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1971.

Like Keruoac once said, I believe the haiku form as translated into the American idiom doesn't necessarily strictly adhere to the syllabic conventions. The key is to go for that three line combination punch: whap, whup, blap! Usually, give or take a few syllables, I come close to copping a haiku feel. Here's a few such combos, the first is old, the others brand new. I've added titles for an extra western flavor.