Tuesday Poem: Café haiku
February 25, 2014
Umbrellas cup us
in upside down khaki
we sip browner rain
P.S. Cottier
That photograph is of the view of and from Tilley’s, which is less than a five minute walk from my house. When not trapped in the spider’s web of editing, I fly down and write there.
Here, for example, is a draft of this very poem, written at Tilley’s:
I had never thought before I started writing how the ‘U’ at the beginning of umbrella looks like an umbrella blown inside out. Small step from there to coffee cup, really. (And yes, I realise that those umbrellas are not khaki! Also that ‘in upside down’ is a little clumsy. But it reminds me of a blown umbrella, somehow.)
I am longing to be back with my writing routine, away from the exigencies of editing poets’ biographical notes for The Stars Like Sand. I am not really given to minimalism in poetry, and want the time to sprawl over several stanzas. I am sure the my fellow editor Tim Jones feels the same way in regard to wanting more writing time, although he seems to be involved in a myriad of other activities as well.
For me at the moment it’s edit, gym, drink.
Interspersed with the occasional coffee.
Click this feather and see if they make good coffee in New Zealand:
PS Cottier 
I love haiku – they’re like iPhone photos! I also enjoyed seeing the rough draft. A great idea!
Thanks Catherine, though I tend towards the smartphone…
Or at least the competent-in-conversation phone (-:
Love, love, love – yay for haikus! Thanks!
Thank you Leah…Sounds like you have been drinking espresso. (-:
Nice one! I love the inverted umbrellas here. And I like hearing about your process. Will expect some more sprawl in future posts! 🙂
Sent me the rug and I will sprawl!
Cheers Michelle!
I enjoyed this too. It’s great to see pictures of a poem in progress.
Look forward to more. So nice to see something written with a pen too!
I recently went to an exhibition of maps and related documents relating to the ‘discovery’ of Australia, Helen. The writing was so perfect! Copperplate! Done at sea!
Of course, comparatively few people could write, but those who did formed the words beautifully. No scrawls for them.
Glad you liked my appalling writing though!