Aliens in This World

Every so often, I hang out over on the forums for Megatokyo, a rather unique fannish webcomic. One of the forum traditions is separate threads for discussing the newest comic and for commenting on it in haiku. (Or even as a renga. Also in the "Irish haiku" form, better known to the rest of the world as a limerick.)

Every so often, folks float in who just don't get the point. There are those who despise all haiku in English, those who despise haiku that doesn't have the traditional seasonal references (though actually, a lot of folks do throw those in), and those who just plain despise haiku. This week we got someone who despises haiku that don't follow the full rules and is "deformed" by being in English, and who advised us all to write sonnets, which are better than haiku anyway.

(Why is it that I absolutely can't stand someone who's even more persnickety than me? I'm all for overaccuracy and scholarliness. Must be the incredible humorlessness that gets me.)

Anyway, the upshot was that I wrote this poem, of which I'm rather proud. Both forms, plus seasonal and individual webcomic references! I'm no Seanan, but I have my clever moments.

My friend, the sonnet is a simple form
For those who've read enough. Also, haiku
Does not require some great mental storm
Or superpowered skill from me or you.
The art of poetry is what is hard;
It's never mastered by the greatest pen.
But that's no reason not to mount your shard
Of what is beauty next to Will's. Write, then!

A Tokyo spring
More cherries and less thunder
Lightning stabs two hearts –

And inkstained paper
Conducts the charge to readers
Astound with wonder

For silicon and dream have
Made them no insulator