New York City Haiku, published in 2017, is a nice collection of Haiku submitted to The New York Times by its readers. It includes illustrations by James Gulliver Hancock.
The book numbers 127 pages and there are either one or two haiku per page. I give a rough estimate therefore, of about 200 haiku total for the entire work.
New Yorkers are known for being a tough bunch! They have faced just about everything the world can throw at a city, with many cycles of good times and bad times. But through it all they have shown a true grit and a resilience that has withstood the test of time.
Inside this small volume, you will find poems that are wry, poems that are observant, poems that have humour, poems that embrace kindness. It holds a treasury of the heart, mind, and soul, of New York City.
With that said I am going to wrap up this brief review with some examples and you can make up your own mind!
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We are all of us,
waiting, wanting, wondering,
local or express
dawn lights up the sky
models seeking cameras
fashion still alive
I lost my headphones
but found the subway had
music of it own
Elderly couple
On Circle Line for a date,
Giving love a chance
Lonely in the night
Alone on a crowed train
Many hearts, one soul
Beware the puddle
of indeterminate depth
that swallows boots whole
Adrift in a sea.
We’re all in this together.
We won’t let you drown.
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I know, April, poetry month is already over. But for me every month is poetry month! So I intend to continue with my poetry reviews!