August 23 – Look for recognition

Look for recognition
Work any good? Measure up? Well,
Grapes were sour anyway

I entered a haiku contest hosted by Landmark Books in Traverse City, Michigan.

I hoped to win.

I looked for recognition that these often mindless scribblings might be considered, ‘good’.

I was downcast to learn that I had not won.

The winning Haiku,

High Murder of Crows
Scripture on Cloudscape unfolds
A thousand meanings

submitted by a Ellen Lord, is interesting and in my opinion, echos a reocurring theme about crows from the writer Jim Harrison.

I pass over that Ms. Lord lives in Charlevoix, Michigan and that Ms. Lord has now won twice in the 5 times this contest has been held.

I got away from the writing these just for the fun of it.

Well, this episode is over and I have learned my lesson.

Besides, those grapes were sour anyway.

ONE hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the things to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”

“IT IS EASY TO DESPISE WHAT YOU CANNOT GET.”

Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.) Fables.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

August 14 – Anamiewigummig

House will be called
Anamiewigummig or
A House of Prayer

Came across Anamiewigummig the other day in a story about an NHL player who was homeless, Joe Murphy, Red Wings’ No. 1 pick, is homeless again — and refusing help.

In the article, Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press writes, “Murphy, 51, walks into the Anamiewigummig Fellowship Centre, a drop-in center that provides clothing, food, coffee and a shower for free to homeless people in Kenora.”

I stopped and read Anamiewigummig again.

And again.

And I read it outloud.

Trying to sound it out the way the Grand Daughter does when she reads.

I had no clue.

How would you pronounce this word?

How could you pronounce this word?

Why in the world, if you were naming a fellowship center, would you use Anamiewigummig?

Okay, we are talking about Canada, but still.

Anamiewigummig?

I would not let it go, and a I googled it.

First thing I found out was that Google didn’t like the word at all.

Google asked, Did you mean: Anime Swimming?

Spell check also didn’t like it either which is always a plus in my book.

The second thing I found out is that most of the Google results were connected to the same place, The Kenora Fellowship Centre in Kenora, ON.

The place mentioned in the story about Joe Murphy.

According to the web, The Kenora Fellowship Centre is a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Canada that provides sanctuary and hospitality, help and comfort to the vulnerable, the disadvantaged and displaced. The centre also caters for countless individuals who are marginalized and alienated because of poverty and addiction. It operates as a drop-in centre and works with legal services, detoxification programs, street patrol and other essential services in the community.

The third thing I found out is that anamiewigummig is an Ojibway word.

“Ojibwa, Ojibway, or Chippewa, and most commonly referred to in the language as Anishinaabemowin) varies from dialect to dialect, but all varieties share common features. Ojibwe is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family spoken in Canada and the United States in the areas surrounding the Great Lakes, and westward onto the northern plains in both countries, as well as in northeastern Ontario and northwestern Quebec.” from Wikipedia

It seems to be pronounced, AHN A Mie WIG a MIG.

Forgive my rudimentary phonetics.

I am guessing at this from listening to a YouTube video about Anamiewigummig.

The word means, House of Prayer.

And House of Prayer comes from, And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Mark 11:17 (NIV).

Anamiewigummig.

Pretty cool use of a word.

Aug 2 – steakolicous?

saw steakolicous . . .
really? really? OH really!
some words, not needed

The TV show, Barney Miller, had an episode where an English Professor was arrested for assaulting an Ad Man who used the phrase, “crun-crun-crunchiest,” to describe pickles (Barney Miller: The Psyhic.)

The Professor says, “It’s not just a matter of a stupid pickle slogan. The manipulation of language is one of the primary methods used by those in power to confuse and divert the public.

A false statement isn’t a lie. It’s simply “no longer operative” . “War” becomes “Pacification” and “Bombing” becomes “Vertical deployment of anti-personnel devices”.

The English Language is one of the most beautiful and expressive of all tongues. It is being corrupted and debased by chronic misuse, manufactured lingo, like that…dull-witted cliches, redundancies, mindless phraseology’s. Save up to 50% and more; What does that mean?“

Steakolicous?

I saw this word on a billboard driving home the other day.

I didn’t catch the name of the restaurant.

I didn’t catch the rest the message on the billboard.

I focused on the word steakolicious.

Really?

To further the moment, I believe the word was written in cursive.

Really?

Make up a word.

Make it hard to read is such a way that eliminates a large part of today’s audience.

Really?

Does this motivate anyone to order this?

To look forward to ordering this somewhere?

Who writes this stuff?

Who PAYS for this stuff?

As I always tell my wife, this was the ad campaign that was selected by the client.

This was the campaign, or concept, that won.

Consider what the losing campaigns must have been.

Picture that meeting where this was pitched.

Steakolicous?

Really?

Beyond all other considerations and questions, let’s just focus on the word.

What is wrong with any of these:

appetizing
delectable
delightful
distinctive
enjoyable
enticing
exquisite
heavenly
luscious
piquant
pleasant
rich
savory
spicy
sweet
tasty
tempting
yummy
choice
dainty
darling
divine
good
lush
nice
adorable
ambrosial
delish
fit for king
gratifying
mellow
mouthwatering
nectarous
palatable
rare
sapid
scrumptious
tasteful
titillating
toothsome
well-prepared
well-seasoned

Sadly the episode ends with the Professor in jail and the Ad man wandering out, musing to himself, ” . . . ko-ko-kosher-est . . . Ko-Ko-kosher-IFIC.”

The Professor says “Unfortunately, it’s often the very people who are trying to preserve the society, who are the first to be persecuted by it.”

July 30 – New day, each day comes

New day, each day comes
chance perfectly marvelous
hopeful, possible

I could start my day taking a yellow pad and drawing line down the center.

At the top of the left side of the pad, I could write BAD.

At the top of the right hand side, I could write GOOD.

I could fill the left hand side as fast as I could write, with my handwriting getting worse and worse as I try to keep with the all the thoughts pouring, like black and red flaming lava, out of my mind.

Then I could stop.

Take a sip of coffee.

Take two sips of coffee.

I could look at the right hand side of the pad.

I would see that, that side of the pad was blank.

See nothing good.

Or.

Nothing but possibities.

Perfectly marvelous.

July 25 – loud rodomontades

loud rodomontades
brass tintinnabulations
noise from Washington

Reading late last night, I came across rodomontades, in a passage about Winston Churchill, and I knew I would have to use it in a haiku.

Tintinnabulations has been stored away in my brain, waiting for its turn.

Rodomontades was thrown out by spell check.

That’s a win for me any day.

As for the thought behind today’s haiku, after a day of Trump, Congress and Mueller and their pontificating on the news programs along with the news commentators talking talking talking, its all tinkling brass after a while.

As Mr. Twain wrote long ago, “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

Today, instead of member of Congress, substitute, ‘held any National Office.”

Poor us.

Poor US.

Poor Uncle Sam.