Haiku by Alan Summers: June 14, 2017

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Charlotte Digregorio

winds of heaven
the wars we inflict
on each other

 

 

by Alan Summers
From the “Girl In An Owl” haibun
Hedgerow, #110, May 2017

About Charlotte Digregorio

I publish books. I have marketed and/or published 55 titles. These books are sold in 46 countries to bookstores, libraries, universities, professional organizations, government agencies, and book clubs. In 2018, I was honored by the Governor of Illinois for my thirty-eight years of accomplishments in the literary arts, and my work to promote and advance the field by educating adults and students alike. I am the author of seven books including: Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All; Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Homes; You Can Be A Columnist; Beginners' Guide to Writing & Selling Quality Features; Your Original Personal Ad; and my latest, Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing. The first four books have been adopted as supplemental texts at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, India, Pakistan, and Catalonia. They are sold in 43 countries, and are displayed in major metropolitan cultural centers. These books have been reviewed, recommended, and praised by hundreds of critics, librarians, and professors worldwide. I am also the author of a poetry collection: "Shadows of Seasons: Selected Haiku and Senryu by Charlotte Digregorio." Two of my books have been Featured Selections of Writer's Digest Book Club. I am regularly interviewed by major print, radio, and television organizations throughout the U.S. I regularly sign books at libraries, chain bookstores, and university bookstores, and do poetry readings at art centers, cafes, tea houses, and galleries. I was recently nominated for two Pushcart Prizes in poetry. I have won fifty-nine poetry awards, writing fourteen poetic forms. My poetry has been translated into eight languages. I do illustrated solo poetry exhibits 365 days a year in libraries, galleries, corporate buildings, hospitals, convention centers, and other venues. My individual poems have been displayed at supermarkets, apparel and wine shops, banks, botanic gardens, restaurants, and on public transit. I have been nominated and listed in "The International Authors and Writers Who's Who" in Cambridge, England and in the "Who's Who In Writers, Editors & Poets U.S./Canada." I hosted my own radio program, "Poetry Beat," on public broadcasting. My poetry has been featured on several library web sites including those of Shreve Memorial Library in Louisiana and Cornell University's Mann Library. My background includes positions as a feature editor and columnist at daily newspapers and as a magazine editor. I have been a public relations director for a non-profit organization. I am self-employed as a public relations/marketing consultant, having served a total of 118 clients in 23 states for the past several decades . In other professional areas, I have been on university faculties, teaching French, Italian, and Writing. I regularly give lectures and workshops on publishing, journalism, publicity, poetry, and creativity to business and professional groups, and at writer's conferences, universities, literary festivals, non-profit organizations, and libraries. I have been a writer-in-residence at universities. There have been about 400 articles written about me in the media. I have served on the Boards of writers and publishers organizations. My positions have included Board Secretary of the Northwest Association of Book Publishers. I served for five years as Midwest Regional Coordinator of The Haiku Society of America, and for two years as its Second Vice President.
This entry was posted in Alan Summers, Art, creative writing, Daily Haiku, Haiku, Instruction, Japan, micropoetry, Poetry and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

15 Responses to Haiku by Alan Summers: June 14, 2017

    • haikutec says:
      June 14, 2017 at 3:31 am

      Thank you! Yes, we are constantly at war, which is strange considering we’ve had two world wars, and yet we seem to want more.

      Alan

      Reply
      • Christine Goodnough says:
        June 14, 2017 at 9:12 am

        Not sure about the prelude to WWI but, just coming out of the Great Depression, no one wanted WWII — very few of the Germans even, wanted another war. I’m guessing 98% of the population today just wants a peaceful existence…but there are always those few desperate hotheads that keep the fires going among the discontent.

      • Charlotte Digregorio says:
        June 16, 2017 at 7:48 am

        A thoughtful haiku, for sure.

    • haikutec says:
      June 14, 2017 at 9:53 am

      Ah, well WWI was weird in that it was the various Royal families all related to the British Queen Victoria. The most deadly of domestic disputes on a world scale. And of course Adolph Hitler was a young corporal and aspiring artist at the time.

      As an amateur historian for decades, and since I found out the Roman Empire lasted an extra 1000 years, which wasn’t mentioned in history books at the time, the repercussions of war go strongly back to them, and who could be the first to be the next Roman Empire or British Empire. Deadly ambitions, plus conflict produces vast profits.f

      Alas the hotheads are fuelled by very ‘cool’ heads wanting so much money they probably couldn’t even spend it in two lifetimes. I wish we could create a war planet just for the money and war mongers.

      Alan

      Reply
    • haikutec says:
      June 14, 2017 at 3:33 am

      Thank you! Just hearing about the secret wars two big Western countries are engaged in, and I wonder why we do this, and yet complain when there’s retaliation. It’s such a small planet, beautifully blue too.

      Alan

      Reply
  3. Paul Beech says:
    June 14, 2017 at 3:16 am

    An outstanding haiku, and sadly so true of the human condition. Would love to see the whole haibun.

    Best,

    Paul

    Reply
    • haikutec says:
      June 14, 2017 at 3:37 am

      Thank you!

      winds of heaven
      the wars we inflict
      on each other

      Alan Summers
      From the “Girl In An Owl” haibun
      Hedgerow, #110, May 2017

      The haibun is currently in the occasional print version of Hedgerow here:
      https://hedgerowpoems.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/110-spring-print-issue/

      At some point I will post it onto Area 17. We are now running our second sold out Passion of Haibun online workshops, and hope to do a third later this year.

      I have another haiku coming up to do with war, although it’s also a seasonal reference. It too appears in a haibun, an allegorically science fiction treatment. I’ll post a link when it appears later this week.

      Deep gratitude for your words and support, always appreciated.

      Alan

      Reply
    • Charlotte Digregorio says:
      June 16, 2017 at 7:50 am

      Thanks for commenting, Paul.

      Reply
  4. haikutec says:
    June 14, 2017 at 3:39 am

    Reblogged this on Haikutec’s Weblog and commented:
    Humans are in constant conflict, and it always amazes me that some of us attempt something different. One day we may have peace, perhaps?

    Reply
  5. Eufemia Griffo says:
    June 25, 2017 at 11:11 am

    So true…
    Wonderful poem, congrats Alan Summers.
    Best,
    Eufemia

    Reply

Leave a comment