Archive for the ‘News Haiku & Senryu’ Category

More McCarthy Mockery

Thursday, January 5th, 2023

According to WP’s Robert Costa, Matt Gaetz says McCarthy must either “withdraw from the race,” or commit to a “straitjacket” agreement.

Come to think of it, straitjackets sound like a great idea for most of the House Republicans!

*****

As self-centered loons
impede race to be Speaker,
insanity reigns.

*****

This haiku, I swear,
is my last McCarthy verse
until tomorrow.

*****

Way too many pols
in Republican Party
naught but Pied Pipers.

*****

“Concession-Kevin”
becomes just-pretend Speaker.
Pyrrhic victory.

*****

Haiku Message To Journalists

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

Remaining “neutral”
and bothsidesing ev’rything–
a gift to liars.

Bigotry Haiku Duet

Monday, December 12th, 2022

Bigotry, once masked,
now unleashed for all to see —
Shameful, yet shameless!

*****

Donald cozies up
to Nazi-loving bigots–
Hardly a surprise!

Trump v. Everyone (Haiku)

Wednesday, December 7th, 2022

“I’m immune from suits,”
Claims Trump, again and again.
Judges disagree.

Time For Political Haiku

Saturday, November 19th, 2022

Special Counsel’s named,
Customary “witch hunt” claimed,
Garland, Smith defamed.

Political Haiku Trio

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

As pandering pols
romance the Tea Partiers,
they imbibe madness.

*****

Tea Party blood lust:
Leave uninsured man to die —
GOP scares me.

*****

Republican pols
cater to greedy donors—
putting people last.

*****

(For more haiku, check out Sensational Haiku Wednesday.)

Political Haiku and Tanka Too

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

White House and Congress
bought and managed by donors —
puppet theater.

*****

An epidemic —
political hypocrites —
Today’s GOP.

*****

Unlimited cash
from corporations to pols —
democracy dies.

****

Economic growth
still not translating to jobs —
Republicans shrug.

*****

Republican cuts
to budget sure to kill jobs —
Boehner: “So be it.”

*****

Deliberately
destroying economy
seemed unthinkable.
No longer a silly thought —
GOP election goal.

******

Author’s Note: These haiku and tanka were inspired in part by the following prompts: puppet, epidemic, unlimited, growth, and silly.

Political Haiku Quartet

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Styrofoam is back.
“Green the Capitol” is gone.
Job, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs?

*****

Rotund Rush Limbaugh
says Michelle Obama’s fat—
that’s hard to swallow.

*****

Freedom from taxes
demanded by those who crave
what taxes give them.

*****

The mental midget
mentioned an affinity
with Rush — no surprise.

*****

Showing up to vote—
a yearly exercise in
unrequited hope.

*****

(More political haiku here. And more Rush Limbaugh humor here.)

Political Haiku Quintet (Updated to Add Egypt Haiku)

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

Today I’m posting four political haiku which, I fear, are all more cynical than witty. (I’ve added a 5th about Egypt’s revolution which is uplifting, rather than cynical.)

Technically each of these is a senryu, though most people would label them haiku. What the heck’s a senryu, and how does it differ from haiku? I explain it all here and, believe it or not, use a three-verse limerick to illustrate the distinctions.

Politicians strive
to make a good impression
without doing good.

*****

The economy’s
either looking up or down.
Depends on your stance.

*****

Commenters bicker,
thrusting political barbs,
changing no one’s mind.

*****

How did we get here?
“Pragmatic” subjugation
of our Dem ideals.

*****

A revolution
In Egypt transforms, uplifts,
Giving hope to all.

*****

Haiku For Harry Reid

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

President Obama has been getting most of the credit for this week’s lame-duck Congress legislative achievements:

* Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
* Ratification of the New START nuclear weapons treaty with Russia
* The 9/11 First Responders Health and Compensation Act
* Food-Safety Bill

But I think Majority Leader Harry Reid deserves much of the credit. Why? Because he finally figured out that the way to pass stuff is to treat Republicans like children and refuse to let them go home.

My haiku explains everything:

How to run Senate:
Tell GOP “No TV
Till your homework’s done.”

“Traitor Joe” Wasn’t Disloyal Enough? (Haiku)

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

The Dems cave and give Joe Lieberman a meaningless punishment. What a surprise!

Democrats hand Joe
A tiny slap on the wrist.
Thumbs down to the Dems.

I’m A McPalin Haiku Hysteria Finalist

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

Cool news!  Nearly 4000 people submitted haiku to the McPalin Haiku Hysteria contest held by People For The American Way and The Nation Magazine.  And I’m one of the twelve finalists!!!  So I’d really appreciate your voting for my haiku here. The three winning haiku will be published in The Nation.

We were allowed to submit up to three haiku, and here are the three I submitted.  (The first one is the haiku that made the finals.)

Palin knows nothing
About the Constitution.
Puppets don’t have to.

An anti-choice veep
Who opposes free rape kits?
Thanks, John, but no thanks.

Would Palin court picks
Destroy the Constitution?
You betcha! Wink, wink.

Vetting My Relatives (Haiku)

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

My mother-in-law
Thinks Obama is Muslim —
Likes McCain.  Oy vey!

Ode To Corporate Vultures

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

Here’s my latest haiku (senryu) about the Wall Street meltdown and the $700 billion (or much more) Bush-Cheney-Paulson-Bernanke rip-off-the-taxpayers bailout plan

Financial vultures
First gobble up our assets,
Then demand dessert.

Election Perspective (Haiku)

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

The primary’s done.
But the election’s far from
Secondary.[tags]Election Haiku, Primary Senryu[/tags]

McCain’s New Campaign Slogan

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

John McCain has been having a tough time raising campaign money lately.  So I thought I’d help out with a McCain campaign slogan haiku — gratis. Aren’t I generous?

Remember Bush’s
Humble foreign policy?
Vote McCain for more. [tags]Senator McCain, Presidential Campaign Verse[/tags]

My John “My Friends” McCain Theory

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Wow!  Even Don “McCain Worshipper” Imus can’t stand it any more. I just heard Imus tell Craig Crawford:

If he says “my friends” one more time, I’m gonna kill myself.

I think it’s time for a haiku:

A candidate
Who can’t stop saying “my friends,”
Doesn’t have any.

Hillary Clinton Derangement Syndrome (Haiku)

Sunday, March 16th, 2008

Smearing Hillary,
Ignoring Barack’s foibles.
Must edit blogroll.

(For more on HCDS (Hillary Clinton Derangement Syndrome) read Left Coaster;  Hillary Clinton’s Internet Director Challenges Bloggers To Cover Obama Campaign Tactics;  Sherry Chandler;  Pro-Hillary Writers On Strike At Daily Kos;  Avedon Carol;  Obama News Anchor;  Carpetbagger Report;  Pen-Elayne;  Chalice Chick; and  Gene Lyons)[tags]Election Humor, Campaign Satire, Hillary Haiku, Obama Haiku, Clinton Derangement Syndrome[/tags]

Obama Tries To Paint Over Politics As Usual

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

Barack Obama claims to be battling Hillary Clinton under a new set of political rules. But as Big Tent illustrates, his personal attacks on Clinton sound suspiciously like politics as usual.  And that brings me to my latest haiku:

The new politics,
Courtesy of Obama:
Old rules with feint-job.
[tags]Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Campaign Satire, Presidential Election Humor, Obama Haiku, Obama Hypocrisy, Political Rules, Personal Attacks[/tags]

Hillary Haiku

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

“Hillary cried,”
The media lied.
Who’s crying now?[tags]Hillary Clinton Verse, Hillary Poetry, Media Humor, Campaign Satire, Election Humor[/tags]