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Competition Haiku

Warning: This post (three haiku about competition) is humor-free:

The need to be first—
Exciting, addictive,
But doomed to disappoint.

Competing oboists
Break reeds and steal music—
Angling for an edge.

Orchestra try-outs
Held behind screens to halt bias—
Betrayed by heels.

(For the lighter side of music, click here.)

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This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 7:08 pm and is filed under Addiction Humor, Behavior & Personality, Haiku & Senryu, Music Humor & Verse. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

25 Responses to “Competition Haiku”

  1. paisley says:
    December 7, 2007 at 7:41 pm

    so wear flats!!! excellent as always!!!!

  2. madkane says:
    December 8, 2007 at 12:47 am

    Thanks, paisley. That’s exactly what women ended up doing. :)

  3. Forgetfulone says:
    December 8, 2007 at 3:53 am

    Great haikus!

  4. madkane says:
    December 8, 2007 at 4:34 am

    Thanks Forgetfulone!

  5. Rob Kistner says:
    December 8, 2007 at 5:57 am

    Interesting… and perhaps partially biographical?

  6. madkane says:
    December 8, 2007 at 6:10 am

    Thanks, Rob. Yes, I started out as a symphony orchestra oboist and did draw from personal experience in writing these. It’s a pretty cutthroat profession.

  7. Tumblewords says:
    December 8, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    Even when you write humor-free – your work is memorable and not so short of strange humor! Or maybe it’s just me. Hmm.

  8. Herb says:
    December 8, 2007 at 5:49 pm

    Great story told in haiku. Very nicely done.

  9. madkane says:
    December 8, 2007 at 5:53 pm

    Thanks, Tumblewords. I guess it must be that warped mind of mine. :)

  10. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 12:02 am

    Thanks very much, Herb!

  11. UL says:
    December 9, 2007 at 12:14 am

    Loved the last three lines of each haiku, ‘disappointment, edge and heels’ caught me…very nicely done. Thank you.

  12. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 12:46 am

    Thanks so much UL!

  13. Lori V. says:
    December 9, 2007 at 2:30 am

    I always wished I had the gift of poetry like this. It’s great.

  14. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 5:08 am

    Thanks so much, Lori. I’ll stop by.

  15. gautami says:
    December 9, 2007 at 8:18 am

    I like the way you can do it! saying so much in so few.

  16. Cynthia Bagley says:
    December 9, 2007 at 3:52 pm

    Oh yes, I can see the highly competitive music field in your haikus. Great job.

  17. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 5:39 pm

    Thanks Cynthia. Yeah, classical music is a killer profession. I went to law school after working as a symphony oboist and used to annoy my fellow students by tell them how much hard music was than law. :)

  18. patois says:
    December 9, 2007 at 6:05 pm

    I did have to smile at the last line of the last ku, though. You must be a hell of an oboist.

  19. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 6:19 pm

    Thanks, Gautami and Patois.

    And yes, Patois, I was. Unfortunately, I had to walk away from the profession because of two injuries.

  20. Linda Jacobs says:
    December 9, 2007 at 9:24 pm

    I love multi-stanza haiku. They are tight and precise as yours is here! well-crafted!

  21. madkane says:
    December 9, 2007 at 11:01 pm

    Thanks, Linda. The funny thing is I wrote them to be separate, but the ended up working as a whole as well.

  22. sister AE says:
    December 10, 2007 at 12:02 pm

    ouch! and it takes so long to get the reeds just right…

  23. madkane says:
    December 10, 2007 at 3:59 pm

    Sister AE, you clearly are familiar with the oboe player’s plight. :)

  24. LittleWing says:
    December 10, 2007 at 5:26 pm

    had no idea….playing an instrument should be so simple!…loved the heels!

  25. madkane says:
    December 10, 2007 at 5:36 pm

    Thanks LittleWing!