The "Pop" or American Haiku (Jack Kerouac)

"The American Haiku is not exactly the Japanese
Haiku. The Japanese Haiku is strictly disciplined
to seventeen syllables but since the language
structure is different I don't think American
Haikus (short three-line poems intended to be
completely packed with Void of Whole) should worry
about syllables because American speech is
something again...bursting to pop.

Above all, a Haiku must be very simple and free
of all poetic trickery and make a little picture
and yet be as airy and graceful as a Vivaldi
Pastorella." - Jack Kerouac, American Haiku (1959)


Thunder in the mountains -
the iron
Of my mother's love
- from Desolation Angels (novel, published 1965)


Arms folded
to the moon,
Among the cows.
- from: Book of Haiku (1968)


A quiet Autumn night
and these fools
Are starting to argue


In Haikkaido a cat
has no luck


Every cat in Kyoto
can see through the fog.


In London-town cats
can sleep
In the butcher's doorway.
- from The Northport Haiku (1964)


Early morning yellow flowers,
thinking about
the drunkards of Mexico


No telegram today
only more leaves
fell.


Holding up my
purring cat to the moon
I sighed.


Drunk as a hoot owl,
writing letters
by thunderstorm.
- from American Haiku (1959)


More examples of Kerouac's haikus can be found under:
Haikus by Jack Kerouac.

More about Kerouac and haiku under:
Pop! The Jack Kerouac Haiku Page