Finch found haiku

I have heard of found poems. I have not heard of a found haiku. But I offer one today from a favorite book: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

For Day Three of National Poetry Month and in honor of the finches who returned to nest in the wreath on my front door, having mysteriously disappeared last spring during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

bright, immutable
finch singing out brilliantly
from the wreck of time

A house finch song on the first day of spring. Richard Griffin. CC BY-SA

11 thoughts on “Finch found haiku

  1. Wonderful. I, as well, enjoyed The Goldfinch, but it was simply shocking and depressing in so many ways, but such a warren of surprises. Love your photo and your found haiku. Did you take a page to find it? Just curious about your process. Thought you might enjoy this link to hear birdsong. Posted on fb by a friend.
    https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/…/bird_songs…/index.html

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    • I agree with your assessment of The Goldfinch; a couple of characters and that dog, Popper, solidified my love of the novel. Well, that and the imagery of the painting plus the magnificent writing…I found my haiku on a page, yes; two words from a sentence and a phrase in another plus a word added. I love the interactive birdsong link! Many thanks for this thoughtfulness, Janet (or do you go by both, Janet Clare??).

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      • Thanks for your process info!!

        I go by Janet Clare F. or Janet Clare of Janet F. when posting.
        I am the (sadly) Sybil of the poetry world, It all stems from being tech-weak in the early days on fb and blogs!!!
        I know it gets confusing. Sorry.

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      • Oh dear. No worries on my end at all!! Keep smiling! If you check me out on FB you will maybe get an idea. There I am Janet Clare. One time Eric Ode came to visit the school where I taught and was now subbing. He was on the east coast for a school visit near me and came up to visit for dinner and a FREE school visit with two classrooms when i was subbing. Anyhow he asked at the office for Janet Clare which is not the name I use there (I taught there for over 40 years so even though it was a sub secretary she figured it out. OMG I totally forgot. See, I said it was sad and i am confusing. But nice and easy going!!! It’s a long story.

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  2. That’s so interesting that the finches disappeared during the pandemic, and now are back. Maybe there were too many people around and they wanted more privacy?? I’m glad they have come home.

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    • I could never figure out what happened last year; the finches built their nest and vanished. One more little layer of sadness – so, I rejoice the more on their return this year! As of today we have three eggs.

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  3. This contrast, the conflict between strength and resilience versus the “wreck of time.” How you did that in seventeen syllables, I’ll never know. But it’s wonder-full.

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    • I am not sure it is a thing, Carol, a “found haiku” but those lines spoke to me so. “Wreck of time” – I am in awe of it – Tartt does amazing things with words in The Goldfinch.

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