HAIKU: PRINCE

Being back in the country gives me the opportunity to undertake simple pursuits, such as brewing my own hooch, or exploring forms of pastoral poetry. While browsing the collected lyrics of Prince the other day, I had a thought that if he had not become an international recording artist and sexologist, he could easily have been a master of the Haiku.

[Extracts from ‘Hallucination Rain’, the collected haiku of Prince.]



Moon

If I don't find my destiny soon
I'll die in your arms
Under the cherry moon



Cherry Wine

I give 'em some cherry wine
Then we play some pool
And they watch me bank the six and the nine.



Love

Because something near your leg
Is haunting u, such a disgrace
U're rock hard in a funky place, ow!



17 Days

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
17 days



Dawn

All I'm sayin' is that
I wanna smack it all night long
On and on until the early morn'



Clams

What about the clams on the shore?
Souls in progress, here come the fisherman
Soul no more



Sister

Hey, I saw your sister skatin'
On the lake this afternoon
Good heaven, how she's grown



The Pier

U'd make me leave the lights on
I'd pay money just 2 C
Your happy dancin’ silhouette upon the pier



Soup

Is this the same soup as usual?
It feels strange
Hallucination rain



Snowman II

The ocean swallows the shore
I could still see him smiling
When my snowman is no more, no more



Doves

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in the world
So cold



June

In September my cousin tried reefer 4 the very first time
Now he's doing horse
It's June