Insomnia, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 2009, photo © 2009 by
QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
every waking moment
fitful bursts of sleeplessness
posing as dreams
Couldn’t sleep last night; so many scattered thoughts rolling around in my head. They say you wake up at 3 a.m. for anxiety, 4 a.m. for depression. I must be feeling anxious. At a few minutes before 3 a.m. (Dead Time), I was wide awake. So wide awake, I even broke the 5-7-5 structure on the Sleeplessness senryu (not typical of my haiku).
I did keep the 17 syllables. After a few years of haiku, they must be hardwired into me. Sometimes I’ll dream about writing and counting haiku in my sleep. I once read about a Japanese poet, Shuson Kato (born Takeo Kato but referred to by his pen-name, Shuson), who counted syllables on his fingers while he lay unconscious a few weeks before his death.
Here is an excerpt from his 1993 obituary in the Independent — Shuson Kato, poet and scholar: born Tokyo 26 May 1905; died Tokyo 3 July 1993:
In April this year, he fell sick, but again recovered and started the arduous task of choosing the weekly poems for the Asahi. Alas, on 20 June he lost consciousness: the 11 July issue of the Asahi poetry page was his last. It was said that even while he lay unconscious he was moving his fingers in the typical syllable-counting fashion of every haiku poet, bending the fingers inwards towards the palm, then releasing them again one by one.
Shuson believed in the healing powers of poetry. Again from his obituary:
In 1957, Kadokawa Shoten issued a first collected edition of Shuson’s works. But the poet fell ill in 1960 and underwent chest operations, presumably for tuberculosis. Yet he continued writing haiku. As he said: ‘Without my haiku I am nothing. It is only haiku I live for, and only haiku that keep me alive.’
His faith in the healing power of poetry was such that he gradually recovered. It was in the Sixties that Shuson became identified in the popular mind as a poet who wrote in order to explore ‘how human beings should live’.
Powerful testament to the value of poetry, an art form whose readership is dropping. I find the ancient haiku poets inspiring. It is customary for haiku poets to compose a death haiku just before dying, an epitaph that lives on. Perhaps you’d like to leave your own haiku or senryu in the Comments to honor the recent July 3rd anniversary of Shuson’s death.
Blue (If I Knew Then, What I Know Now),
Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 2009, photo ©
2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________________
Epilogue: At 6 a.m. when Liz’s alarm was about to go off, I was heading to bed and a Version 2 of the Sleeplessness haiku popped into my head. I don’t know if Versions 1 and 2 are opposites, or complements like red/green or orange/blue.
every sleeping moment
fitful bursts of wakefulness
posing as dreams
Below are a few other Night Owl posts from over the years. I am most creative in the middle of the night or very early in the morning in that space between dark and light. I wonder if there are other Night Owls out there who write poetry in their sleep. Or if the Early Bird still catches the worm.
- Night Owl
- Mickey’s NightOwl Sandwich
- Minneapolis At Night
- Dreams Of A Creative Insomniac
- haiku for Stella’s (Night Owl revisited)
-posted on red Ravine in the space between Tuesday morning, July 14th, 2009 and Monday night, July 13th
-related to these obituary posts on red Ravine: The Uses of Sorrow – What Is It About Obituaries?, Reading The Obits, Halloween Short List: (#2) Build Your Own Casket
redravine.wordpress.com 
QM, I have the same issues with insomnia. I also wake up counting haiku syllables in my mind. I sometimes remember them & other times not. It’s strange because when I was working, I would go to sleep by 9:30. I saw that you wrote in another post about the late shows you watch at night. I watch the same shows but have switched to David Letterman since Jay Leno is now gone. I refuse to watch his replacement. I think Conan is so non-funny.
I think my insomnia is a mixture of depression & just plain sleeplessnes. However, having Brant almost daily is helping me get through a daily routine.
Have you made a decision about going to GA yet? If you did, I missed it. All my love, D
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Must be a nite owl too QM. Right now I’m off work for 6 weeks with 2 to go and I cant get to sleep before 2am. I’m glad at least one of us is being creative! I read and watch movies. Not sure I’ll ever be able to get up early again!
I swear, I’ve looked at that top photo for about 10 minutes…trying to recall what that fireworks shape on the left reminds me of. I think I actually have an old purse from the fifties with a bead concoction that it looks like. Cool stuff.
Conan is an acquired taste alittlediddy. He either grows on you or not. I too love Leno. But I tell you what, that crazy Scotsman after Letterman is about the funniest person around…cept maybe Ron White and Louis Black… 😉
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Annuvestudio, as much as I tried I could not watch Conan. I gave him a chance & I too like the late late show with Craig Ferguson. Our eldest son went to NYC to see Conan live. Conan’s constant clapping & jumping drives me crazy!
In the event that they are re-runs I turn on the Food Network or HGTV. I think my old age is finally taking over in my taste of TV prorams! 🙂 D
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I had never heard this conventional wisdom about 3a being the waking hour of the anxious, 4a of the depressed. Hmmm.
I like your complementary senryu. They feel like two sides of the same coin.
Shuson’s obituary, the one about him counting syllables even while unconscious before his death, that is really something. Can you imagine? I wrote this not-very-good senryu, as you suggested, in his honor:
unconscious counting
like a dog twitching in sleep
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
I don’t know whether to wish you a good night’s sleep tonight or not. The wee hours seem to suit your creative spirit.
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QM, one other thing. I often work evenings and nights, and sometimes I’ll be wide awake when I hit the pillow, especially if I’ve had a night of meetings (working with Vietnam). I’ll usually recite Our Father and Hail Mary; it’s a thing from my childhood, not that I prayed myself to sleep, but the prayers that I learned then are so engrained in my brain. Also, my mom prays the rosary to go to sleep, and the rosary is made up of Our Fathers and Hail Marys.
But the reason I’m mentioning this is because it seemed to me that Haiku has become a sort of prayer. A contemplative thing, meditation, a way to calm the mind, tap into a higher place. I don’t know. What do you think? Do you ever try it in a conscious way? Haiku yourself to sleep or back to sleep?
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Oh, wanted to say to Heather (anuvue)—LOVE the Scotsman. Ferguson? What’s his first name? Ugh! I don’t stay up to watch him, am not a night owl. But I like to see reruns of his monologues. He is the best in my book.
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We didn’t sleep til the birds came out either, QM. Must have been one of those nights.
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yb, I also wake up thinking in Haiku. Perhaps a way of saying prayers in my sleep, I don’t know & haven’t shared many of them lately. Mine for today has to do with Brant.
Finding a bird nest
Babies having gone and are grown
feather still intact
The nest was perfect & had fallen from a tree. No birds were harmed. I think it is a Wrens nest & he spotted it like a hawk! So thrilled with his find!
Yes, it is Craig Ferguson. He used to be on Drew Cary’s show.
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well yb, I already KNEW you would love Ferguson. Thank goodness alittlediddy knew his name! I love the way he gets right into the camera…and of course he’s pretty good lookin 😉
alittlediddy…you cracked me up. I too turn it to the food network and HGTV. Everything else seems a bit @#%&! (cept PBS) Since I’m off work for a few weeks I started watching late night TV and discovered Bobby Flay and his showdowns! What a hoot! And I love that blond guy with the ginormous arms on some yard makeover show. I think I’d mess up my yard just to have him come over.
oh…and as far as Conan…I think it’s all about the hair 😉
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Anueve, I think you’re right about it being Conan’s hair & yes Craig is pretty easy on the eyes!
Glad to hear I am not the only nerd that watches food network & HGTV! D
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diddy and heather, oh my gosh, the late night thing. I actually do like Conan. He’s just strange enough for me to be weird. I do think he’s an acquired taste though. I really don’t like Ferguson at all. Don’t find him goodlooking, don’t find him funny. Liz likes him though.
Doesn’t it make you wonder what it is that makes certain comedians funny to us and others not so funny to us? I think Conan’s strange skits around the lot are funny. He’s also cocky but it seems like all comedians are kind of cocky. Seems to go with the territory.
diddy, yeah, the depression can cause sleeplessness, too. Or else all a person wants to do is sleep. I have been a bit anxious lately. Too much going on the last month or so, I guess. Hope you feel better.
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Scaramastra, good to hear from you. Sorry you couldn’t sleep either. Must be one of those weeks. How have you been doing?
ybonesy, yes, I do think the haiku becomes meditative when treated like a practice. It’s funny you mention using it like a meditative prayer to get back to sleep because I did actually try that the other night. I do think it was calming. But it made me want to get up and write them down. Which, of course, led to this piece.
In 2009, I have had two dreams where I woke up with a haiku that came straight from the dream I was having. Isn’t that strange? That I actually remembered the haiku.
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Heather, I can’t believe the firework on the left reminds you of an old purse bead concoction from the fifties. You have that kind of creative memory. I like that about you. Is it good that you are off work for 6 weeks? Or a struggle. Sometimes time off can be a blessing; other times a curse.
Oh, yb, I like your senryu in Shuson’s honor. I was amazed when I read in his obit that he was going through the motions of counting on his fingers while unconscious. I do love reading a good obit where you actually learn something about the person’s life. It really honors someone to write something like that. Cheers to the writer, James Kirkup.
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QM, feeling much better, thanks. Bad pizza toppings from yesterday. Today has been a tough one mentally.
The dreams you speak about, so true. Same thing with me. Sometimes I count syllables & at other times I disregard them. I tried to give Conan a try, however he is just not my cup of tea. My Dad also likes him, which I found hard to believe. My sense of humor has always been the same as his, laugh & all…D
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Heather, I forgot that Craig Ferguson used to be on Drew Carey’s show. The mean boss, right! QM, you don’t like him? He’s so funny. I guess I like most comedians. I also love comedian actors much more than the straight guys. I’ll take Paul Rudd or Steve Carrell (sp?) over a George Clooney anyday.
I like Conan. Dry humor. I love Colbert, probably the most. Again, I never see these guys while their shows are on the air, only via YouTube. I’m a wimp. Going to get to bed before 10 tonight. After two nights with nighttime meetings, I’m pooped.
Oh, QM, yes, if you’re writing haiku to get to sleep, naturally you would need to write it down. No way you’d remember it the next day. I guess that’s what’s so good about prayer. It’s not new creation.
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QM…that’s why I like Conan too… Because he’s weird…and I just love weird people! Tonight we were sitting outside by the beach eating Italian and this big guy, with an even bigger belly (and some really bad fashion sense) walked by with a boom box on his shoulder playing Michael Jackson music as loud as you please. Cracked me up. He was probably mid 40’s. Sadly…he had that bad rhythm dance thing while walking. (My husband suffers from this as well). I asked the server how long it had been since she’d seen a boom box? She said (with a grin) not since 21 jump street! HA!
yb…Colbert is good and dry humor…well it’s the best! 😉
alittlediddy…Nerds unite! High fiver!
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QM, I’m okay, I suppose. Sorry I’ve been scarce. I still read all the time. I just haven’t been in a good place lately and I guess I’ve been adhering to the old ‘if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all’ kind of thing.
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Heather, that bad rhythm box thing reminds me of Elaine’s dance on Seinfeld. Do you remember it? I’ll never forget that episode. A Boombox?! That’s so funny because I was asking Liz the other day where my old boombox was because I was going to turn it on the back room while I painted. It’s got a radio and tapedeck, from the early 80’s. She said she had it at work. 8)
Scaramastra, sorry you haven’t been feeling in a good place. That can be hard and I know the feeling. Glad you are still reading though. Always good to hear from you on red Ravine. Hope you are taking good care of yourself.
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diddy and heather, forgot to mention that Liz and I watch Guy’s Big Bite on the Food Network? Have you seen it? Guy Fieri in the kitchen. It’s kind of fun to watch him. Not your typical chef.
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diddy, one more thing, I forgot to respond to your question about Georgia. I decided early this week that it’s too much to go this July. Talked to MOM on Monday. I might shoot for October now. I will miss it (and seeing family) it but just too much going on right now! Laying low.
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Thanks, QM. I’m hanging in there.
Oh, and also, add two more nerds to the audience of FoodNetwork and HGTV…E and I have been watching it, sometimes marathons of it! Now, I can’t say I’m all that surprised that I am into it, but E? Never would have thought. I guess he does owe me one, since he nerdified me silly with his sci-fi!
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Scaramastra, lol, that’s funny. That E. nerdified you silly with his Sci-Fi. BTW, speaking of nerds, Liz and I watched Pennsylvania native Seth Green (of Robot Chicken fame) who is Nerd Extraordinaire and proud of it. I kind of liked him and found him funny. He shines a great light on nerds everywhere. 8)
I wouldn’t think that of E. watching FoodNetwork or HGTV either. Maybe he’s changing. Last night Liz and I watched Georgia native Paula Deen on the Food Network. She cracks me up. Last night it was Cuban food. The guest was fantastic.
When Liz and I were in Savannah with Mom last year (in fact, almost a year ago to the day), we took a morning bus tour and drove by Paula Deen’s restaurant. It was early in the morning and we were already dripping with sweat from the heat and humidity. People were lined up outside Paula Deen’s to get in. And they had these “misters” that were spraying people with a fine mist to keep them cool while they waited. It was wild!
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BTW, Liz and I love to watch the home repair shows on HGTV. Or the rennovation shows — take one space and turn it into something else in less than $$$ dollars. I wish I had more of those skills. Liz and I have been trying to get our laundry room painted the last week. It’s a small room but we are doing multi-colors and have to go around all the appliances and sinks. It’s amazing how much time and energy it takes to paint a room like that. Home projects are incredibly time consuming and, of course, owning a home takes money. They seem to eat it alive. Yet the satisfaction you get from a completed job well-done — priceless.
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I am a wimp when it comes to painting. I know a professional painter who is immensely reasonable, and I’ve had him and his assistant paint different rooms. They do such a better job than I ever could or would.
I also enjoy the rennovation shows (and the housing magazines like Dwell) that showcase beautiful rennovation work. And if they show before and after, all the better.
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I’ve come back to this post a couple of times, QM. Your use of fireworks in combination with sleeplessness intrigues me.
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Robin, thanks so much. Yeah, the fireworks photographs. They do seem to go with sleeplessness. I’m not sure where that idea came from. It was subconscious, I think. But each time I look at one of the photos, it feels like the brain on sleeplessness. Just these little light darts of wakefulness. Or vice versa. My sleep patterns have been crazy the last month or so.
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QM, Guy Fieri 0n Big Bites is one of Brant’s favorite shows! I like him too & especially on Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives. Have you seen it? I also love Paula Deen! 2 years ago, Scaramastra & E bought me one of her cookbooks that is my favorite. Her life story is pretty amazing! I’m also hooked on Iron Chef.
The fact that E watches HGTV cracked me up also! Scaramastra is so right about him being a sci-fi nerd! Like father (J), like son!
I enjoy the home improvement shows on HGTV. So much I would like to change here, but don’t have the energy or $$$ to do it it.
We just returned from from my hometown & my brother D’s big blow out party. Food & fireworks were awesome. We’re taking a break for now, so I understand why you won’t be coming this month. Hope all is well! Love, D
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ybonesy, Liz has been wanting to paint our laundry room since I moved in. We’ve had these gallons of paint that were given to us by a friend quite a while ago. A few weekends ago, we got them out and sampled the colors. So we’re getting really creative with laundry room colors. One wall is this really cool Radish Red. The color that Liz is painting as I type is Wayward Wind. It’s a greenish blue, hard to describe color. It’s a combination of Lamp Black, Thalo green, Thalo blue. A beautiful color. We’re kind of having fun mixing and matching colors. Have one more wall and the cupboards to do. Then the trim. Whew!
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diddy, you’re back! Hope you all had a good time. Ah, Guy’s Big Bite is great. I don’t know what it is about him. He’s got a gruffy welcoming feel to his personality. Mr. McGruff.
Yes, laying low for a bit here. Just haven’t been up for venturing out much the last month. I’m enjoying life’s little pleasures though: gardening, painting, cleaning, getting rid of clutter. I feel best right now doing hands on kinds of projects. And some one-on-one.
Can’t remember if I mentioned it on red Ravine, but last Thursday I helped two of our friends plant native grasses for the 30 foot labyrinth they are building in their front yard. It felt like my contribution to their spiritual endeavor was hard work and time. Sometimes it feels good to be physical. Let’s a lot of energy out.
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Oh, a labyrinth! A must-have for me before I die!
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Scaramastra, I hope your labyrinth wish is granted. My friends rented a sodcutter to cut the 30′ circle in the front yard. They are mapping it from a template they found that they liked. I helped them plant grasses around the perimeter. They are putting down chips, then making the labyrinth trail with pretty good sized rocks and stones. They are up on Lake Superior this weekend. I think they are going to bring a few stones back from there. There’s an aggregate place not far from us where they may get some river stone as well. Liz and I might contribute a few rocks we’ve collected from over the years. What will your labyrinth be like?
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diddy, wanted to mention one other thing about the FoodChannel. Liz and I have started watching Duff on Ace of Cakes out of Baltimore. Have you ever watched that show? I am just floored by the cakes they make. Today they were working on an Edgar Allan Poe cake for a tavern called Annabel Lee. I think that was the last poem Poe wrote before he died. Anyway, we’re hooked on Ace of Cakes!
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QM, Ace of Cakes! Yes, I watch that one & it is amazing what they create. I missed the Edgar Allan Poe cake, but maybe I’ll catch it on a re-run. D
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Couldn’t sleep again last night. Awake from 3am until 5:30am. Grrrr. One good thing, wrote a few haiku to help me fall back to sleep. Also got up and grabbed a notebook to write them down.
Liz, bless her heart, came home yesterday with 6 of those little pocket-sized marble covered Composition notebooks she got for 19 cents a piece on sale. All colors of the rainbow. And 3 full-sized notebooks for 49 cents in yellow, red, and green. Presents for this writer. 8)
Anyway, here are the newest:
Insomnia haiku
__________________
crumpled white paper
word remembrances of love
regurgitation
10 sleepless monsters
rambling around in my head
flat Insomnia
beyond Milky Way
a random act of kindness
what it takes to love
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[…] night I put the small red Composition notebook by my bed. It came in handy when I woke up at 3 a.m. with insomnia. I grabbed it and wrote down these haiku (senryu) floating around in my head. I had hoped the […]
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Can’t sleep tonight. Watching “The Kennedys” on PBS. Lots of great black and white footage and historical perspective. And, of course, remembering Ted Kennedy, youngest of the clan, who died this week. He lived in an entirely different politcal climate than did his brothers — who are frozen in time and will never age. RIP.
_____________
profiles in courage
affairs and indiscretions
we’re all dark and light
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[…] Insomnia Haiku: Counting Syllables In My Sleep […]
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[…] walk in the tradition of the Night Owl, and revel in the sleepless rituals of nuit blanche. Tonight from 9pm to 6am, Liz and I will be […]
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[…] to posts: Northern Spark — Twin Cities Nuit Blanche, Suspended In Light (Reprise), Insomnia Haiku: Counting Syllables In My Sleep, Mickey’s Night Owl Sandwich, Dreams Of A Creative Insomniac Rate this:Share […]
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