“Haiku”
by Juan A. Rodriguez
Can You Imagine
All Those Beautiful Thoughts
Dying Never Expressed
(Obscura, Vol.3, p.1)
I’ve always considered haikus to be especially compelling, since I believe they embody two of the best qualities of poetry—compactness and vividness. I’ve always thought that haikus are especially sleek and streamlined, with words so carefully appointed and arranged, that they have the capabilities to melt together and become an image or an essence or a sentiment. Rodriguez’s poem, which begins the third volume of Obscura, is no exception. His poem exposes the brilliance and singularity of individual thought, alongside the tragedy of its potential isolation and loss. But Rodriguez’s poem is a radiant start to a remarkable issue because his poem precedes the expression of so many unique and outstanding ideas; indeed, his haiku mourns the dissolution of thought but it offers tremendous promise as it prefaces a vibrant and evocative series of literary and artistic gems.
