OK, perhaps you’ve heard there’s going to be this PrairieFest shindig at Tandy Hills Park on Saturday. The West and Clear posse will be out in full force to support this wonderful park, and to help spread a little more beauty in the Panther City, we’re sponsoring a Haiku Contest at our booth.

It was either that or have Pete Wann wrestle a bobcat, and this just seemed more earth friendly.

So, for those of you who have forgotten the haiku skills you acquired in fourth grade, a haiku is a Japanese short form, three-line poem that usually emphasizes some aspect of the natural world. The first line is five syllables, the second is seven syllables, the third is five syllables. Here is an example I just came up with. I call it, “Tandy Hills.”

Big Bluestem Grass waves
Ripley Arnold saw this once
Past and present meld

Of course, haiku as it is practiced in America is much looser than the traditional Japanese form. It can be humorous, satirical or ironic, like this one I like to call “FW TX BS”

Barnett Shale’s a boon?
Give me an effing break, dude
Chesapeake sucks gas

I kind of like that one. Sort of jaunty. OK, OK … I’m feeling it now. I call this one “Citizens of the Shale.”

What’s sadder, Fort Worth?
Chesapeake’s TV shilling,
Or its two viewers?

You get the idea. So here are the rules:

Hope to see you there.

Tags: brave combo, contests, Environment, events, nature, outdoors, prairie fest, Tandy Hills

Related Posts on West and Clear

• April 26, 2008 -- PrairieFest 2008: Afternoon of the Iguana
• April 17, 2008 -- Breaking: Construction Crew Successful In Daring Turtle Rescue!
• April 16, 2008 -- Beautiful Springtime
• April 14, 2008 -- Scenes from Last Year’s PrairieFest
• April 24, 2009 -- Weekend Events
• February 14, 2009 -- Where the West Begins
• October 20, 2008 -- Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
• April 26, 2008 -- West and Clear Podcast – “Prairie Fest 2008″
• April 23, 2008 -- Hey! Do You Haiku?
• April 7, 2008 -- West and Clear Podcast – “Prairie Fest Preview”