Switzerland Inspired: Haiku and Senryu Poetry

You might not associate haiku poetry with Switzerland, renowned for its luxury watches and chocolatiers. A landlocked destination for skiers and spa visitors, it lies in the heart of Europe.

From the Swiss Alps to the Jura mountains via a network of green corridors, the impressive peaks and stunning lakes play host to a biodiverse population of wildlife. Wild lynx and resident wolves roam freely in the forests, protected by laws, that cover 32% of the country and also provide a home for rare flora and fauna.

Such an abundance of nature cannot help but inspire poetic notions.

Inhale the alpine mountain air, follow a breeze across a field of bowing grasses, close your eyes. Listen to the idle clonk of cowbells, the caw of crows and, in the far distance, a farm dog. Slowly exhale and open your eyes to the splendour of Switzerland.

This collection of haiku and senryu poetry spans a decade and reflects scenes I have witnessed. It tracks my progress, learning as I go.

This book is not so much a "How To" but more a "How I". I have studied the rules pertaining to short form poetry, but I tend to view them as guidelines only. Some I comply with, others I ignore. Poetry comes first.

I am sharing these whimsical wonders with you to entertain and delight. Be they ordinary or remarkable, they are all special in their simplicity. Read them slowly to savour the essence.

Auteur

The best word to describe Paul Douglas Lovell is "unconventional" and it makes sense that his author bio would also be far from typical.

Coming from a motherless family of five children, this runt of the litter had to scratch and scramble for any attention he received. In his book, Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts, the reader finds a young Paul in the 1970s living on the margins of society. Homelife was always unsteady with the threat of eviction and a struggle to pay for amenities. It was a cold and hungry existence. Petty criminality and abuse further distorted his outlook on life, and he quickly became a problem child.

His time at school was spent on everything, but learning. Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail finds Paul attending school in the 1980s, without much change. He was still labelled a problem. His academic knowledge, that of an eleven-year-old, he left school without qualifications, struggling to read and lacking ambition.

Yet, within a year, a seed was sown. Paul yearned to become a writer. Even at 16, he knew he had enough fodder for a book, though it would be years before he would commit any of it to paper.

That required courage and understanding of his past. He tried his hand at fiction, keeps a sealed envelope containing his first draft complete with grammatical errors and misused words. One saving grace, Paul was a clean slate, and, once he moved to London, he spent time gaining whatever knowledge he could.

In Paulyanna: International Rent Boy, the reader finds Paul living in London during the 1990s and working the streets, a profession he fell into and one that suited him. While unorthodox, and regardless of ethics and judgments, he felt valued for the first time in his life. Being paid for being himself felt like an achievement. He was encouraged to take a beginner writing course and a course in media studies. He obtained a job in a production and distribution company. Music television was the perfect employer, Paul was tasked with writing synopses of the concerts to further practice his art.

He moved to Switzerland in 2000. Began working as a classroom assistant in a kindergarten. The irony of scrawling "Mr. Lovell" on the blackboard when he covered a class of rowdy teenagers brings a smile to his face

Paul now spends his time writing memoirs, haiku, and creating collage, comics and images.