Red Alert

Red

Posted by Clare Curran on January 24th, 2012

Though our aim divine/
The delivery is human/
A labour of love

A haiku about Red Alert dedicated to John Hartevelt


36 Responses to “Red”

  1. Nicola says:

    Perhaps you and Cunliffe could release an anthology:

    http://www.fulbright.org.nz/voices/cunliffed-06.html

  2. Dr Brash says:

    That’s not a haiku: the second line is supposed to have seven syllables, not eight like this one does.

    You are right. fixed. Clare

  3. Spud says:

    Divine? :neutral: It’s a blog!

  4. SPC says:

    Inspired by idealism, compromising where necessary. Living down an imperfect past, with the future being a work in progress.

    A haiku is quicker than an essay on values and pragmatism in conflict, or writing a speech on the state of the nation or party (wonder how Obama and then Key/Shearer will go).

  5. Clare Curran says:

    I realise that some people may find this post somewhat obscure. A couple of weeks ago, John Hartevelt, who writes for Fairfax, wrote a blog post about Red Alert.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/blogs/the-whip/6268584/A-new-years-resolution-for-Labour

    Subsequently, I wrote a haiku. I figured I would try my hand at poetry. The reason for writing it was flippant. The substance of the haiku isn’t, though the poet may be amateur.

    John seems to have taken it all in good spirit and tried his hand at a response, which I think is quite good. Here’s what he wrote this afternoon on twitter:

    jhartevelt John Hartevelt
    @ @clarecurranmp @DrBrash I just write a blog / Poetry in my honour / I did not order

  6. As the dying eel
    drifts to the sea floor
    Labour drifts into social media

  7. Gregor W says:

    Such a dextrous duck!
    Shearing the lamb while clipping
    rival’s wings mid-flight

  8. The summer rains fall,
    Hopes for better weather fade,
    Shearer says nothing.

  9. Tracey says:

    New Zealand lies still
    A Prime Minister still lies
    Going nowhere, blame Labour

  10. Joel says:

    “Greens white-ant; encroach”,
    “Collins was the last woman”,
    “Butcher has a choice”.

  11. Tracey says:

    Give Warners millions
    Reinsure failing bizness
    Billions of dollars down the drain

  12. Dave says:

    Decisions are yours
    Through choices we set our lives
    No more excuses

  13. Daz says:

    Teach haiku in schools!
    Half the contributors here
    Dont know how to scan.

  14. Tracey says:

    Daz, be fair, I think it’s just me who doesn’t know how to scan!

  15. Hilary says:

    Not a haiku, but an ever-relevant political poem by my late mother. (By the way she was an award-winning, published haiku poet and said the 5,7,5 format was not always required)

    The people’s party gave me a start
    Now I’ve made my pile
    Our ways must part

  16. former Labour supporter says:

    We need to take this Party back to its roots, he says,
    From the dying embers of electoral failure
    Then—Radio Live: apologetics for Rogernomics,
    And the ruin of the provinces

    Opportunity sighs!
    By convoluted detours and bungling circumlocutions,
    Back, not to principle, but to the roots of failure

    Bought out by business backers
    Wizened intellects wheeze out of tired hacks

    Depression nestling down,
    eventually begets egalitarian sentiment

    Lost in the shadow of a single stride of History
    Labour a glossy leaflet
    Indifferently discarded in the gutters of time

  17. Evan says:

    Labour has the values! John Key did not want MMP that is DEMOCRACY in action. He is power hungry.

    Further evidence of values of some National voters :
    http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/12719404/cheaters-more-likely-to-be-christian-and-support-national/

    Labour – your opportunity to be the party of TRUST!!

  18. Dion says:

    Evan, correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the 2008 election about trust?

  19. bhudson says:

    Spring blooms a new hope
    Bright Blue vision grows a fresh
    Red October wilts

    [Would help if we lived in the Northern Hemipshere]

  20. Dion_makes_a_good_point says:

    Evan looks to the past
    Reflect and you surely find
    The red season is extinction in kind

  21. Mac1 says:

    Crimson sunset skies
    Ease the day into night; red
    Heralds the new dawn.

  22. SJW says:

    Our blind culture’s rules:
    Promote need, leads to yield,
    Nonsense reigns supreme

  23. steelykc says:

    Communities hurt
    Blamers point fingers only
    to stall solutions

  24. Mac1 says:

    The blaming finger
    Points not at its intended
    victim, but at self.

  25. SJW says:

    Deciphered it meant
    A brighter future for me
    Not you, you losers

  26. Joel says:

    Autumn of a Red,
    The refreshing winter Blue,
    Springs a green banner.

  27. E cartman says:

    Screw you guys I’m going home !

  28. SJW says:

    Red turns to Purple,
    Green to Teal, and more droves
    give up on voting

  29. SJW says:

    T.P.P.A aims:
    Trick Public Perception Act
    to rip all right off

  30. slightlyrighty says:

    Teapot tapes released
    innocuous chat revealed
    nothing to see here

  31. SJW says:

    slightlyrighty:

    just distraction from
    more important issues like
    whole-sale ripoff deals

  32. slightlyrighty says:

    SJW

    Herald and Canwest
    make mountain out of molehill
    who’s distracting who?

  33. SJW says:

    Lol slightlyrighty,

    Herald and Canwest?
    Wasting your time reading their
    disinformation!

  34. Curious says:

    Banned for 3 months. Offensive. Clare

  35. Tracey says:

    They killed Kenny!!!!

  36. Spud says:

    :o !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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