Sunday, January 22, 2006

The Masonic Haiku Writing Contest


L'épée en main
Dos à la porte d'airain
Il nous protège serein




Solstice d'hiver
En cette nuit de Saint-Jean
La Lumière renaît




Those are haikus. Masonic haikus. Written in French.

In English, the first one says,

The sword in hand
Back with the bronze door
It protects us serene


And the second one translates as,

Winter solstice
In this night of Midsummer's Day
The Light reappears


Haikus are a style of Asian poetry. The rules for writing a haiku are simple. There must be 17 syllables — five in the first line, seven in the second, and five again in the third.

There are three lines. The first and third lines of a haiku are each a total of five syllables. The second line is seven syllables.

Example ('|'s are used to separate syllables):

Line 1: Vis | it | this | web | site

Line 2: Sub | mit | your | Ma | son | ic | words

Line 3: It's | a | lot | of | fun!

I got this idea from Blog Maçonnique, a French-speaking Masonic blog, which posted this idea yesterday. Let's have a contest. Post your best Masonic-themed haiku in the comments section at the end of this article. After we collect several, maybe we'll even have a poll to decide which one's the best, and we'll try to get it published somewhere more impressive than here.

Here's my first attempt:

Square and compasses
Enclosing the letter G
What do they mean now?


And some more that came to mind:

Donuts and coffee.
Open, pray, pledge, talk, close, go.
Except when there's work.


Blind and poor I came.
I found Light but not enough
To keep me coming.


Seven thirty now.
The Master raps his gavel.
Close the door, Tyler.


It must have been fun
Writing Masonic haikus.
I've done it all night.

11 comments:

  1. Gold around their necks.
    Fuzzy purple aprons on.
    Grand Lodge guys are here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let me join your club.
    My daddy was a Mason.
    Isn't that enough?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wisdom, strength, beauty.
    Freemasonry's three pillars.
    It's about balance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AIO! You scream
    As they hang you from the bridge
    and cut out your tongue.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Starlit sky above
    Tracingboard is a roadmap
    All signs pointing East

    *

    Where do we come from?
    Operative Masons' guild,
    Templars, Egyptians?

    *

    Argh, they took my bling!
    Standing here with no clothes on
    Wond'ring 'bout the goat

    ReplyDelete
  6. In times of trial.
    In whom do you put your trust?
    In God almighty!

    Who are Freemasons?
    Brothers and fellows alike.
    Most trustworthy friends!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Blazing star above.
    East to west, west to east, home.
    Checkerboard below.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Scottish Rite, York Rite,
    Grotto, Shriners, O.E.S.
    Not enough people.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cable-towed, hookwinked
    I'm clothed like a heretic.
    Round and round I go.

    ReplyDelete
  10. West to East I go
    Sublime light of ancient Sun
    I slumber no more

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Solomon Key
    Secrets of the Widows Son
    Symbols, Secrets, Truth?

    ReplyDelete

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