Salaryman Senryu: Best of 2007
Dai-Ichi Life Insurance company has selected the best Salaryman Senryu poems of 2007! A senryu is a Japanese poem that is similar to a haiku in form, but slightly different, as Wikipedia explains:
However, senryu- tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryu- are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are serious. Senryu- do not need to include a kigo, or season word, like haiku.
The poems poke some cynical fun at the life of Japanese salarymen. Here are the top 3:
How good it is to be a dog: even when trapped on a cliff, someone saves you.
-Alluding to the the stray dog rescued from a Tokushima cliff in November.
The only warmth in my life is a toilet seat.
-Alluding to the harsh realities of life and Japan’s heated toilet seats.
My brain age can already receive a pension.
-Alluding the the popular Nintendo DS brain-training game.
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
[Note: My translations are far from perfect. If you've got a correction, feel free to post it in the comments.]
