Wiffle Haiku: Wiffleball's Beauty Is Poetry In Motion

Despite several differences, wiffleball mirrors baseball in many ways. One similarity that sticks out in particular is that it's a "thinking man's game." A lot of strategy goes into defeating your opponent on the diamond but I find myself with a wondering mind much of the time during game plan and leave the strategy to my far more talented teammates. Instead, I use the opportunity to think about other things. I make up characters, roast players from the other team (but usually torture my own teammates), look up memes on the Internet, and sometimes come up with moving poems about how playing wiffleball makes me feel inside.

Poetry is a lost art that's not publicly enjoyed by many people anymore, at least in our area. Growing up I enjoyed reading the Songs of Soloman or the songs David wrote in the book of Psalms. I also enjoyed reading the epics of Homer and classical stories of Graeco-Roman mythology as well as the legends in Plutarch's 'Lives of the Noble Greeks & Romans'. The more complex and often humorous poems of works like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales also fancied my interest while I was in high school. In college, I became more enamored with simpler poetry. Writers like E.E. Cummings had a way of writing interesting poems in very simple (yet interesting) forms. His poem, "l(a" (also known as "a leaf falls, loneliness") completely changed my mindset of thinking all poetry had to be ornate and dense. Not long after that I discovered a new type of poetry known as Haiku.

For those who may not know, Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that originated in the 17th Century. The defining characteristic to this genre of poetry is it's emphasis on syllables. Traditionally, the poem is split into three lines with the sum of 17 syllables. The first line line is made of 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables, and the final line 5 syllables once again. The 5-7-5 format makes has a visual symmetry that is very appealing. An alternate form of haiku cuts the sum down to 11 syllables with a 3-5-3 structure. So if you ever have seen me counting in the outfield or on the bench, you now know why. Below are some of the haiku I have made throughout the years:

First Pitch Strikeout (3-5-3 structure)

Metallic sound

such shame to my team

I sit down

Walk-off Homer (3-5-3 structure) Ball sails high

on wings of thunder

through the sky

3rd Inning Roast (5-7-5 structure)

You are my friend but

If you strike out I will say "Chortle my balls, son"

Crouching Dog / Hidden Feces (5-7-5 structure)

Dog runs onto field