1. Senryu in Japanese means "River Willow." It is a three-line unrhymed Japanese poem structurally similar to a haiku but treating human nature usually in an ironic or satiric vein. It was developed from haiku, and became especially popular among the common people about the 18th century. It was named after Karai Hachiemon (pen name Senryu), one of the most popular practitioners of the form. The 100 finalists for Dai-Ichi Life Insurance’s annual “Salaryman Senryu” contest (2012) have been announced. Some of the poems reflect common topics that never seem to get old. Other poems reflect recent events and technological developments, such as post-3/11 electricity saving, K-Pop, and smart phones. Many make use of clever puns. 2. Below are crude translations of three Senryu poems from the article headlined "Humorous Japanese Salaryman Poems (2012 Edition)" at http://www.japanprobe.com/2012/02/17/humorous-japanese-salaryman-poems-2012-edition/ To conserve electricity – I’ve been sent home from work early – my wife sighs. The value of the yen is rising – I’m going overseas! – I don’t have yen. Smart phone – it’s just like my wife – I can’t control it. 3. Readers can find more examples of senryu poems in the links below: Senryu Poems | Examples of Senryu Poetry http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/senryu The Serious Side of Senryu http://simplyhaiku.com/SHv4n3/senryu/senryu.html SENRYU http://members.optushome.com.au/kazoom/poetry/senryu.html Haiku & Senryu Examples http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/examples.html Senryū http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senryū 4. I tried writing "something" below: When all the girls pass by Without even taking a look at me, I realise it's time to admit my age. Why do I call it "something"? There are too many words in it to be called a "senryu". I don't even dare to call it a poem. It's just an "expression" of my thought and feeling. Readers are welcome to share their "senyu poems" whatever expressions they regard as "poems".
