Sleepless Senryūs

A senryū is a Japanese poem similar to a haiku in that there are three unrhyming phrases. There is no kigo (seasonal reference). Instead, these short poems are indicative of human nature. Here are a few I wrote last night when I couldn’t sleep.

Trauma manifests in different ways. It affects one’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem. It can bring up emotional shifts vacillating between feelings of deep shame and intense rage. Flipping to rage can feel more comfortable and powerful because it’s a defense against the shame the perpetrator has induced, which can sometimes feel unbearable. Although the shame belongs to the perpetrator, it is often left with the survivor.

“Queen for a day”

In legal terms, a proffer

Protection for…the defendant

Queen for a day.

Sounds royal, doesn’t it?

Justice escapes the plaintiff.

Misdemeanor A

for stalking on his record.

He’s employed, I’m not.

There was no trial.

He took the easy way out.

False vindication.

Silence for a year

but still, I can’t sleep.

When I dream, I dream nightmares.

Approaching thirty.

Can I leave this behind me?

It’s hard to move on…

I would feel better

If someone took care of him,

like Tony Soprano does.

Eyes burning,

never fully closed.

Perhaps, I’ll sleep tomorrow.