Heirloom Bowl

First published in Frogpond 45:2, Spring/Summer 2022, pages 146–147. I am grateful for this commentary on my poem (which I consider to be haiku, not senryu).

by David Cashman

heirloom bowl—

a few granny smiths

beginning to wrinkle

Michael Dylan Welch

Michael Dylan Welch’s senryu in [Frogpond] 45:1 struck me as particularly wonderful. The first line prompts the reader’s imagination to picture a handsome piece of ceramic art, a bowl whose beauty has encouraged its preservation through several generations. Currently, it is in use holding some apples. That they are “granny smiths” is perfect—the name of the apple variety harmonizes with the age of the bowl. The last line, however, presents a dramatic contrast—the apples are beginning to show their age; the fruit goes bad at a faster rate than the handcrafted bowl. “heirloom . . . granny smiths . . . wrinkle”—the image is artfully observed and thrillingly rendered. Bravo!