In this 16-second film by Crictor, a blow torch + hair dryer + popcorn (with brick and duct tape) makes for a curiously zen moment.  We found two haiku to go with it, brilliant entries to a Popcorn Haiku contest at the Denver Post.

 

Show, golden kernel,
Your tender white potential.
Reveal inner bliss.
Explosion is birth.
Multi-lobed orbs of goodness.
Want butter on that?

 

Both were written by a Denver Post reader named Carol Nelson. It reminded us of our friend Tim Chegwidden’s Time Limited Mind Sharpening Practice about his exercise of regularly writing a poem in a limited amount of time.  So we sat down to try writing a poem to accompany Crictor’s Popcorn.   Here are three versions we wrote in our ten minutes:

 

Not very good but no matter.  We found ourself accessing a different part of our brain as we felt our way to finding words to accompany feeling and image…

…And that expansive feeling accompanied us all day…

 

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

2 replies on “A 16-Second Film’s Moment of Zen Sparks Haiku and a Writing Practice

  1. One hand drops the kernel
    Into the torch;
    The other plucks popcorn
    Out of cool air!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *