a southbound Amtrak

From a list of the most popular free software offerings (mostly operating systems) that provide alternatives to Microsoft Windows. Submitted by Geoff Blanchard.

25-5-12

Please could you park
in the student car park if
you are in again.

The student car park
is on the opposite side
of the building.

A handwritten note found on the street near to my house in the UK, signed “Traffic Controller”. The title is the date written on the note. Submitted by Steve Clement-Large.

Weather Girl’s Haiku

A wet and cold start
This morning windy. Later
rain dying away.

The BBC Breakfast weather forecast, as delivered by Carol Kirkwood, March 2012. ‘The’ removed from the start of line 3. Submitted by Fran Isherwood.

Breaking up

What am I supposed
to do now? I’ve got your face
tattooed on my arm.

From a most incredible exchange on Facebook, in which a young man finds out that his girlfriend of one week has had his face inked permanently on her body. Sadly, for us, a hoax. Submitted by Gabriel Smy.

The moderate Finnish sauna

You should not slap
your neighbours without asking
their permission first.

The sauna is dear to me, almost sacred.
My father was born in one,
and his dying wish was to bathe
in a sauna one last time.

Summer is the best time to go.
Strike a match, hear
the crackling of dry birch wood
as it is engulfed by the greedy flames,
then sit down on the steps
to ponder the ways of the world
and wait for the sauna to warm up.

Your body sighs with relief when the first
ladleful of water hits the sizzling stove.
The experience is topped off with a dive
into a pure, clear lake.
What else does a human being need?

Both the senryu and main poem are from a piece about saunas by Olli Rehn, the European Commissioner in charge of the Eurozone crisis. Omitted: ‘to the sauna’ (line 5) and ‘sauna’ (lines 9 & 14). Submitted by Gabriel Smy.

Lion/Lamb

Rain makes for mood of
sadness. I wish for sunny
days for all. My fans.

A tweet by Tommy Wiseau on 4th January, 2012. Submitted by Marika Rose.