The Bare Minimum

What I love most about poetry is that it strips language bare to the essential.  So much relies on every single word, and in many cases every single syllable.  Take the haiku, for example--all you get is three lines, 17 syllables (5-7-5 breakdown).

Considering our trying economic times, then, we could perhaps agree that the haiku would be an effective way to voice the heart of our woes.  Featured in The Economist, these haiku poems come from submissions to a survey conducted by the The Kauffman Foundation.  Below are a few of my favorites (although some of them messed up their syllables!).  You can read them all here and vote for your favorite here.

jobs and Jobs are gone
need more Jobs to get more jobs
innovate to grow
-Arthur Diamond

Those kids blame the banks.
Is Wall Street pre-occupied?
Next: capital strike.
-Michael Munger

Double dip at bay
Despite moronic Congress
Europe sinks us all
-Ryan Avent

This is not so hard.
Helicopter money please.
Wired straight to households.
-Steve Waldman

Uncertainty rules
While the economy suffers
Politics rejoices
-Pedro Albuquerque