"Strumming" - an reading.

The Haiku, by Mr. Alvin B. Cruz, really stood out to me due to it's emotionally resonant tone. To truly dive in, we must first read this poem, as found here: https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/search?q=Guitar&m=1

The Haiku itself:

"strumming,

her ex-lover's guitar

silent rain."

To break down this Haiku, each verse is dissected one by one:

"Strumming" - a singular word used to describe the act of pulling onto the strings of the guitar, But also strumming along the heart. It's a dual meaning verse to my reading due to the melodic and symbolic connotations the word carries.

"her ex-lover's guitar" - emphasis on the "ex" really shows that this relationship is a product of the past, something that is long gone. The use of a guitar is quit interesting, as it's a stereotypical romantic trope in romantic media (The man serenades his object of affection). The fact it's specified as the ex's guitar helps support this perception: a tool of affection that has been discarded, perhaps reflecting how the subject feels?

"silent rain" - Silent rain is poetic due to it's symbolism: Rain is often used as a shorthand for sadness or feelings of pain. however the silence signifies that the pain is internalized instead of externalized, which leads to a more introspective quality to the work.

At the end, the piece moved me, as someone who is quite sentimental. I remember my breakups. And the pain isnt sharp like the immediate devastation, but it leaves scars. scars that are impossible to really get over, but you keep going. There's alway going to be a part of you that wants to steer into the territories of "What-could've-been", and old relationships are tragic to many because of the sudden death of the familiar, comforting presence of a romantic partner. But at the end, you keep going.

-Hendrik