Upstart… and Election Haikus

February 21, 2011 by theantiroom

Political art has come into its own (and moved on to the streets) in recent years. In the run-up to this year’s General Election, the excellent Upstart campaign asked for submissions from artists, illustrators, writers, designers and film-makers to come up with an antidote to the candidate election posters. Anti Room’s Nuala Ní Chonchúir wrote an election haiku (seen here, nestled cosily between posters for Labour and Independent Paul Sommerville) and gave us an idea.

Photo: Unkiedave

We want you to embrace your inner Yeats and tap that Seamus Heaney vein and hit us your best election haiku.

We’ll even offer a mystery prize for the best one.

Let the 5-7-5 syllable madness begin!

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Posted in Art, Politics, Society | Tagged #ge11, 2011 General Election, Election haikus, Upstart | 68 Comments

68 Responses

on February 21, 2011 at 11:51 am | Reply David Core

telegraph poles and enda kenny posters you can,t see the wood for the trees
on February 21, 2011 at 11:55 am | Reply Brian Caffrey

I should not have watched
The Thick of It on telly
The same here as there.
on February 21, 2011 at 11:59 am | Reply Stan

Behold my soundbites!
Vote for my face; trust my hair.
Just – don’t vote for them.
on February 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm | Reply Shirt'n'Tie

Empty Promises
Change of Face?
The IMF won this race long ago.
on February 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm | Reply Aleo

Every lamp-post blooms
With smiling politicians
Ripe for the tearing.
on February 21, 2011 at 12:25 pm | Reply Richard Chapman

Tired of the same old worn-out
Wealthy-favouring
Right-wing politics? No? Good.
on February 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm | Reply Stan

I kiss your baby,
Shake your hand and promise change,
I drink your milkshake.
on February 21, 2011 at 12:50 pm | Reply Katherine

There are so many
How can one possibly pick
The best of the fools?
on February 21, 2011 at 12:52 pm | Reply sweetoblivion26

Out of mouths come words,
Twisting, tumbling, twittering.
Do they speak for you?
on February 21, 2011 at 12:53 pm | Reply Eleanor Fitzsimons

Do we hope in vain
Whilst watching the men
Playing Dail musical chairs?
on February 21, 2011 at 12:55 pm | Reply Dulach G

The Spring blossoms ends
February twenty-third
A winter of barbed poles
on February 21, 2011 at 12:56 pm | Reply Colin J Morris

Electioneering
your arses off for profit.
We have no money.
on February 21, 2011 at 1:08 pm | Reply Dave Rudden

Like ice floes moving
higher powers war for space
we suffer between
on February 21, 2011 at 1:18 pm | Reply Allan Cavanagh

We will bring you change
As soon as we find someone
to break this fiver.
- on February 22, 2011 at 11:17 am | Reply Kim V
  
  Ha! Oh wait.. that’s not funny:(
on February 21, 2011 at 1:19 pm | Reply Michelle McDaid

A choice of many!
A choice hidden in the mist?
But choice of no one.
on February 21, 2011 at 1:32 pm | Reply Michelle

Bellowing voices
Scoring points that don’t add up
Hand me my passport
on February 21, 2011 at 1:34 pm | Reply Mari G

Gerry Adams should
stick to his guns when it comes
to economics
- on February 22, 2011 at 2:46 pm | Reply Jennie Ridyard
  
  Very smart!
on February 21, 2011 at 1:38 pm | Reply Charlie Connelly

There’s no real choice here
So I’m forced to rule you out
Due to your moustache.
- on February 22, 2011 at 2:47 pm | Reply Jennie Ridyard
  
  Hah! I, um, “LOLed”.
on February 21, 2011 at 2:04 pm | Reply Twenty Major

Politics is fucked
Same old same old same old cunts
Where is my whiskey?
on February 21, 2011 at 2:10 pm | Reply Twenty Major

Enda Kenny? No.
Gilmore? Adams? Martin? No.
Twenty for Taoiseach.
on February 21, 2011 at 2:16 pm | Reply Nick McGivney

They knock, eyes aflame.
They promise all. Never trust
a fucking junkie.
- on February 22, 2011 at 11:16 am | Reply Kim V
  
  This is fabulous:)
on February 21, 2011 at 2:31 pm | Reply Niamh Bonner

Writing first haiku
Bout general election
Ask for number one
on February 21, 2011 at 2:36 pm | Reply June Caldwell

Red ties for male cocks
Too much election spunk here
Bring on the women
on February 21, 2011 at 2:46 pm | Reply mick travis

Ideology?
Independents stand for
Themselves alone
on February 21, 2011 at 3:02 pm | Reply mick travis

Yesterday’s men here.
Asking me to believe that
It was not their fault
on February 21, 2011 at 3:03 pm | Reply Tim Bradford

All the money’s gone.
Land covered in shit concrete.
Vote the bastards out!
on February 21, 2011 at 3:20 pm | Reply June Caldwell

Banish Fianna Fáil
gobshites to a ghost estate
of the people’s choice
- on February 22, 2011 at 11:19 am | Reply Kim V
  
  Not a bad idea.
on February 21, 2011 at 4:03 pm | Reply Jude Leavy

Bring me news of change?
Not another set of fools
Talking utter shite
on February 21, 2011 at 4:08 pm | Reply Levdavidovic

Overshadowed by Bertie, Biffo,
Martin, the man with only faint hope
Consoles himself with Willie
on February 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm | Reply Levdavidovic

Enda, without personality
Sails through life, a political Rainman:
I’m an excellent leader
on February 21, 2011 at 4:24 pm | Reply Antonia Hart

GE11
Will change Ireland. Oh. Except
– well, most things really.
on February 21, 2011 at 4:31 pm | Reply GE11 Haiku Competition « Antonia Hart's Blog

[...] a general election 2011 haiku competition over at the Antiroom with a mystery prize for the winner! Inspired by the Upstart campaign which took submissions from [...]
on February 21, 2011 at 4:40 pm | Reply Ann

I could not be arsed voting, I must shut up now, forever
on February 21, 2011 at 4:42 pm | Reply Ann

I have no ties that bind, see I flap on telephone poles, the party whip me
on February 21, 2011 at 4:42 pm | Reply Conor Horgan

(sorry, one last change)

Which one shall we pick?
Who most deserves to be first
up against the wall?
on February 21, 2011 at 4:59 pm | Reply TrishaD

“Vote for me” says he
You’ll be safe with me you see
“No way” says I, Goodbye
on February 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm | Reply Brian Caffrey

Eeny Meeny My
Knee Mo is the best way to
Differentiate
on February 21, 2011 at 5:35 pm | Reply June Caldwell

Saw a jailed banker
Eating Smash, crying his lamps out,
But then I woke up
- on February 22, 2011 at 11:14 am | Reply Kim V
  
  Awesome
on February 21, 2011 at 6:08 pm | Reply Dulach G

Should the candidates
Knock on the doors or are they
Hiding in the cracks?
on February 21, 2011 at 6:33 pm | Reply Dulach G

Dealing with the cards
To pick kings, queens and the jacks
Can not find aces
on February 21, 2011 at 6:53 pm | Reply Dulach G

I can’t stop, I love haiku!

Noble patriots
are putting the country first
-headfirst into Hell
on February 21, 2011 at 7:09 pm | Reply Dulach G

Larry Gogan asked
Martin ‘where are the Andes?’
‘First I’ve to say’
on February 21, 2011 at 9:37 pm | Reply June Caldwell

Bullshit bullshit bull
even more bullshit than bull
with bullshit on top
on February 21, 2011 at 10:13 pm | Reply Fiona

Another five years
Same shit, different faces
Revolution please
on February 21, 2011 at 10:14 pm | Reply Fiona

The winds of change have
Bypassed Ireland’s shores once more
Only hot air here
on February 22, 2011 at 12:04 am | Reply Jon Hanna

The new year arrives.
Snow all gone. Posters up.
But the chill remains.
on February 22, 2011 at 12:30 am | Reply June Caldwell

Jackie Healy Rae
looks like a Pez dispenser
just press cap on head
on February 22, 2011 at 3:33 am | Reply Richard Chapman

Egypt roars, Bahrain
fights, Libya rises up
We… vote Fine Gael
on February 22, 2011 at 4:02 am | Reply Richard Chapman

(I posted a version of this earlier, but miscounted the syllables!)

Tired of the same old wealthy-favouring right-wing politics?
No?
Good.
on February 22, 2011 at 12:46 pm | Reply EmilyAM

Joan Collins, running
in my constituency,
is not who you think.
on February 22, 2011 at 12:49 pm | Reply EmilyAM

E-voting killed the
tallying star. Or at least
it tried. Watch this space.
on February 22, 2011 at 1:53 pm | Reply June Caldwell

Bankers scoffed scallops
to the rising tune of Cowen
beating his monkey
- on February 22, 2011 at 2:17 pm | Reply June Caldwell
  
  Sinne Fianna Fáil
  Jackin’ the nation’s Beanstalk
  Saoirse with an axe
on February 22, 2011 at 2:55 pm | Reply Jennie Ridyard

Oh Dylan Haskins
So pretty on the posters
You get my XXXs
on February 22, 2011 at 9:28 pm | Reply Moloch50

Tweeted and blogged
Online Hash tag GE11
No canvasser seen
on February 23, 2011 at 5:07 am | Reply Richard Chapman

The canvasser was
De Valera’s great-grandson
Or “Dev the One-Eighth”
on February 23, 2011 at 5:35 pm | Reply Jo

there could be new trees
in the grey city centre
we could hear birdsong
on February 23, 2011 at 11:11 pm | Reply DeirdreC

Election eleven
Terrible beauties make plans
5 Pinocchios
on February 24, 2011 at 11:45 am | Reply Wiki Ta Lineman

Five point gombeen man
Me hole mea culpa aris
A plague on all your ballots
on February 24, 2011 at 11:51 am | Reply Wiki Ta Lineman

One for the search engines…

Abused Lucinda’s gay
Vote collapses ’bout same
Sex wedding cock-up
on February 25, 2011 at 7:28 pm | Reply iamagnat

People of Ireland, the true Gaelic solution, it’s our 5 pint plan.
on February 25, 2011 at 7:30 pm | Reply iamagnat

Voting releases
that churning guilty feeling,
pointless duty done.

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