Ethical Considerations in Haiku

Haiku (俳句) is a succinct presentation of three phrases comprising 17 total phonetic units (in English, we use the notion of syllables but other phonemes are used for counting in Japanese). Traditional Japanese haiku will make use of kireji to indicate rhythmic divisions as well as a seasonal reference of some kind. Westernized and other interpretations of the modern haiku will disregard these stricter rules that one would find in traditional haiku.

The ever-changing and strict presence of ethics, values, and morality in most aspects of our lives can leave us as individuals feeling overwhelmed. It's a constant consideration of virtue and constant scrutinization of the companies, systems, people, and places we interact with that can drain our energy, and often times it is easier to ignore, disregard, or defer thinking about (or, maybe more importantly, acting on) moral ambiguity or ethical dilemma. In an attempt to exercise a part of my brain that I have never really exercised before, the following is a series of haiku that questions, analyses, and otherwise expresses corporate ethics. Enjoy.

In the market pulse,
Heartbeats of integrity,
Drown in rhythmic greed.

Numbers rise in time,
Conscience lost in profit's climb,
Balance lost in green.

We race for profit,
Humans lost in the dust,
Power finished first.

Corporate compass spins,
Head North to morality,
Navigating greed.

Face power with will,
Face greed under uncertainty,
Virtue sets you free.