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Monday, June 17, 2013

Become a poet with Haboob Haiku

Haboob Haiku: Year Two
 

Dust storm poetry
Shakespeare's got nothing on this
More great haiku, please

PHOENIX — As part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s efforts to spread the word about dust storm safety, the agency is once again asking people to channel their inner poets and send in their haboob haikus.

Haboob Haiku: Year Two gets underway today through ADOT’s social media sites. ADOT first issued the Haboob Haiku Challenge last year as part of its “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” dust storm awareness campaign. The challenge was such a smashing success that worldwide media featured some of the 600 haiku submissions. The “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” campaign re-launched yesterday as part of Arizona Monsoon Awareness Week. The campaign will run through the summer, reminding drivers about the dangers of dust storms and monsoon storms.

A haiku is a form of structured Japanese poetry that follows the traditional rules of three lines of five, seven and five syllables, respectively. The haikus are designed to reinforce ADOT’s public safety message urging drivers to avoid driving into or through a dust storm at all costs. Drivers are instead encouraged to pull off the roadway and wait out a dust storm rather than trying to drive with reduced or zero visibility.

This year, everyone is encouraged to send in their haboob haikus to the following ADOT social media sites:
Some of the favorite haboob haikus from last year include:
  • You’re not a Jedi. / This is not Tatooine, Luke / Pull over now, man.
  • Dust blows, swirls and grows / Roadways become danger zones / Pull over, lights off
  • Wham, bam, dust storm jam / Can’t see, don’t drive, pull over / Lights out ’til all clear
Dust storm driving tips and educational videos can be found at www.PullAsideStayAlive.org.

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