THE ART OF HAIKU
Beneath the covers
I lie enchanted – ping ping
here comes the Spring rain
Katya
I first discovered Haiku in an Oriental Art and Philosophy class in college, and was enchanted by the poem’s brevity and insight into nature and human emotion. Such depth, wisdom, playfulness and beauty was contained in this “essence” poem –just three lines, with its five-seven-five syllable count. My professor explained that this particular structure resonates with the rhythm of the human breath. That is why when one hears a Haiku read aloud, or even when read silently, there is a particularly engaging musicality to it.
Each Haiku is a tiny world of its own. Whether the poem is about a flower opening its petals to the sun, a woman looking in the mirror, or a cat playing with an old garden hose, Haiku often offers an “aha” moment to both writer and reader, as we become “one” with the image and its levels of meaning.
Haiku Structure:
This is a haiku
5
in seventeen syllables
7
one revelation
5
Haiku can be lighthearted, bittersweet, philosophical or joyous. Here are a few examples from classic Japanese haiku as well as poems from My Haiku Life.
Now that I am old
even tender days of spring
see…can make me cry
Issa
In that brief moment
when the firefly went out
oh lonely darkness
Hokushi
This is happiness
crossing the summer river
sandals in my hand
Buson
Suddenly the sky
gives us a broken dish moon
half of her enough
Katya
I like the wild wolf
he eats fish and he howls loud
I want to be him
Zach Sanders, (1st grader)
Comforting moment
sets of freshly laundered sheets
floating over the bed
Marge Craig
One fat seagull stole
my half-eaten green apple
a smile on his beak
Sara Reese
Writing Your Own Haiku
My Zen professor always said, with a smile, all it takes is “practice, practice, practice!” Let yourself tune in closely to nature and the seasons, to city streets, to a pot of rice sending out its fragrance from the stove. You have a kindred relationship to animals, trees, people, the stars, moon, and rain. Look around you, what do you see? What holds meaning for you, at this moment now?
The pen is waiting
with the world spread out below
for you to notice
To further explore the world of Haiku, please see Publications page.