Can You Haiku?

In keeping with National Poetry Month, we're going to talk a bit about haiku, a Japanese form of poetry. It's one of the simplest when you look at it because it is classically three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count for the trio. It's an old form dating back hundreds of years.

When first begun, haiku nearly always dealt with the seasons in some way. Like all things, these short snippets of a poem have evolved to a contemporary mode which still highlights nature and the seasons but also other things, as well. 

I got interested in haiku when a writer friend gave a presentation at a conference. She made it seem so easy. That night as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, words kept jumping over fences instead of sheep. I started composing  little haiku poems. One I liked so well that I got up and wrote it down. I knew I'd never remember it the next day. 

Some of today's haiku are serious while others inject a bit of humor. My state authors club annual contest has a separate category for haiku poetry. I've never had the courage to enter any of the ones I've written but maybe this year I should do so. Who's to say what is a winner? We never know til we submit. 

A good site I found on more about haiku--what it is and how to write it along with some examples can be read here. Give it a good read and then try writing your own haiku. This next site will show you poems from ancient Japanese poets. Reading them shows us how much alike our worlds are in some respects even though hundreds of years have elapsed.

I'm going to close with four of the haiku I have written. Can you haiku, too? Absolutely! Give it a try. It's really a lot of fun to create these little three line poems. Punctuation is up to you--use it or not. Same with subject matter but this is a perfect time to write about spring, isn't it? Send us one in the comments section.

feather floats softly
on gentle autumn breeze
bird flies, loss unknown



a pear tree in bloom,
beautiful cherry blossoms--
springtime sneezing machines



tall grass brushes sky,
prairie flowers, gold and flame--
a painting by God

trembling hand grasps cane

diamond ring circles finger

her life’s chain of love

 That night 

A Reason To Celebrate

Happy International Women's Day to the many women around the world who have reason to celebrate.

As for me, I have a definite reason to be happy today. The March issue of Long Story Short ezine is up. I knew my poem "Play Gypsy Girl, Play" was to be published this month, but imagine my surprise when I discovered it had been selected as Poem of the Month. Actually, it tied with another poem written by a Wisconsin writer, Jane Banning. But I was happy to share the limelight.

The poem, inspired by a crazy dream I had one night, can be read at http://alongstoryshortpoetry.blogspot.com/  The editors of the ezine select a Story of the Month and a Poem of the Month. Then, at the end of the year, they narrow it down to the best one of the year.

After you've read my poem, do take some time and check out the rest of the poetry, the fiction, flash fiction and nonfiction pages as well. You may end up bookmarking the site. I look forward to reading each new issue, which comes out on the 7th of every month.

Can You Haiku?

I met a poet at a conference my online writers' group had in 2008. Elaine Holoboff spoke to the group about writing poetry, shared some of her contemporary poems with us, and gave many of us the courage to try writing poetry. She and I corresponded after the conference, and she helped me with a poem I'd written.I now consider her a friend.

I enjoy reading haiku, but I've never had much success in writing them. Elaine, on the other hand, is a master at turning out one after another. She is on journey now to write 1011 haiku poems, which is what an ancient Japanese poet she admires had done. Her blog features her haiku and more. You can read these seemingly simple poems of few words but which say ever so much at http://nuhaiku1.blogspot.com/

If you've never been a fan of poetry, or of haiku, don't shake your head and ignore this interesting form of expression. Go to Elaine's blog and read some of her work. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, and you might even try to write one of your own. You, too, can haiku.

I'll tell you more on Monday how Elaine helped inspire me to write a lengthy poem that is soon to be published.