Today is Poetry on Wednesday (POW) day.
Last week I mentioned Poetry Month and how I’d contribute to the celebration of words.
Because I just learned how a Haiku is structured, by terrific instructor Sonya Sones, I decided to do a Haiku for POW day.
Traditional Japanese Haiku not only have 17 syllables, they must also contain an inference or allusion to nature or season, in an unrhymed sequence, and be in the present moment. Very Zen like.
There are several forms/rules on the traditional, but for my novice self I’m adhering to the 5/7/5 syllables for each line:
You can’t force poems-they
force you to pick up a pen
and write the words you hide
Richard Wright, author and poet, composed over 4,000 Haiku’s during the last 18 months of his life. Prolific, indeed.
These three are traditional Haiku’s and some of my favorites:
- Whitecaps on the bay:
- A broken signboard banging
- In the April wind.
I am nobody:
A red sinking autumn sun
Took my name away.
In this rented room
One more winter stands outside
My dirty window pane
I’m going to work my way to traditional haiku and do some bilingual haiku, in tiempo ( time).
Give this poetic form a whirl. I believe you’ll learn to love its simplicity, form, and presentness.
It just might place you in a zen state.
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