Dear Daughters,
I’m reviving a lovely little activity this year; one that promotes serenity, gratitude, and a more dynamic connection with nature.
Writing Haiku!
In case you are unfamiliar with this type of literature–
A haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poetic form that consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines containing five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. A haiku expresses much and suggests more in the fewest possible words.
Merriam-Webster
When you girls were younger, I fell madly in love with Haiku for its brevity, for its elegant expression of nature and for its compositional challenge–to evoke emotional impact through a limited number of delicately chosen words set in a specific syllabic pattern.
Two Examples of My Haiku
Silk bangs fall forward
saffron, fields of harvest corn
masking one bold eye.
***
Two blooms on one stem,
scarlet, she raises lips to
capture spring kisses.
I’ve always written (what I consider) my best Haiku pieces outdoors because sitting in a meadow while writing about a meadow? Yep, that’s an optimal creative setting.
On the other hand, some humans do possess vivid, detailed, active imaginations, therefore they have the ability to create/or recall a poignant nature moment in their minds then write a decent Haiku sitting inside a building or a moving car.
Either way, the best thing about creating Haiku is that it requires complete sensory engagement and that means disengaging from the mundane world and its worries. Crafting this form of nature poetry is a deeply meditational writing practice and a beautiful way to honor Mother Earth and her seasons.
If you’d like to give it a go here are some general guidelines.
Haiku guidelines
- 3 lines of verse with a 5/7/5 syllable count for a total of 17
- A nature theme
- A seasonal reference word
- A pause expressed as a word not with punctuation
- Contains one or more sensory details: touch, taste, sound, sight, hearing
- May include a surprising relationship
- May contain an unexpected last line to provoke thought
- Exquisite, evocative
For a detailed explanation on how to write a Haiku, read this excellent step-by-step tutorial: How to Write a Haiku Poem
Daughters,
There’s so much I love about the Japanese culture. Zen Mediation Gardens. Sushi. Soaking Tubs…and Haiku. In fact a perfect day would include sharing all these activities with you and finishing with a soak in an outdoor tub under the stars.
All my Love.
Terri Weeding 