Haiku

once in while, i write a short poem, ink on paper

A closet haiku poet. Who knew? I have been writing haiku for a long time and if you ask to read my little red notebook, I'll let you.

Haiku is a Japanese poetry form dating back centuries. It is a short poem that consists of three sections usually written in one vertical line. Each section has a specific length based on the number of sounds in the line. In Japan, traditionally they use a 5-7-5 "on" count. An "on" is a sound and not necessarily a syllable. For example, the word Haiku would have three sounds (Ha-i-ku). Traditionally, Haiku would also have to have a cutting word or "kireji" and a season word or "kigo."

I was taught, like most American school children, to write a haiku as a three line poem using a 5-7-5 syllable count. This makes for a much longer poem than the Japanese counterpart. Sometimes I use this form, but usually I write with a syllable count of 3-5-3 which gives a poem that is closer to the Japanese ideal. Since there is no English equivalent to a "kireji," I use punctuation or the visual structure of the poem to replace this idea. In addition, I do not always use a season word either. I am not tied to any particular style or form. Sometimes, they fit the form, sometimes, and probably more often, they don't. The poems represent what comes to me and if there's an extra sound or word, then there is.

Some of my favorite poems:

kiss on cheek won't you tuck us in daughter asks	machines hum everyone else is asleep working late
a blinking 12 on my vcr wheres the remote	days of grey and cold we walk your warm hand in mine bracing against winters chill
with a smile she comes to sit by me in the sun bees on pink clover	sunshine sight of breath bitter cold
girl on a bus our eyes meet we look away	you stood up brought me to the door didn't say anything

My Haiku Poem Reader

This is a little adaptation of the Braingiants Quote Reader by Charlie Miller. I added the extra line, changed the background, adapted the centering script to accommodate three lines, and added a randomization script to the poems--so they display in a different order every time. Works great! Currently, there are 221 poems.

 

Haiku Resources