Haiku

 

Last week, I had the privilege of teaching a haiku and blackout poetry workshop. 

 

Two of my friends came to the workshop to support me

But one of those friends was very loud in  declaring that she hated haiku.

 

As part of the workshop,

I taught about each form of poetry and then had participants practice.

 

It was funny,

Watching grown men and women in deep concentration, 

Visibly counting syllables on their fingers, 

Working hard to get the numbers correct.

 

My friend who hated haiku seemed to be on a roll.

 

When it came time to share,

She read her haiku series

And explained that writing it had helped her get out what had been stuck in her heart for the past few weeks. 

 

That’s what poetry does.

Whether it’s haiku or blackout or acrostic or rhyming or any form that it might take,

Poetry helps us get out what in on our hearts.

 

Haiku is

Five syllables

Seven syllables

Five syllables

 

Traditional haiku is about nature

And shares the image, descriptive language.

 

But modern haiku can be about anything.

I’ve even taken it to the point of making it into a series

When one stanza is not enough.

 

Saturday night, 

I could not sleep. 

And so I wrote this acrostic haiku series at 245am:

 

Trying to write a

Haiku in acrostic form 

Is really quite hard

 

So much depends on

Individual words and 

Syllables of course

 

Difficult is good

In the middle of the night 

For sleep alludes me

 

From late coffee that

I didn’t think would keep me 

Conscious all night long 

 

Using all my tools 

Lessens the angst of mem’ries

Triggered by no sleep

 

I remember much 

Now when I would rather be 

Dreaming and working 

 

Everything out while

Entertaining my brain with

Deep and healing rest

 

I fell asleep shortly after that. 

 

Whether it’s haiku or blackout or acrostic or rhyming or any form, 

I encourage you to write a poem, 

Or something, 

Today. 

 

Because maybe, just maybe, 

It will lead you to unexpected catharsis 

Like it did for my formerly haiku hating friend 

Who now connects with it and understands its power

In a brand new way. 

 

May it be so. 

 

Amen.