Wednesday, January 6, 2010

In love with Haiku



Today, I don't have as much time as I would like....so whenever I am desperate for poetry without much time...there is haiku.

Basho (1644-1694)
and Buson (1700s) are two of my favorites haiku poets. I think it is wonderful to be thrilled by words written over 300 years ago.

One by Basho,

The snow we two once
looked at together--has it
fallen again this year?

Two by Buson,

Mandarin ducks,
their beauty made apparent
in winter woods.


When the axe cuts in,
surprise at the perfume--
woods in winter.

Feel free to write your own haiku, don't be intimidated by these two venerable haiku masters. I think they would be thrilled to know that their simple words still move us. Or, they might think we were completely insane....oh well..

The rules, if you've forgotten are five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables.

This summer my niece April, the school teacher visited and gave us all a haiku lesson. She teaches her 2nd and third graders every year in the fall. So, she should easily crank out a haiku for our amusement and edification.

This is not haiku..but a tiny poem..
feel free to post one of your own..remember hardly anyone is reading this...
thank goodness...

hee hee

the sky appears gray and empty
but many layers of white, blue and silver,
clouds and mist form this grayness,
this bleakness that surrounds the tangled bare branches,
the sleek hills, the dark silouhetts of fir


well there you have it...my apologies to you brilliant writers...in advance...

Next blog: the finest living poet Mary Oliver

1 comment:

  1. Gorgeous photos & wonderful poem! It inspires me to work on my own poetry! Thank you for being my first "follower" and for your kind words! :)

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