Haiku poetry is a style that originated in Japan. According to Wikipedia, it is typically characterized by three qualities:
- The essence of haiku is “cutting” (kiru). This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a kireji (“cutting word”) between them, a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and colors the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related.
- Traditional haiku consist of 17 on (also known as morae), in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 on respectively.
- A kigo (seasonal reference), usually drawn from a saijiki, an extensive but defined list of such words.
In my attempts to write Haiku, I chose (in the main) to highlight personal elements…
Really
Your fantasy world
Clashes with reality
Like night with the sun.
Blind Lovers
Let’s cling together
In the night when blind lovers’
Hands become our sight.
Potty Cat
Legally, a cat
Can get high on nip; so why,
Smoking pot, can’t I?
Touch Me
I ache for your touch
As the dry, barren ground longs
For cool autumn rain.
I think my best Haiku is one that tried to incorporate all five senses:
Insincere Silence
The summer’s cities
Now stink of sweltering smog
That smothers small sounds.