Excercise Two: write

Write your own haiku. It’s easy. American haiku does not require 15 syllables which is the way it used to be taught since many current scholars say it is ridiculous to try to create rules from Japanese which is not an alphabet language. More importantly it’s succinct. Three lines, imagistic, and usually has some mention of the season. For me, most importantly, “haiku” takes you into a moment of nature. The best way to learn to write haiku is to read a lot. After it’s written, memorize it, and perform it. You can figure out which rules are most important for you.

It would be fun to post some of your haiku here so that other people can use them for performing. Please use the 'comments' field to add them, and we'll post them on the blog. Putting your work out into the world gives it more dimension. Here are some of my mine. Use them for “performing” if you like. Please give credit in the performance. If you’ve enjoyed someone else’s haiku, let them know on this blog. A nice rule could be: lend one, borrow one.

FOR ISSA
The cheeks of the man in the moon
Are ready to burst
Shut your eyes.
-- Christina

I feel like ripe fruit
kissed by a thousand bees.
The flowers have fallen.
(Co-written with my husband. This is also fun to do. You come up with a line. Another person comes up with the second line and you complete it.)