Monday, March 15, 2010

100 Ideas #20 - Write a haiku

When I drew this one from my Keri Smith 100 Ideas bottle, I had to look up the 'rules' first:
  • Seventeen moras or ons (they are similar - but not equivalent - to syllables) in sets of five, seven and five. English haikus are often written less formally with ten to seventeen syllables being used. 
  • Traditionally the haiku requires inclusion of a kigo (a seasonal reference).
  • A kireji is used to create a juxtaposition - in English a dash or ellipsis is often used at the end of the first or second line.
Here is mine...





coffee
porcelain spring blossoms
water black and bitter -
lipstick rims the pond

And two others I wrote ...

walk
feet on a wet road
air rising from hot tar -
summer shower past

late-night storm
late-night air lies warm
upon my sleepy whispers -
thunder talks back

Kind of addictive, once you start. See Dave King's haiku project on his blog Pics and Poems!

PS Dear friends, I will be working on a proofreading project for the next two weeks, so blogging as well as visits to your beautiful (and always inspiring) blogs will be limited, I'm afraid.

13 comments:

Linda Sue said...

PLEASE no proofreading-
life of semi colon;
death sentence, period.

Puctuation sucks-
(brackets excluded here)
need some jailed language.

Damn, I know what this little gig means- I am not looking forward to your next two weeks! I will felt freedom in your honor!

frayedatttheedge said...

Excellent!! Hope the proofreading goes ok!

Anairam said...

Linda Sue - your haikus are magnificent! I am declaring you the haiku closet queen. Come out dear, come out!!

kendalee said...

I'm in awe of haiku writers and here I find not one but TWO of you! Excellent stuff that made me smile.

I agree with LS, going to miss you... happy proof'ing. See you t'other side as they say in these parts. xx

aimee said...

manuscripts begone
send anairam back here
proof yourself elsewhere

Denise Kiggan said...

I am not even going to try and compete with all this Haiku talent! I am impressed.
All the best with the proof reading weeks!

Kat said...

Loved 'walk' especially.
I wish you concentration and speed in your proof reading!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, how fun and inspiring..How I wish I could 'speak' haikuish so fluently as you do, or speak it at all...
XOXOrly

Sarah said...

Great Haikus. There is a blogger on shadowshot sunday called magical mystical teacher, who writes his comments as haikus.
I hope your job goes well. Can't wait to see your doll! Even if you don't put it on the blog, please email me a photo!

Aris said...

these are wonderful!

lisa said...

I love a haiku! beautifully done!

nathalie et cetera said...

ah ah! although i'm pretty succinct in my writing, haiku is not for me, even in my mother tongue.

work well!

Deniz said...

oh i love haiku- but i simply suck at them!
so no attemt here, hope you will be back soon :)
you shall be missed, meantime, i wil enjoy the haiku fever wave you unleashed all over the blog world!