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To make the three lines of a haiku 5, 7, and 5 syllables long is a merely superficial conformity to the Japanese original. What counts is the spirit.
~ Br. David Steindl-Rast
Welcome.
Shape and structure are often what first come to mind when we think of haiku — which is usually presented in three lines (sometimes in one or two lines) of typically less than 17 syllables. Poet Tom Clausen sees the structure as encouraging us to “express something meaningful in as few words as possible” and inviting us to “maintain a healthy focus and awareness” as we aim to express what is in the heart.
Haiku and calligraphy by Br. David Steindl-Rast
For those of you interested in the purest form of haiku, Tom Clausen offers the following:
The purists believe a haiku should always have a ‘season word’ and should be a short, one breath poem of less than 17 syllables. They are often of the opinion it should be present tense, direct, and not just a sentence….It should not be a statement of an opinion or a soap box to present an argument or a position. It is typically not a type of poetry that uses metaphor.
The Practice
Today our invitation is to experiment with the basic shape and structure of haiku.
We invite you to close your eyes and take one or two slow, deep breaths. In this place of presence, feel that which is in your heart. You might consider a moment that felt particularly meaningful for you today. Spend some time feeling into this experience then experiment with capturing the moment in a one-breath, direct, present-tense expression. You might play with trying to write in a three-line format, striving to have less than 17 syllables. You might incorporate a season word. You might puzzle over the order and arrangement of your words and lines to arrive at what intuitively works best.
In the remaining days of the practice, we will suggest a specific focus for you to consider as you craft your haiku. For today and all days of the practice, we invite you to choose the degree to which it feels right for you to use the purist form. Checking off all the “criteria” is certainly not a requirement, and we encourage you to find flexibility within the discipline. As Br. David Steindl-Rast encouragingly says, “What counts is the spirit.”
After you have experimented with writing your haiku, we invite you to reflect on your experience in a notebook or in the reflection area below. If you’d like, you may also share your haiku!
Enjoy the full eight-day Exploring Haiku practice.
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February finds
me knitting changing colors.
My sister’s
gift is warmth.
Good rain
Peace
Pausing
Listening
Thunder
Gray day
Rain drops
Creek flowing
Rich scent of wet earth
Moisture soaking into roots
Glorious Spring arrives
Diane – your Haiku captures Good Friday perfectly for me. The sharp contrast of the day. Good/horrific Friday. Sorrow and new birth, death and resurrection. Thank you.
I was not able to participate daily and have saved all of the practices…to do on the slower, quieter days. when they come to me. Today is day 2 for me….and it is Good Friday in the Christian tradition. I was raised Catholic and although I don’t practice Catholicism per se any longer, some of the traditions and rituals remain beautiful and meaningful to me. So today my mind and spirit is filled up with the life and death of Jesus.
.Spring
Right before my eyes
Death becomes life
Once again
Birdsong intended,
Waiting to be heard, unseen,
like doors on our paths.
Pull on lavender
Cupped hand captures its fragrance
And then its gone
Hunger pangs arrive.
Sausage, egg, cheese – geez Louise!
Calm descends again.
Day 2 of my haiku journey, remember my weekend
Still feel the weekend
excitement of what to come
wonder trust
Today, I thought of the ocean where my home is and how I long to be there again. And also how it made me feel.
ocean brings cool wavy breezes
across my face and throughout my body
I feel embraced by beauty
rushing here and there
dodging autumnal showers
embracing new life
my heart on a hockey field
vulnerable, brave
both doing our best
sun, wind, balm, chill, tornadoes
air and nerves
neither know how to settle
Fourteen thousand feet!
Cascades dressed, in bright white gown
heated deep within.
Free, amongst the clouds
flying, floating in gray bird!
Nesting on the ground.
I love this! Haiku, to me, is putting words to the “Stop. Look. Go. practice.
Red bird fights himself
Beak strikes the bright window pane
Rap!
Rap!
Rap!
in vain
I’ve lived that♥️
Rain ricochets off leaves
To petals of purple iris
Drunk on spring.
Coffee, hot, bitter,
On whose backs do I savor
My morning delight
BRAIN bursting: inspire
spring ORDER
No narrow Hunger, RUNNING escape
Really helped me connect with my senses on EXACTLY what I was feeling and going to do about it. I wrote it out by hand first which felt therapeutic too.
Grooming a dog daily
Not even my dog at all
she comes by to visit
her name is Semper Fidelis
Latin for Always Faithful
My neighbors matted up pooch
Ten minutes a day we meet
She gives up matted hair
And I give up my treats
Green trees in blue sky
The air is cool with promise
Not yet time to plant
The dog cries softly
As he waits on the back porch.
It must be time for a walk.
Sun Shines
Heart in bloom
Soon flowers fragrant
Snow falls
sticking its landing
softly
Daisies teardrops of dew
Smiling rainbow
Beside the long stem
The gentle waves of passersby
Sunset in the horizon
Pastures green hues
Longevity wishes for the evening
Silent tea time brews
A flash of a smile settles
Daylight between the
slats in the blinds as I wake,
knowing I slept late
The cat stretched out long….
SOFTLY in front of a roaring fire
Watching the bird fly by
It is a chilly day that has landed upon the Pacific Northwest. Flynn, is stretching toward the glowing fire
Perennial and evergreen
trees, side by side
autumn splendour
Eternal morning:
The sun has turned the night’s frost
into sparkling thaw
Have faith! Feed the soul.
Relax into the current.
Enjoy the journey.
Magical number
Five petals, five elements
My orchids just bloom
Muffled consciousness.
Distant rumblings behind closed door.
Ease into morning.
Old firs creaking
A walk in misty spring
Ahhh! Sparkling wonder.
Spring horoscope said
time to see something new, view
another landscape
Fierce wind
pummels the unsettled soul.
Sleepless agitation. Grief.
Spring horoscope said
You are stuck in your routine
Time for change of scene.
I tried to let go of the 5-7-5 structure, but find it difficult because it keeps my wandering brain from wandering too far. 😉 I like the confines of the pattern, like the structure of a daily routine. I am going to explore that more…
Ripples of clouds in
ever-widening circles
spilling from sunbeams
Mother says hello
in petals of yellow- Rose
blooming in the sun
surprise! they announce.
blossoms sway in long cascades.
this tree is alive!
I wrote this haiku about a recent sweet, startling discovery when the tree I’d thought was dead suddenly bloomed vibrant delicate blossoms!
Love this! Thanks for sharing!
“What counts is spirit”
Listening deeply for truth
then recognize it
fried fish AROMA
table of joy abundance
granddaughters SMILE
white-pink fringed blossoms
open to golden sunshine
an apple prelude
Crocuses in bloom
Daffodils and tulips, too
Robins sing : It’s S P R I N G!
April rain
pounds the windows.
Still too cold
to sow seeds.
One more in honor of this lovely Spring day
Birds sing Spring vibrance
Five senses respond
My heart eases and I smile
Knj
4/12/19
Very lovely. The birds bring us so much solace.
Five-seven-five-ness;
safe structure to play within.
Who knows what without.
These haikus are being more self-revelatory than I would like!
I am a fan of the 5-7-5 and am also appreciating the opportunity to be more free during this particular practice.
Bound, being stiff, cold,
hears a friendly voice: ‘Come out’.
Moving, unbound, free!
(Lazarus and me)
Green grass
Leafless trees
Still pond
Spring?
A shiny object,
Promises of sustenance.
The lure slowly bobs.
Tai Chi:
Morning aches, pop, snap—
I gently sway to rhythm,
My mind a feather.
No time? Stop!
Breathe deep the minute —
Time melts
I liked the freedom from writing sentences.
Dainty white snow drops
Purple and cream hellebore
Spring in the garden
Cardinals, Robins
On branches bare and leafless
Singing spring birdsongs
I am who I am
You are different from me
Together we are one.
Chirp tweet twitter cheep
Chirp whistle tweet twitter
bird song day begins
Achoo! Quick a tissue
Not a spring cold
Achoo, achoo, achoo
Better not to sit
But walking is so painful
How will I get there
my children, they dance,
their bodies so free and pure–
around and around..
bend,mop,hardwood floors
sun glistens on shiny boards
upright I give thanks
unopened bud
the struggle to get up
on this chilly morning
snow patches in the woods
pileated drumming
announces spring’s arrival
awake in the night
wrestling with questions
will tulips bring answers?
As you may be able to tell, I am longing for spring. Maybe some day…
All the haiku reflections are wonderful!
Cold, damp and cloudy
early Connecticut Spring
Forsythia!
Rising sun gently filters
through closed curtains.
Fling them wide!
I played with something that caught my attention early this morning. I always use the 5-7-5 format so ventured off that path just a little. Surprised to note a little resistance to my strongly engrained pattern. I look forward to playing with 17 in different arrangements.
Rain this morning,
Cool air, cozy warm blankets
Cherry blossoms alight
Knj
4/12/19
Early Spring, chilly –
light through curtains
suddenly luminous
Reflection on my experience:
It took being attentive and open to complete this haiku. “Early Spring, chilly” readily appeared. The “cars passing by on the road pitted by salt and sand” did not seem to work.
But indeed nature herself stepped in .. as I was beginning to write about the greyness of the day, pale sunlight shimmered and shone luminous through my thin curtains, lifting my spirits.
Rain comes torrents, then spits
teasing the tulips
to spill the overflow.
Golden Retriever
Jogs joyously through the grass
Spring in his old paws
MY HAND STROKES~~~~ears of Dogs
Shiney GREEN leaves~~~
Tears from my Eyes
Good morning, Godess!
Loving, breathing, singing –
Peaceful joy I live.
The sweetness of my mother’s smile,
Only in a photo now.
Sorrow
Touched my heart-photo of my mom stirring her gravy in cast iron skillet at her old gas stove, sits on my kitchen window. Sometimes I feel sorrow but then am filled with good memories. Oh, how I loved her fried chicken ,cream gravy, fried okra, and coconut pie. The photo, an inspiration for my cooking, though never as good as hers.
Thank you for sharing. I have good memories too, though her death is so recent (January), that the sorrow is very close the surface right now. Her picture is on my desk here at work, both of us smiling, cheek to cheek, on my wedding day. My inspiration for today’s haiku. I want that meal you described, by the way. It all sounds delicious!
heart art start here now
where nothing is but you
overflowing
Tulip tree blossoms,
trapped within tall garden walls,
escape on spring winds ~
We lived in spring
Now we meet in winter
And laugh
Newtown –
Possibilities for a new phase of life.
Opening
tiny buds on branches
witness robin’s arrival
as daffodils bow
spring wind…
so much telling me
to keep on going
Struggling with a difficult project at work and watching April showers turn the yard to mud:
me feeling like spring
M U C K as I force a way through –
stuck in IDK
Small plane ascends into the mist
Magpie lands on the bare tree branch
Kindred spirits
Looks like rain today
Spring unfolding in the fog
Umbrella needed
Home is where stuff is
A place for everything
And nothing in its place.
I see the wave break
It sounds loudly in my ears
Then becomes white lace
Kristin… I really felt this ?
Blossoms bursting forth
In a shower of petals
Caressing the earth
In a whirlwind of my own
passenger of life
Dogwoods bloom
As summer blossoms
My life energy expands
Singing to my soul
An ancient pond! With a sound from the water Of the frog as it plunges in. by Basho
I enjoy Haiku’s that express the emotional impact observing nature has on someone.
Lying in my bed,
Snow and cold outside my door,
Spring is coming soon.
Password failed
Not enough characters
Password failed
Not enough characters
Who are you?
What
am I missing?
Let me in!
This came to me after trying after several failed attempts to reset a password that had expired. It made me think of how quickly we can be feel out of control and at the mercy of a seemingly more powerful human force.
Good morning Emily. So glad you were able to log in! Welcome!
Hallelujah trills
An avian chorus as a
Coral dawn awakens the East
Sleepy eyes open
Gratitude swells my heart
Another day for Love
I realized I was thinking very literally when I wrote this, as a bit of word play really:
First five only five
There are seven more to go
Can syllables lie?
But reading yesterday’s words opened my mind to more. So I’ll keep trying!
Everything washed clean
bare light begs my eyes to see
shimmering, bareness.
Dawn’s gossamer fog
Pale, new leaves quiver, turn, shine
Silver maple tree!
Six o’clock traffic
Two blocks over, morning din
Quiet mind, inside
Nesting time is here
Irrepressible life is
bursting into song
I was inspired to write this haiku from watching the birds collecting nesting materials that I’ve put out for them in a shrub that is itself bursting into leaf and forming flower buds. It gives me such pleasure to have a part in helping them bring forth the next generation that will visit the garden in the future.
feeling loss for that
summer I never had to lose
loss to be conquered
Kristin… I really felt this ?
Thank you. My first effort ever ..just closed my eyes and asked what I was feeling. I appreciate your feedback.
Hummingbirds humming
Announcing springtime is here
to renew the earth
Owls hoot back and forth
Language of this new day
Noise in the quiet
The yang and Yin of the day …
Wisdom women
Together these days
Deep well beings
tw0 wearing yellow
connected with sunshine
my heart with your soul
I had a surprise visit yesterday from my 22 mos old grandson…He was wearing yellow….I was wearing yellow. The coincidence was more that just a chance selection of color…I have felt from the first moment I held him that we are deeply connected as I was to my grandfather. I felt sunshine and joy…and today I tried to capture that in a haiku
Baby steps in creating haiku…but would like to have this discipline become a instinct with the thought process at a minimal!
I breathe flowingly
walking together as one
tulips sing along
Evening time
a tree’s branches
capture
the crescent moon.
I have always found it hard to include “season” words since where I live we do not have traditional seasons. Although there are differences that are more subtle. It is a very useful practice to try and use language that is more universal rather than more local which is something for me to really work on.
I have always enjoyed haiku -its crisp use of language appeals to me. I enjoy distilling a moment down to its barest essence.
Thank you for this practice.
Hiding in my Cave
What are you doing here?
Go out and Stand
Power Passes By
Gentle Whisperer Speaks
Stand Tall
From Lectio Divina with I Kings 19:11-13
Speaking tranquilly
Amid turbulent thrashing
Intonates harmony.
The morning news surrounded by noisy, inane seductive advertising is disruptive. The cacophony of mutilated language jars the serenity of the morning. A few words spoken deliberately, honestly, lovingly center my being, shape my attitude, and give form to my spirit. I would be hesitant to dismiss haiku’s form as confining, but I would also allow for modification. God chose one Word to express God’s love, shape and form for us as how we too can express ourselves. We may not be so eloquent, and we need the leeway. Yet, when our written haiku becomes our lived haiku, we present the infinite in a moment of grace. That’s what I will try to implement and integrate today.
brief whiff of coffee
a bracing nectar awaits
the first sip aahhh morning!
Flames hold off dampness
Sun beats back winter’s cold
enough to wake TREES
I loved the way the cliff haiku changed the shape of the words, so I tried to imitate it when I formatted my haiku. Alas: this space changed my formatting, but the words “dampness” and “winter’s cold” should be spaced off to the right in each line.
I have written haiku which did not match the 5-7-5 count, and it always felt like I was breaking a law (writer’s guilt! lol) so it will be fun to experiment with that again.
The whispering wind
sighs and soughs,
sweet ones elsewhere
all around blossoms
Caressing velvet
Communing heart within heart
Blessings from my dog