Haiku

This assignment was to write a Haiku poem. This was a new experience for many of us....we found this style both challenging and addictive, and came up with quite a few. Our resident Haiku expert, Ada, was there to help us understand the basics of this form.

In general, a Haiku poem must have 17 syllables. . .no more, no less. . . arranged 5-7-5 in a three-line poem. No title is needed. Nature is the essence of most Haiku, but for our learning purposes, we were allowed to stray a bit and write about anything we chose.

Ada instructed us to "reflect in solitude and then write about nature just as it is, be true to life. Haiku is a kind of enlightenment, in which we see into the life of things. It is a way that freezing rain, a floating feather, or even the hottest of days become truly alive and share in our humanity." We also learned that it should be written in present tense.

Pale pink roses climb,
stretching up my backyard fence...
fragrant is the dawn.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Petals open wide
Friendship grows through poetry
Sweet bouquet indeed!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Broken records lie
scattered on the bedroom floor...
Pieces of my life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy voices call...
little girls in denim jeans
Granddaughters arrive.

© Grandma Lyn 2005

Lilies bloom so sweet
In my garden such delight
Fragrance showers me.

© Lady Viper 2005

Quiet lake
resting behind the mist
The night is over

© Windstorm 2005

Parched earth reaches out
kissing the cloud painted sky
begging for reprieve.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Humid summer day
Fan teases us with warm air
We lounge with cool cloths.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rain pummels the ground
Dry cracked earth drinks greedily
Plants sigh in relief.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pink blossoms cascade
ripples slap manicured banks
swans stretch, croon, and dip.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wing tattered Luna
Hovers next to porch light
We both cling to life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brilliant light streams
through the crowded underbrush
revealing hatchlings.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Misty breath lingers
mother and fawn graze
on summer's bounty.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lips linger a moment
too long to be thought friendly
more like shy lovers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ruby rose blossoms
next to the nuclear plant...
dew falls like teardrops.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A final embrace
wraps gently in golden hues
ushering evening.

© Ada 2005

The sun's setting now
a golden shade of peaches
warming my window.

© Lady Deb 2005

Drops of water fall
onto the rocks below me...
are they tears or rain?

© Brisa 2005

New green buds sprouting
after a cold hard winter
A fresh beginning.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cloudy skies above
Wind blowing the trees around
Tornado arrives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grass gently blowing
Puppies are playing
A cool summer day.

© Cheri 2005

Sweet perfumed lilies
embrace the early evening
my senses fulfilled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Clear blue skies reflect
a whispering winter breeze
Wooden chimes echo.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fresh rosebuds glisten
Dewdrops in the morning sun
A new life begins.

© Christina 2005

Refreshing rain falls
The land is washed clean again
Flowers raise their heads.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lovely summer day
Granddaughters run laughing
Butterfly flies on.

© Maiden Fair 2005