Haiku: When the cat's away

Day descends to night;
Children make sleeping noises.
Time for mice to play.

Haiku: Imagination and Smoulder

These two aren't really Haiku - there's no reference to nature for a start. They're more like Twaiku (mini poems posted on Twitter that are 5-7-5 syllables). These ones fall under the category of #HotHaiku.

You shoot me that look -
The one that makes me smoulder.
It's been a long time.

You brush right past me,
All my senses come alive.
Imagination.

Learning about poetry

It's amazing what you can find on the web. In my last post I liked to AllPoetry.com, as I'd found a great piece explaining poetic metre. A bit more poking about the site revealed several online courses in poetry that appealed. As I only have limited time each day to spend creatively, I'm keeping my enrollments to a minimum! I've enrolled in Beginners Haiku and Gentle Introduction to Metre.

While I've been writing heaps of 'Twaiku' 5-7-5 syllable poems on Twitter, they're not really Haiku in the traditional sense. In my bid to become a better writer, I thought I should learn how to write real Haiku. This one was composed for my first assignment.

Bird's head
Hidden under wing -
Dusk falls

This Haiku is truer to the traditional structure even though it doesn't conform to the syllabic 'rules'. This is because the Japanese language is not structured around syllables, rather it is structured around 'on'. I don't understand the linguistic details, but I do know that it is better to follow the intent of Haiku than the literal translation of the Japanese rules.

The above Haiku is an attempt to juxtapose two images from nature, revealing something about the environment that surrounds me.

Haiku: Milky smile

Breastfeeding baby,
Little snorts of happiness.
Drunken milky smile.

Haiku: Rosy

Rosy cheeked baby,
Lips the colour of cherries.
Ate red chalk again!

Haiku: Aquamarine

Aquamarine sea
At the bottom of the cliff...
Inviting me in.

Haiku: Puddle jumping

Daughter in gumboots:
Let's go puddle-jumping mum!
Splashing up a storm.

Haiku: Procrastinating

Procrastination
Is an art to master...
When the pressure's on.

In print

Being a bit dubious about the worth of Twitter, I didn't really bother checking it out until my brother's better half suckered me in. The status update box bounds you to 140 characters - not a lot of wriggle room in which to express yourself. It occurred to me that 140 characters is plenty for Haiku. I reacquainted myself with the 'rules' for Haiku and decided that, given my time constraints, this form of creative expression was one I could probably embrace productively. I broadcast a few and then realised I would not be the only micropoet out there and discovered a whole new world on Twitter. I was studying for a Public Policy exam at the time, and Haiku gave me the perfect opportunity to procrastinte in a slightly constructive way! I wrote a few in between cramming. Then one of the feeds I follow on Twitter prompted me to submit one of my Haiku for possible publication in a new journal being published in the US - The Arts Politic. I was surprised when, a few days later, the editors contacted me wanting to publish the Haiku I had submitted, in addition to another one I had broadcast. Woohoo! In print! Here's the link. Turns out I 'won' the competition - I didn't realise they were only publishing one 'winner'. What a surprise. I guess that makes me a published poet!!!!!!!!!!!

Haiku: Baby sleep

Worry that you've died
Each time I approach your door...
Sleeping peacefully.

Haiku: Morning fog

Mountain disappears.
Morning fog in Canberra:
I can't see the trees.