HaikuPoems that turn daily or well-known situations into brand new experiences

Structure

17 syllables (5/7/5) Kigo – nature or seasonal word Satori – moment of enlightenment

Contemporary Examples

alone, on the web, drops of sensitivityembrace an eyelash

- Alexey V. Andeyev

Silence-a strangledTelephone has forgottenThat it should ring

- Michael R. Collings

the morning paperharbinger of good and ill--I step over it

- Dave McCroskey

Examples that have been translated from Japanese and do not obey the “rules”

Right at my feet – And when did you get here,snail?

-Issa

I kill an antAnd realize my three childrenhave been watching.

-Shuson Kato

Night, and the moon!My neighbor, playing on his flute –out of tune!

- Kojo

After killinga spider, how lonely I feelin the cold of night!

- Masaoka Shiki

For love and for hateI swat a fly and offer it To an ant.

- Masaoka Shiki

The summer river:although there is a bridge, my horsegoes through the water.

- Masaoka Shiki

Glass balls and glowing lights.Dead tree in living room.Killed to honor birth.

- Ron Loeffler

Anonymous Student Samples

Hands speckled with cutsFlorist, cut my thorny roseMake it safe for touch

Petals like the sunWhy name it a sunflowerThe sun is not brown

Lemonade for saleA car in the horizonContinued driving

The cold keeps us inforces us to be familyBut is that so sad?

colored leaves do fall,and wash away the season,along with our past.

Time for renewalthe flowers will grow alongwith our troubled hearts

Read more about haiku on pages 640-643 in the old purple book.

Complete the Creative Writing exercise at the bottom of page 643.