21 April 2009

April 21 - Poem A Day Challenge - Haiku

Today's Prompt: "Here are the two prompts for the day (you only need to choose one, unless you're all about pushing yourself to the limit):

1. Write a haiku. The haiku is not just a form but a genre of poetry. People sometimes go into writing a haiku and end up with a senryu or a faux-ku, but it's all good (and all poetry).

2. Write about the haiku. I know there are some poets (in this very group even) who are anti-form. So, I'm giving them the option to write their anti-haiku manifestos. Of course, if you pay attention to this 2nd prompt, it doesn't need to be anti-haiku; your poem could be questioning or even praising the haiku. Or something." Poetic Asides


I like haiku. I like the constraints and the need to reduce everything, distill it down to an essence. They aren't easy to write well. I think I spent the same amount of time on these two haiku as I did on longer poems. I know haiku rules aren't cut and dried, and I will bend them if necessary, but part of the fun is trying to work within the constraints of the form. I did one, then another came to me, and I played with it a while, finalized and posted it. Yes, I overachieved. Don't tell.

A pair of haiku



sudden morning rain
earthworms rise to the surface
become hieroglyphs



twin lambs stand, totter
new mother grazes head down
eagles soar overhead


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2 comments:

Amanda Fall - Sprout editor said...

Hi, Connie! I was so inspired by your commitment to writing a poem a day for April that I just made a commitment myself--although on a smaller scale... I'm going to leap in and finish out the month (although with my own prompts, not from this particular challenge). I figure there's nothing to lose, and maybe a few decent poems to gain!

Love your haiku--now I'm curious if the few I've written are actually faux-ku....hmmmmmmm. :)

Constance Brewer said...

Hi Amanda!

Glad you are joining me - sort of. It's been an interesting trip, trying to do the poem a day. A lot of work too, but inspiring also.

I have a good book on haiku - remind me to bring it to Bearlodge, you'd like it. :)