Thursday, September 18, 2014

Spring Time Haiku: Concluding Reflections


I started my 30 days of haiku writing more or less on a whim. A couple of brave students had shown me some of their creative writing, and it reminded me of my poetry writing days. Since I was out of practice - and busy - I decided to go with a relatively straight-forward form (not that I'm saying a good haiku is easy to write - it's just a bit shorter!) as opposed to the sonnets that I used to write in Maths lessons at school.

A month later, I am amazed by how profoundly helpful the discipline of writing 17 syllables of poetry every day has been. I have composed haiku on my bike, in bed, while invigilating tests. I have pondered the beauty of nature, the harshness of nature, the relevance of nature. I have scribbled a haiku in 5 minutes, and spent hours rearranging syllables in another. I have been taken by surprise (again) by the way in which the act of writing has birthed the reflective process.

I don't feel that I have made any remarkable contributions to the poetry world. I certainly don't feel like I have said anything particularly useful. But I have spent time with myself, thinking about my life in a different way.

I am certain that poetry season will come again.


Friday, September 12, 2014

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #28



Though darkness is deep
And clouds hide the horizon;
Sunlight will break through

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Monday, September 8, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #26


Too young for wisdom
We wage war against salt wind:
The ancient trees bow

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #24


Sinews snap and stretch
Unaccustomed skills to learn:
Furious new growth

Friday, September 5, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #23


Steady summer gale
Rips through new bud and blossom:
Strange resilience


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #22


Stillness after noise,
Cooling breeze through the heat:
A blessed relief

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Spring Time Haiku #20


Wild warmth in the wind
Sweeping grass seed and sea scent:
I smell things growing

Monday, September 1, 2014