Here & Now
An invitation to Pause, Encounter, and Grow together.
Author’s Note: I wrote these haikus while on vacation earlier this summer in the Arizona desert south of Phoenix. – W.B.
Morning.
Sunrise slowly hugs
Pushing shadows, gentle dance
Embraced by the Light
Pause.
Camping life unplugged
Time lived in natural sounds
Plugged into The Source
Saguaro.
Author’s Note: Saguaro (suh-waa-row) means “giant cactus”
Calm desert quiet
Cactus arms raised bold and proud
Awe, respect and grace
About Haiku.
Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. A haiku uses just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader’s mind. It’s like a tiny window into a scene much larger than itself.
Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first, seven in the second, and five in the third.
Characteristics of a haiku:
- A focus on nature.
- A “season word” such as “snow” tells the reader what time of year it is.
- A division somewhere in the poem, which focuses first on one thing, then on another. The relationship between these two parts is sometimes surprising.
- Instead of saying how a scene makes him or her feel, the poet shows the details that caused that emotion. If the sight of an empty winter sky made the poet feel lonely, describing that sky can give the same feeling to the reader.
Consider writing a haiku today, perhaps while taking a contemplative walk?
Send your haiku to the Here & Now Editor for publishing consideration.
—Debora Buerk, Editor
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