A haiku is a Japanese form that has a specific number of lines and syllables per line and is generally about some aspect of nature. The one I love is the 17 syllable, three-line form that has five syllables in the first and third lines and seven syllables in the second with the middle line transitioning. I may or may not use a transition but enjoy writing with the number of lines and syllables because it is an exercise in brevity and non-rhyming. Below are some of the many haikus I have written since 1992. I give specific titles to mine so as to quickly locate them, however most haikus only use the word "haiku" as the title.
Note: The one I call "Twilight" started me off writing haikus since it won third place in the North Shore Poet's Forum 1992 Haiku Contest.
MOON ECLIPSED
moon eclipsed lets stars
shine brightly in cobalt sky
no longer upstaged
HOPE
gray clouds crowd the sky
but from an opening rays
of light stream downward
SNOWFLAKES
large snowflakes falling
with no sound cover the ground
making dark brown white
TORNADO
angry tornado
made a z-path tossing homes
causing more homeless
ALASKAN BEAR
brown eyes in white fur
snout breaking glacial waters
salmon caught for lunch
LEAVES
I await the leaves,
their shade, their breeze and the high
green-covered branches
SQUIRRELS
so inquisitive
are squirrels - they climb brick walls
to peek in windows
HANGING LEAVES
even in winter
some leaves hang tenaciously
unwilling to fall
DECEMBER
dark December days
seem much too long - I long for
one-syllable months!
CORMORANT
cormorant on rock
holds black wings aloft to dry
after the fishing
SPRING SIGNS
spring sprung daffodils
azaleas, green, green grass
and slimy brown worms
SPRING'S ARRIVAL
forsythia's out
yellow has sprung all over
daffodils delight
IRRITATING LEAVES
not all of nature
is friendly - poison ivy
can blister and b...itch!
SPRING
spring worms its way slow-
ly out of the cold groundness
seeking greater light
LOVERS
lovers, don't lose hope
Venus brightens the night sky
hearts like orbs can glow
WINTER
the cold of winter
settles into my old bones
and freezes my mind
A WORM
a worm has no chance
with this dirt-pecking robin -
say your prayers worms!
TWILIGHT
pale white moon rises
burnt orange sun sets, twilight
two lights, harmony
BIRCH TREES
black circles on white
swirling eyes on tall tree barks
forest sentinels
BIRDFEEDER
hanging upside down
the acrobatic squirrels
stole the finches' food!
ACORNS
acorns everywhere
I think the jumping squirrels
help to release them
RAIN
the rain drops, drops, drops
forming midget-size oceans
in deep crevices
NATURE'S TONGUE
nature's wide tongue licks
evening's grasses and ferns
leaving a wet kiss
RHODODENDRONS
pink rhododendrons
grace the white fence by the house
a path of beauty
NEW MOON
a sliver of moon
poked its chin in midnight sky
tonight it's darker
FALL LEAVES
brittle leaves swirling
in a cold wind will compost
under winter's snow
SQUIRRELS
squirrels feast on nuts
fallen from oak trees before
Thanksgiving - God's gift
SUN
the sun always shines -
only the clouds of our minds
block our seeing it
CLOUDS
clouds like marshmallows
drifting in azure blue sky -
my mind is tranquil
MATING TIME
a cacophony
of sound heralds mating time
colors vie with voice
BIRDS
it amazes me
that smaller birds brave winter
when large geese fly south
CARDINAL
red cardinal rests
on snow-laden green pine boughs
a gift of color
ICE
ice is thick enough
after many freezing days
for white blade runners
BIRCHES
groves of white birches
brighten a deep dark forest
nature loves contrast
CRESCENT MOON
a white crescent moon
shimmers like a pearlized pin
against black velvet
CAPE DELIGHT
blue hydrangeas
front Cape Cod houses - their huge
blooms leave me breathless
POLLEN SEEKERS
bees are buzzing now
seeking pollen-filled flowers
flying stem to stem