Haiku is a poetic form from Japan that delights us with its brevity, seeming simplicity and elegance. In English we usually render haiku as a three line poem of syllabics, five syllables in the first and final lines and seven syllables in the middle line. Traditionally, haiku is grounded in present moment awareness and includes details of nature viewed from a close, personal perspective. The best haiku usually present a contrast or twist that creates a moment of surprise.
I enjoy writing haiku as a mindfulness exercise. It rarely takes more than a few minutes to tune in to what I am observing in the moment and produce a poem that satisfies my desire to describe being alive now. I rarely know what I will write when I sit down to do it and what comes out almost always surprises me and gives me small but real joy.
Just after the new year I decided to develop a haiku a day practice as an addition to my daily meditation practice. I committed to try it for one month and here are a few of my efforts for the month of January. I share them with you as an encouragement to consider adding the joy of haiku to your daily mindfulness practice.
1/4/19
Cat observes sunrise
Winter birds coming to feed
Make her chin tremble
1/5/19
Icicles drip light
Afternoon warmth makes drifts steam
Spring comes for an hour
1/8/19
Old woman on ice
Mindfully picks her route home
This woman is me
1/9/19
New moon night blue/black
Orion goes a hunting
Bright dogs at his heels
1/10/19
Once in the hot tub
I never want to get out
Horned owl hoots three times
1/11/19
It is worth the walk
Through deep wet snow and cold dark
To soak in this heat
1/12/19
Beaver tracks in slush
Elk tracks and scat in mud
Bunny feet in powder
1/13/19
Hundreds of horned larks
Fly just above the snow field
Hungry yellow throats
1/14/19
Bright winter sun warms
A greenhouse full of lettuce
Off comes the down coat
1/18/19
An algorithm
Birds from privet to feeder
In pattern unsung
1/19/19
Confined to the house
I name the rooms by the sun
Careening through time
1/29/19
Picuris Pueblo
Deer Dance, snowfield, drumbeat
Mute tears fall freely
1/30/19
Morning yoga stretch
Sun comes over the mountain
Heart begins to sing
1/31/19
Dawn: zero degrees
River silent under ice
Teacup warms my hands
For a good how-to article on mindfulness