Haiku poetry is a form of Japanese poetry that is non-rhyming and usually consists of 3 lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5 (National Day Calendar). To celebrate, we encourage you to get creative and write a haiku of your own! Draw inspiration from nature and moments and people that bring you joy. Be sure to include sensory elements to convey sound, touch, or feeling. With some luck, we might find some haikuists for the Sun Stage at the next summer festival!
We spoke with Ajay Heble who has been writing a haiku a day every day since the start of the pandemic to help you get started. Ajay uses Haikubes purchased from the Bookshelf to roll a set of 63 word cubes, then chooses among the randomly displayed words to create a haiku. He tells us that “you never know, or can predict, what words will come up,” and this improvisational quality can help you “come up with something new and interesting.” He adds that the practice of the haiku du jour has helped him feel connected to friends and family in a time of isolation, and it is especially rewarding to get feedback and poems shared from his subscribers in response to his haikus. Share your haikus and tag us on social media!
Sonia Sanchez “Haiku [for you]”
love between us is
speech and breath. loving you is
a long river running.
A Hillside Haiku
Under the brave sun
The blue bird sings a song of
Joy on the island