A Week in Haiku

Last Monday, with a busy holiday week approaching, I decided to set a tangible and achievable writing goal. I don’t usually set expectations for my writing. I write by hand in a little notebook each morning. When time and space allow, I write again at my computer when I am inspired, or struggling, or problem solving, or filled with gratitude or awe. I don’t require this writing time of myself. Rather, I feel compelled toward it and when I “need” to write, the time usually opens for it. Since I wasn’t likely to have vast amounts of mental or physical free space for this additional writing during the holidays, I wanted a finite goal that would ensure reflection and allow me to creatively capture an element of each day.I decided to write one haiku per day for the week. Each day, it felt as though the subject for the day’s poem presented itself. Something would capture my eye or attention and, almost spontaneously, I would begin counting syllables. Teasing my observations and experiences into 5-7-5 format was meditative and fun. I was looking deeply at the world around me and exploring the sensations it evoked and playing with the words and associations to describe it all. I suppose that is what I am always doing when I write, but somehow the haiku form made it all feel light, playful, and just right for this time of the year. May these word pictures bring light, play, and peace to your day also.December 23 - 29 -- a week in haikuWaking to wonderPale pink sky surrounding meGentle, warm embrace. Walking in the fieldOaks laughing, breeze caressing,Sun rising. Delight! Ice coated lichenIlluminated in a blanket of soft snow Wooded trail, crunch ofIce and mud heaves underfootUnpredictable Blessings from the skyCool and dripping sacramentOriginal gift This in between timeNot then and not yet later Only now, always Woodsmoke hangs heavyIn a dark and starless sky,A storm is coming