Why do I love writing haiku? There are many answers I can give to this question, but let me share with you one that is especially satisfying to me. This is that quality of timelessness that haiku writing carries with it. For me, haiku stops time. The discipline of searching for, finding, and capturing a “haiku moment” in the midst of daily pressures and chaos, is like a meditation. And, as a meditative process, it brings a calm, centered sense of purpose, and allows me to step aside from the ‘ten thousand things” and visit an island out of time, a place where time ceases to exist as we normally know it.

Perhaps it is the intense focus on a single, pure concept. Perhaps it is the sudden, almost overpowering discovery of vibrant beauty in the midst of the ordinary. Perhaps it is the invitation to step outside of myself and see with new vision, fresh perception. For whatever reason, the writing of haiku creates a space all its own, a sacred space where I can catch my breath and become awake to a higher order of beauty and mystery in the world around me. Why? Because haiku invites me into a magic garden where I can be fully present and alive to a single, perfect moment, one which will probably never be repeated, or revisited. It is in this “haiku moment” that I feel one with all things.

Haiku moments can be found anywhere and everywhere, once we decide to see with our “haiku eyes.” For example, imagine in your mind’s eye:

A single bright red maple leaf floating on a dark pond…

A seagull, writing its winged calligraphy against a yellow dawn sky…

A black caterpillar bristling its way up a jade green stalk of bamboo…

See and feel deeply each of these images, and then bring one of these images into form in a haiku poem. The classic structure is five syllables for the first line, seven for the second, and back to five in the third line. While this may seem to be a demanding form, it is also profoundly liberating. As you enter the moment with all your senses, and also with appreciation for the beauty you have encountered, you will find that everything falls away, and you are left in a special communion with your subject, whether it be maple leaf, seagull, caterpillar, or your own discovery. And you will find yourself suddenly reinvigorated, refreshed, and newly awake to the thousands of haiku moments all around you, all the time.

So, if you have not tried haiku writing before, look around you, right now. Find an image that speaks to you, embrace it, and put it into form. And post it here! We look forward to hearing from you!