February is the month of Valentine’s Day…a day dedicated to the poetry of love. But…did you know…February is National Haiku Writing Month!
Well then…let’s celebrate it!
Let’s write a Haiku…maybe even every day of February…what fun would that be?
I’ve been doing this…writing Haiku on and off (not every day…well nobody’s perfect 🙂 ) over the years. When I do it, it’s such a great way to celebrate the moment…to be in touch with what’s going on in my mind and in my heart. I can get things off my chest when they’re bothering me. I can wonder about what’s happening in my life and in the world. I can celebrate days and things I’m thrilled about. I can mark the good and the bad details in a way that prompts my memory when I later look back…maybe even to see what brought me to this moment in time. It’s so simple…such a great way to capture the magic of life!
So…you may ask…”What is Haiku?”
Haiku is a verse-form with which poets have been creating for more than three hundred years in Japan. Traditionally it is written during the change of a season.
When we write a Haiku, there are…
5 syllables (not words) in the first line
7 syllables in the second line
5 syllables in the third line
AND…if we’re a stickler for detail and following “the rules”, there’s a reference in the Haiku honoring the season in which it is written. It’s SO SIMPLE!!
I wrote my first Haiku ever when I was volunteering in the Art Program at Westville Correctional Center.
one step at a time
dreamer, weaver, peacemaker
heartfelt butterfly
Do you get the season in which it was written? Yes! Summer!
My Haiku just fell out of me when I asked a few questions of those with whom I was working…and decided to answer them myself:
- What do I like in my life?
- How do I slow down my mind?
- What are the words my best friends would use to describe me?
- How would I like to be remembered?
I made lists in response to each of these questions. Then I used the words I had written (and others that inspired) to create my Haiku.
So here…give it a try. I’ll be posting my Haiku on Facebook each day of February. I’d be thrilled if you join me.
In the meantime…
May the gentle rains of spring shower upon you
and clear your Winter Heart.
May the angels of love flock around you
and be with you on your chosen path
day by day
hour by hour
minute by minute.
May you hold each person you meet
within your heart
and know them as your Valentine.
Click here for more information about Haiku or watch my video…Write Your Memoir in 17 Syllables.