A Haiku each day

Some writers like to compose a Haiku every day. This lyrical Japanese verse form aims to describe a scene, object, or person in just seventeen syllables. The words are arranged into three lines of text, which do not have a rhyming scheme.

The linear syllabic structure is: five: seven: five.

Here are some Haiku which I have put together. They all reference daily walks with my dog, Bramble. Naturally enough animals, elements of the weather and the dog’s reactions feature. First, the beginning of the day.

Bramble wakes at five.

She fetches her long red lead.

‘Time for walkies please!’

Then there are scenes along the lanes.

Cows stand by the gate

Two dozen heads staring back

An arm’s length away

I chose not to punctuate these lines, except for capitalising the first words, because I was interested in the sense of flow. However, there is no reason why you shouldn’t use punctuation. Here’s another about the dog before we have returned home for breakfast.

Bramble looks for food,

Sniffing along the hedgerows,

Chomping at the grass.

Farm animals are never too far away on our walks.

Some sheep block the lane.

Bramble’s not met sheep before.

She turns to head home.

I like to use the present tense when writing Haiku because I think it makes the lines seem more natural. I tend to use present participles, although in this example, I haven’t. In some of these poems the dog’s reaction forms a sort of punchline, or response to the scene, avoiding stating my own.

This is another poem referencing the weather, this time without any present participles, just three main verbs in three short sentences.

Clouds scud overhead.

Cold winds spar with each other.

Bramble pulls backwards.

Sometimes a Haiku can turn on a contrast.

Now it’s raining hard.

Bramble’s coat looks bedraggled,

Curled up by the fire.

The dog often forages around for something to eat when we are out. At home she seems to know when it’s time for the next meal.

‘Is it time for lunch?’

Bramble sits expectantly,

Then gobbles down snacks.

And finally it’s time for a rest.

After moorland strolls,

Bramble sleeps on her blanket

Dreaming of those lanes.

Writing Haiku can help to focus attention on a scene, moment or action in just a few words. It is good practice for writing in a succinct way. Here’s another Haiku by the seventeenth century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashô.

A chestnut falls:

The insects cease their crying

Among the grasses.

I really like this poem. Interestingly, the opening line is only four syllables. This shows that sometimes a poet might choose to avoid metrical precision to convey a fluent impression or sound effect. Given that I do not know any Japanese, I wonder whether Bashô’s verb could be translated with ‘tumbles’ instead of ‘falls’. Perhaps two syllables might seem more laboured than the simple abruptness of ‘falls’ and perhaps his original verb was just the one syllable.

Good luck if you try writing some Haiku verse. You could describe a traditional scene based on the weather, the turning seasons, or the natural world. You might prefer a gritty, urban viewpoint.