Hi All!
Happy Springtime!
Last week was Hanamatsuri, Easter is this Sunday (tomorrow!), and my friend in Japan sent me some amazing pictures of this yearās cherry blossoms (which I canāt post, because she is in them, too).
The Japanese word for spring is āharu,ā and in Japan, people will sometimes cheer each other on through difficult times by saying, āHaru ni naru, yo!ā or āSpring is coming!ā And, when something good happens after a long wait, āHaru ga kita!ā or āSpring has come!ā
During much of this pandemic, Iāve not been out and about as much I would like, and during my school's spring break, Iāve spent most of my time indoors working on my next manuscript.
And yet, as the seasons change, even in my apartment, I am super grateful. Along with Hanamatsuri, I am enjoying my friends celebrating Easter, my friends observing Passover, my friends observing Ramadan, even my students celebrating Spring Breakā¦somewhere (just donāt overdo, okay?)
This year, the season feels especially meaningful. For the past few years, I think Iāve said this every spring, but each time I honestly meant it, as I do now.
During this time, there is so much with the planet to worry aboutāconventional war, nuclear war, biochemical war, disease, climate change, a staggering loss of biodiversity.
I think that watching the seasons change, as they always will (until we do something to the tilt of the earth), gives one, if not a sense of peace, at least a sense of continuity, and maybe a bit of respite.
When we are worried about little day-to-day things, up at night wondering how weāll make our monthly rent, and terrified about what will happen to our children in the years to come, seasons are in that chronological sweet spotālong enough for each coming to seem significant, yet short enough that a single life can hold memory after memory of them.
Seasons give us so much wisdom that to be a āseasoned veteranā is to know the inner game, what to signs to look for, how to handle success and work through slumps.
Even in the bounty of summer we learn to prepare for winter. Even in the coldest winter, we remember the coming of spring.
And, spring is here, isnāt it?
āHaru ga kita!ā
So, this week, instead of a regular column, I am presenting a very classic spring activity. (Super classic. Like Heian-era Japan classic.)
A poetry writing exercise!
Itās not homework, thereās nothing to turn inājust something for you to tryāand if you like it, maybe share your experiences?
Weāre going to use haiku that follows the 5-7-5 rule--that is, 5 syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five in the third. (Haiku does not always have to follow to this rule, but it works well here.)
So, hereās how this works. I wrote three sample haiku. (Not the greatest haiku, but work with me, k?) Here they are:
-
This morning I woke
When the sun peeked through my drapes
And disturbed my dreams.
-
Outside my window
A lone tree is in blossom
Under our shared sky.
-
I called my mother
To see how she was doing
We talked for hours.
-
If I counted right, each of these haiku follows the 5-7-5 rule. Which means, if I take the first line from the first haiku, the second line from the second, and the third from the thirdāI should still get a haiku.
So, using the three haiku I wrote:
-
This morning I woke
When the sun peeked through my drapes
And disturbed my dreams.
-
Outside my window
A lone tree is in blossom
Under our shared sky.
-
I called my mother
To see how she was doing
We talked for hours.
-
And now, I can combine the lines and get:
This morning I woke
A lone tree is in blossom
We talked for hours.
-
I came up with this linked haiku form when I was a student, and I enjoy it to this day.
Iām sure others have thought of it, tooāitās a pretty simple form, and it reminds me of pantoums, villanelles, and sestinas, which also draw heavily from repeating lines in different contexts.
What I especially love about linked haiku is that itās a simple form to remember and execute. Everyone has probably written a haiku and I am sure many have written at least three of them.
And yetāthat little āaha!ā I get when I combine the lines is always magical.
Itās my poem, my words, undeniably my thoughtsāand yet, combined in a way that I would not consciously do.
So, for this week, I invite you to write three haiku and link them. See what you get! It might not work exactly all the timeābut itās almost always something interesting.
šøBonus points if you make the haiku about spring!šø
If you would like, post what you get in the comments below or on my Facebook pageāI was thinking I might read some of them in a future video?
One thing to keep in mind, thoughāplease remember that this poetry is meant to be shared as freely as the spring, so please donāt send any work you might want to keep for yourself.
However, even if you donāt want to post your work, Iād love to hear how it works out for you!
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Next Week:āTo Infinity and Beyond!ā āMay the Force be with Youā (and Other Tips for Poets) Part 1 of 2
Cover: twomeows/collection: Moment /Getty Images/