How erratic can you get, eh?
What? Haiku? You're supposed to blog about music. Or post recipes, for Frith's sake! (Yes, I can hear your thoughts. I'm scary that way)
True, true, I have been known to blurt that I would only write about my love of music... Except I seem to have developed a (temporary I'm sure) writer's block about the music angle. So I reverted to my ordinary stuff about food, Viggo, Birdlife, more food and more Viggo.
But ever since I made Viggo write a Haiku, I have thrown off the cloak of shyness I have been hiding my Haikus under, and decided to share this secret corner of my frenzied over-stuffed mind with you.
For the un-knowing amongst you: Haiku is a Japanese poetry form, with a very specific rhyme pattern.
The traditional form is that you write 3 lines; the first line takes 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the third line again 5 syllables. The traditional, classical Haiku is an elegant but simple poem about nature. The author often expresses (almost childlike) wonderment, innocence. It is not an art form to express violence, or huge emotions. Although the more modern Haikus (especially the Western kind) have left the classical path, and only the purists care.
I have first come across Haiku when I started teaching literature, some years ago. Part of the curriculum for my pupils was to make them aware of different poetry forms, and in my research for this I stumbled across Haiku, and was struck by its seemingly simpleness.
Since then I have always made my pupils write Haiku, with glee, but often with immense satisfaction as well. For, after the initial "oh-yuck-no-must-we" reaction, many times I have found little gems amongst the muck of my pile of assignments.
One year a couple of boys (13 years old) tried to out-do each other in writing Haiku about sex ("well, that's nature as well, right, Miss?), and they had so much fun that I didn't have the heart to stop them.
So. Interested?
Here is a Haiku I wrote especially for you.
wild windy wetlands
reeds bend backwards in despair
clouds chase clouds chase rain
Oh...go on, give it a try.
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