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HAIKU: 25 February 2018

feet sore from walking
back sweaty from early warmth
jump in shower — ah!

/ / /

Jason Crane
25 February 2015
State College PA

I go through periods of reading and writing haiku. I’ve done it ever since I moved to Japan in 1991 and picked up a copy of Basho’s Narrow Road To The Deep North in a bookstore in Sendai. Today I listened to this talk from Upaya Zen Center (where I almost ended up living in 2013) and decided it was time to start writing haiku again.

In the past I paid little to no attention to the 17-syllable rule, given that in Japanese it’s not even syllables that are counted. But Craig Strand’s part of the talk changed my mind. He said that focusing on three elements — form, season and present mind — frees the mind to express exactly what is there. In other words, the restrictions allow for true freedom. So I’m going to try sticking to 17 syllables.

Published in Haiku My poems Poetry

One Comment

  1. There is a lot to be said for freedom. And a lot to be said for discipline. I’d have to say I’ve learned a lot more from discipline. I think youth gravitates towards the the unbridled but maturity finds satisfaction in the task. Sometimes the process is the journey. …and with maturity (age?) we come to embrace that “the journey is everything!” Coolness!

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