the scent of lemons —
how long have I believed in
this tree that won’t fruit?
National Poetry Month 2018: one haiku every day
… or almost every day, anyway. I forgot that yesterday was the start of April, and in the flurry of warm weather and family visits, did not find a haiku moment. But as often happens at this time of year, I’ve was reminded and inspired by my friend and colleague, the poet and writer Liz Garton Scanlon. She’s been sharing her haiku daily during National Poetry Month for ten years now; be inspired too, by visiting her blog.
Here’s the haiku I found today …
watching snow cover
the garden, the grass, the road–
plants in a window
Collaboration
Okay, confession time: sharing my poems online during the month of April scared me. REALLY scared me.
Here’s the thing: writing haiku is something I’m new at. I’m still learning. And sharing work that is new and different from what you usually do means opening yourself up to the opinion of other people, to correction, and even to criticism. These are scary things!
But there is a law about scary things, you know. From what I can tell, it goes like this: being brave and working through scary things always works out for the best. Always. I’m invariably glad when I push myself to try something that, at first, feels scary. For one thing, I learn a lot. I also tend to make connections that are meaningful. During my National Poetry Month haiku extravaganza, for example, I met some amazing haiku poets (like Liz Garton Scanlon and JoAnn Early Macken) and found a great poetry community. I’ve learned a lot from these talented people already! Other connections happened, too. One of my favorites is described in this blog post from Melissa Guerrette, a fourth grade teacher in Maine.
So, friends, go forth and be brave. You can do it!
Haiku for April 30
beside the back door
rubber boots caked in spring
mud and chicken poo
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns
And that’s a wrap, friends. I managed a haiku every day for the month of April, although on a couple days the posted haiku were written by other people. (Like Issa. And Basho.) I hope you were inspired to write a poem or two yourself.
Here’s a link to the entire 2015 collection.
Happy National Poetry Month!
Haiku for April 29
eleven robins
hopping around the outfield;
ordinary day
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns
Okay, people, this month-long celebration of haiku is just about over. (I’ll still be writing them, I’ll just stop sharing so many of them!) Before we end, though, do hop over to Liz Garton Scanlon’s blog and read what she wrote yesterday about the place haiku can occupy in this crazy and often upside-down world. She is so wise, that Liz. Wise.
Have a spectacularly ordinary Wednesday …
Haiku for April 28
listening to frogs
on the edge of a wetland;
moss-covered boulder
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns
Haiku for April 27
snake in the garden–
protecting its patch of soil
from development
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns
Issa for April 26
It’s sunny and dry here in New England, and I’m taking the day off to work in the garden and catch up on chores. Many thanks to Japanese haiku master Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827) for taking up the haiku-a-day slack for me!
Don’t worry, spiders,
I keep house
casually.
~ haiku by Kobayashi Issa, translation by Robert Haas
Robert Haas’ translations of the Japanese haiku poets Basho, Buson, and Issa have fueled me all month. For more inspiration from the masters, do check out his book, THE ESSENTIAL HAIKU. Wishing y’all a Sunday filled with haiku moments …
Haiku for April 25
the kitchen window;
watching a blue jay harrass
the nesting robins
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns
Haiku for April 24
end-of-April sun;
it spills over the table,
brightening the crumbs
© 2015 Loree Griffin Burns