A haiku is a three-line poem that many people use as a meditation aid. They can also just be a lot of fun to compose and bring joy to both the writer and reader. The first line is always five syllables, the second line is seven, and the last line is five again.
• To write a haiku in English, concentrate more on simply capturing a fleeting moment, evoking a beautiful image of the ephemeral quality of life.
• A haiku often focuses on a moment in nature, and typically includes a word that lets the reader know what season it is. For example, the word daffodils would indicate spring.
• It’s traditional in Japanese haiku to use a kireji, or a cutting word. This word is used to show juxtaposition between two ideas in the haiku, or to signal the end of one of the images. In English, it’s typically done with a punctuation mark, like a dash or period, since our language works differently.
• Read your haiku to family and friends. Post them around your office at work or in your home. Use them as a focus during your meditation exercises.