Global Haiku • January 2021 |
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Incomplete Captures by My collection of haiku are titled incomplete captures for a couple reasons. One is to acknowledge that the things I tried to write about are not being delivered directly to the reader. Instead the writings can only approach and suggest ideas and sensations that I wanted to express. The reader in haiku must bridge this gap that is made especially wide because of the brevity of haiku. Not only can I not deliver my ideas exactly as they are, I cannot capture the world exactly as it is. Certain things stick out to me and I miss other things. The gaps between reader and writer and writer and world can allow for the work to breathe. Incomplete captures allow for each haiku to open up experiences and associations that are personal to the reader. There are many ways of viewing the world and my haiku are one of many. Given this, my approach captures what was most salient to me. The haiku that appear here are there because of the way they made me feel when I read them. Sometimes I simply like the sound of some words next to each other or enjoy a certain image. Sometimes I try to capture the world apart from my interpretation, sometimes my interpretation is included. The most important thing I believe in reading or writing haiku is keeping an open mind. Knowing the incomplete nature of the form can help you find joy in haiku. A certain haiku could mean a lot of things and open up a lot of associations, all are valid. • • • Learning and studying haiku has taught me a lot more than I could have ever imagined it would. The seemingly simple craft is very rich in so many unexpected ways. At the beginning of the class I began wondering if haiku were empty. I questioned the craft because of how much emphasis was put into leaving things out and leaving things to be interpreted by the reader. However, through reading a bunch of haiku by many different authors I began to find haiku that I loved. Rather than dismissing haiku as empty and open to interpretation I began to see how the perfect pairing of words could open up a new experience. I began to appreciate the openness and space that allow for a different kind of relationship to the words. I learned on a different level how it can at times be best to not compare genres and mediums to one another. Another thing I learned was about proper education. The medium of haiku I learned was a wonderful connected community. It was awesome to see all of the journals our professor is involved in and the gatherings that happen to share this work. I also reexperienced the truth of learning through experience. There is only so much that can be learned through reading. Beginning by practicing set a solid foundation for the material we looked at later on. It was also great to see haiku from a wide array of poets. Other classes would be far better off if the same attention was given to starting by doing and being immersed in a wide array of opinions. Finally haiku helped me appreciate my every day life and the perspectives of others. Through stopping and trying to capture things through words I began to see more how some things are almost indescribable. Walking around my neighborhood, holding hands with my girlfriend, I reflected on how many haiku were passing by each moment. The brevity of haiku, that still manages to paint deep sensory scenes showed me how rich every moment of life is. Through kukai I also witnessed the beauty of group and community. The joy of haiku was certainly elevated by having my outlook on a haiku changed with a new reading of it. I also loved hearing the haiku of my classmates. Overall, haiku is a beautiful art that I will always carry with me. I look forward to finding more haiku that touch me like some of the ones I found during this class. |
trembling forest |
to live simply |
jean pressed against brick |
down the street |
leg over leg |
porous cave trembles |
bushel of twigs |
glistening brand new |
kiss after kiss |
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© 2021, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.