PACE Global Haiku • PACE September 2009
Dr. Randy Brooks

Selected Haiku

by
Amanda Sy

Haiku is a very interesting and fun way of poetry. I have learned that haiku isn’t just the 5-7-5 syllable pattern, which is the present day pattern. This pattern started in Japan in the sixteenth century and has been successful since then. I learned that the Japanese haiku is one of the shortest verse forms in the world of literature. It consists of only seventeen syllables at the most. I found it very fascinating that haiku in Japan is written vertically in a single line. I have found that writing haiku is a lot more challenging than writing any old poem. You have to try to sum up all of the feeling and emotions you want out of the poem in three lines or so. You have to be able to allow your reader to create a story in his or her own mind.

By leaving a haiku open enough for them to let the imagination run a little wild; I feel you have created a good haiku. A good haiku for me is one that is descriptive in very little words. I enjoy haiku that start out broad but brings you into a personal place. My personal way of writing haiku is writing about life experiences. I will pick something to write about that I feel passionate about, something I have enough knowledge on. I try to use descriptive words but still allow the reader to relate it in their own personal way.

grandpa’s shoes
the miles they’ve traveled
I will never know

chit-chat with mom
water boiling
silent words

worn out legs
they are still
hands move like water

pink and white sneakers
strings are frayed
my toe peeks out