Reflections haiku by Abby Kavanaugh I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this class. Haiku? Me? No way, I was thinking. I love learning about other cultures, but actually attempting to write Japanese poetry? I thought it was a lost cause.

It didn't take long for me to realize that the state of mind was as important as the actual haiku. It is a lot like meditation. If you live in the moment, the world becomse more vivid. I began to notice those "little things in life" that are so important. It had never occurred to me before to tell someone about the way I felt when I noticed a beer can cruising down a hill. Some ideas just seemed too mediocre to tell others about. This is not the way with haiku. Anything can be your inspiration. I believe I truly understood this when we read what I refer to as the "Dead Cat" haiku by Michael McClintock. If someone can capture a moment like that in a three line poem, I figured I could pretty much do what I pleased with haiku as well. It has become a precious commodity in my life. Sometimes I find myself walking along actually thinking in haiku! It is truly remarkable. As a writer, I can appreciate new forms of writing. This one is particularly effective as it opens my mind. Which is another reason I cherish it so much. With haiku in my pocket, I will never hurt for ideas to write about. All I have to do is open my eyes. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I enjoyed writing it.