Global Haiku • January 2025
Dr. Randy Brooks

Whispers of Life

by
Ashleigh Johnson-Jones

Learning about reading and writing haiku has enriched my way of thinking and offered great perspective for my life. Haiku has helped me to develop an appreciation for the art of simplicity. It is easy to feel as though work must be long and wordy to have depth, meaning, and purpose. Haiku has changed my mind about all of that. Over the course of studying haiku, I learned so much about art that I thought I was familiar with it. I learned about the fundamentals of a good haiku, traditions, and how writers can break the mold.
           
When writing haiku everything matters. There must be attention to detail, because spacing, subtle word choice, or a single change in punctuation could affect a reader’s interpretation of the poem. Contemporary haiku has inspired me to think outside of the box and explore its versatility. Instead of it being a limiting art form with very restrictive boundaries, haiku allows the poet to have choices and decide what rules to adhere to. I learned that haiku is not only a form to discuss nature but also a forum for social change and justice.
           
Writing haiku has taught me how to appreciate the world around me. I have been made to set aside time to remember memories, experience my surroundings, and reflect. I have been pushed to think outside the box. Initially, I began by following syllabic structures and writing more rigid poems, but over time I grew to write from the heart. Overall haiku has allowed me to deepen my own creativity and have a deeper understanding of the beauty in simplicity and the freedom of writing.

blue comforter
tucked in at my neck
drifting away

when it becomes
too much to bear
I close my eyes and pray

I do…
I don’t
what do I want?

snowflakes hit my tongue
I wish I was a snowflake
falling, free, and pure

she never understood
butterflies, until
she met him