Tricia Scholl • Bill Pauly’s Haiku of the Inner Spirit

Sinking into the Three Lined Path Haiku by Tricia J. Scholl As a writer I have always found it hard to express my feeling on the spur of the moment. Usually, words would flow from my fingertips only if I had strong feeling, and the poems in my head would come at the most awkward moments. I would have to recite them over and over in my head hoping I wouldn't forget. When I did write them down I would second-guess my creativity, and sometimes, I would throw the poem away.

Haiku has helped me learn to express myself in a whole other wayHaiku is about expressing a moment, any moment that one may be feeling at that time, or did feel at a time. But the majority of the time the haiku takes place in present tense. Now when I write haiku I feel so much more comfortable with the moment. I believe I can write for myself a lot easier now and express my feelings in a new light. I have a new respect for the writing of haiku. There are so many ways to express different feelings in a haiku without having to write a thousand words. Three lines, two lines, or even one lines satisfies the cravings of the soul. I chose these because I believe they give the reader a good outlook into all the different kinds of experiences I have had. I chose my favorite rengay which is about a day I had sitting on the couch and realizing a new door was opening for me after I graduate, and I how I have to be full of courage to walk through. I also chose my 2 favorite nature pieces, and 4 of my favorite childhood/family memory haiku. I wrote a series of 10-15 haiku while I was in the middle of a relationship; I chose 2 from the series that were my favorite. I also added about 4 senryu, these were either about experiences I have had or about experiences others have had; one in particular isn't actually about anything significant at all, purely there for the reader to use their imagination. Finally, 2 are about music, one of my greatest passions. Enjoy what you read free your mind. And go. —Tricia J. Scholl Reader's Introduction Reading Tricia's haiku allows the reader a glimpse into her heart, mind and soul, and into what motivates and inspires her. She writes from the heart about memories and feelings that are real to her, as well as ordinary every day. This approach to writing allows the readers to place him or her into that situation and lose themselves for that split second into a memory. Her writing has meaning and is an honest reflection of all that is important and meaningful to her. One can visualize her journey from heartbreak to joy and still sense her strength and determination to overcome such obstacles and memories. Her haiku is therefore easy for the reader to relate to, which makes her work that much more enjoyable and interesting. —Chrissy Hulse