Haiku

Most of us grew up learning about and writing haiku in around the third grade.  However,  I discovered the seniors in our community, although they memorized poems in grade school, we're not familiar with haiku.  So we discussed that a traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count  focusing on images from nature.  Haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression. Then we wrote a haiku together in the pub, which has become our meeting place of choice.  

Here are some of the haikus from the writers.

BRIGHT STARS 

Early spring morning 

Oldest and youngest sons shine

Service above self. 

Bob Moore

Early winter morn

New England buried in snow 

Red Sox in sunshine. 

Bob Moore

Forsythia bloom

Bright yellow in their color

Mustard in a jar.

Joan Clelan

The brown speckled trout

Rushing water over rocks,

Now it is dinner.

Joan Clelan

Practice playing scales

Fingers getting stronger

Clean the house it's time.

Joan Clelan

Hearing aids whistle

It is distracting to me 

So are my dentures

Joan Clelan

My tree is golden

Then winter comes, branches wave

"Good bye, until spring."

Ken Wright

     Paris13 Nov15

They came and killed,

And again, again, again,

But joie de vivre lives.

Ken Wright

             ISLAND IN THE SUN

Majestic, peaceful,

Volcanic ashes spewing,

Mermaid beckoning.

Eleanor Bongiorno