Why I Haiku.

I started writing haikus with little idea about what I was doing. I’m STILL writing Haiku’s with even less idea of what I’m doing, and yet more appreciation for the process. It began with an invitation and challenge to write one haiku every day, once a month share a haiku with the other haiku challenge authors and then just see what would happen. A lot has happened. We learned how to write haibun (the response to a haiku). We have seen uncanny synchronicity in topics and reflection. I’ve made new friends and reconnected with old friends. And lots of happy mail (I hope) has landed in people’s mailboxes. Three Lessons from haiku writing: Moments Matter: Haiku writing (or my version of haiku writing) is putting a frame around a moment. Small, fleeing, almost unseen moments become something more profound and meaningful through the challenge and practice of seventeen syllables. Practice, Practice, Practice: It’s a practice. Practice learning to frame those moments and ideas; sometimes the words work, sometimes they don’t. It’s a practice that ebbs and flows. Sometimes I’m consistent with daily jotting down a haiku; in other times too many days (weeks) pass before I remember that I’m someone who writes haikus. Everything is changeable: Sometimes I flip through my haiku book and read something I wrote months early and see that if I changed a word or line the haiku would flow better or be more expressive. So, I change the word or line. Nothing is too precious when it comes to writing. If another word or line would work better I cross it out and add the new word. Once a month Michael (creator of The Profound Living Website and Co-Author of Profound Living) and Davin (contributor to the Profound Living website and the book as well!) and I schedule a zoom call to share our haikus and reflections. Prior to our call, we share one haiku and we each write a response to the other haikus, plus reflections on our own haiku. (So I write one haiku and three responses) This is our chat from August 2020. Do you have a response to any of these haikus or our reflections? Please share in the comments! If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!) Photo by Álvaro Serrano on Unsplash

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