Life and death
at the whim of lines
on paper.


酔狂な図の線による死と命

すいきょう な　ず の せん による　し と いのち




NACOS tips for writing English haiku

A proper haiku must be an image. It may not directly express one’s thoughts or feelings. It is a form best suited for concrete experiences that one has and for describing the beauty of nature around oneself. However, in my own attempts to come up with subject matter, I invariably drift towards my inner thoughts and feelings. The above is one example. My compromise is to take my thoughts and feelings and create an image around them that is concrete, but also metaphorical and therefore representative of larger ideas.

Because of this metaphorical nature, and because of how steeped in human life it is, many haiku poets would refuse to call the above poem a haiku. They would instead refer to it as a senryuu (川柳). These poems break entirely from the spirit and tradition of haiku, but still adhere to their form. In Japan, the line between haiku and senryuu is clear. In the newly evolving worldwide haiku tradition, the line is not clear at all. The fact is that it’s impossible to fully adhere to Japanese haiku tradition outside of writing them in Japanese, so the question becomes, how far should we allow ourselves to deviate while still calling what we write “haiku”?

Rather than seeking to answer this question, I am merely presenting it for you all to ponder as you refine the process you apply to your individual poetry. Happy writing.




Frustrated by Michiko: Illustrated by Michiko