ChanomiTalk

銀服の見物寄せに買い物列

ぎんふくの　けんぶつよせに　かいものれつ


Stiff silver man
drawing unsure crowds
long shopping line.


NACOS tips for writing English haiku

The most traditional way of writing haiku is not to think of them, but to find them within your life. Their purpose is to capture the essence of a moment without revealing fully what that moment is. If the reader doesn’t have all of the information, they participate in the poem by filling in the gaps with their own information. In the words of master poet Basho, “A haiku revealing 70 to 80% of its subject is good, yet those revealing 50 to 60% will never bore us.”




Frustrated by Michiko: Illustrated by Michiko

サラサラと常に変わらぬ木々や川

サラサラ と　つねに かわらぬ　きぎ や かわ


trickling stream
rustling leaves
all this time unchanged


空の下思案に暮れる岩の蟻

そら の した　しあん に くれる　いわ の あり


a speckled rock
under brilliant sky
ponderous ant


帰宅中車道の音も心地よい

きたく ちゅう　しゃどう の おと も　ここち よい


returning home
busy traffic noise
seems unhurried


NACOS tips for writing English haiku

Haiku can be either read or written as a form of meditation. Traditionally, they are not about abstract ideas, but are observations of the world around oneself. The poet removes himself from the poem but may hint at what he is feeling or thinking. This may result in the poet’s intentions being misunderstood, but whatever the reader gets from the reading is more important. Often, unique and profound thoughts emerge.

Often, English haiku are written as complete sentences, beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period. I thought that the set of three haiku above would be better presented outside of such constraints for reasons of continuity, meaning and aesthetics. Also, note that the first poem is written with the long line at the end. Such haiku do exist in the traditional Japanese canon.




Frustrated by Michiko: Illustrated by Michiko

新緑や列島のけさ月の影

Fresh greenery
stretches under the moon
morning in Japan.






しんりょく や　れっとう の けさ　つき の かげ

尾池和夫（おいけかずお）　

My wallet, by Yoko K  

陽子

ドル安で　財布緩まぬ　倭国かな

ドルやすで　さいふゆるまぬ　わこくかな


The exchange rate
One dollar is 75 yen
My wallet remains shut tight

日本海統べるがごとく烏賊の漁

Fishing for squid
as if they owned it
the sea of Japan.






にほんかい　すべる が ごとく　いか の りょう

尾池和夫（おいけかずお）