George Angus, Tumblemoose Writer

If you’ve been to this site very much then you know that there’s a lot of stuff about writing, but virtually nothing about poems and poetry. I don’t have anything against them, really. Just not my cup of tea. The only exception is the itty-bitty piece of poetry known as the haiku. The haiku is originally from Japan and traditionally is more complicated than the bastardizied little ditties you see now and then. Um, including the ones I write.

I don’t stick to all of the rules but I do keep the standard format. What is the standard format, you say? Here, let me tell you in a haiku:

First, five syllables

Seven syllables second

Five syllables third

See how easy that was? The simplicity is what attracts me, I guess.

I find them to be an excellent release and a good way to put a thought or concept in writing. Often, I’ll write one to include on a birthday card to a special friend. I also find them to fit perfectly into the 140 characters that Twitter allows. Earlier in the week when I finished the editing project from hell, I posted this tweet:

Taking a break from editing for an editing haiku: Need editing break/ Client keeps changing things up/ Undoes what I’ve done

The haiku can be a bit of a mystery to figure out. Saying what you want to say using the correct format takes a little back and forth in your head but when you finally get it, the sense of satisfaction is pretty cool.

What do you think of the haiku? Have you engaged this kind of writing before? Tell you what. Just for funsies, frame your comment in the form of a haiku.

This oughta be fun.