A writing Class~ A Piece of Cake?

“The whole of life is in each moment, not in the past, not in the future - and thus a true haiku is important because it is a moment of total and genuine awareness of the reality of the Now.”
~ Robert Spiess (New and Selected Speculations on Haiku)

“Haiku has developed as a poem which expresses deep feelings for nature, including human beings. This follows the traditional idea that man is part of the natural world and should live in harmony with it. This differs from the Western way of thinking, in which man is regarded as independent of and perhaps superior to the rest of nature.”~ Sono Uchida President of the haiku International Association.

“Haiku forces us to get out of the loops and worries or depressing thoughts by demanding that we use our senses to explore what is around the body at this very second.” ~Jane Reichhold


A few months ago I was happily searching for writing classes to take free on-line. I found a lot of sights that of course had some catch ~ They were free after you paid to join. ~They were free if you bought a book. ~ Basically they weren't free.

Then I found the Allpoetry sight. And they had a whole section called learn. I was tickled to death. They had a whole lists of classes. And if there were a catch I couldn't find it.. ~ They do offer an up-grade on their sight for some small fee but you are welcomed to take the classes for free.~ I decided right then that I was going to take them all. After all, I love poetry and I made A's in school. I mean how hard can it really be.?!? I was even going to be sensible. I was going to take them two or three at the time. No need to be hoggish since I was pretty sure I had this class thing whipped.

I began with Dark Poetry which I had never written. I have only one more poem to write for that class. I have done very well there.. I have found that I have a dark side that also loves to write. I have enjoyed the class and am proud of myself for trying something new.

I also signed up for a class that teaches you to write for children. I am about half through that class. I loved it to begin with~ But all my kids are grown. I will finish the class but I'm not in a real hurry. My interest has changed.

The third class I signed up for was a Beginners Haiku writing class. I remembered Haiku from high school. I knew this class would be easy. I figured I'd knock the eighteen classes out in eighteen or twenty days. Depending on how slow the teacher was. Oh Boy was I ever WRONG!
First of all I had to forget everything I ever learned about writing Haiku. Forget the syllable counting and the story in three lines rules we learned in school. I want y'all to know ~ I who thought I could write anything~ have struggled with this class. I have wrote Haiku for years. I have won contests for Haiku. I love Haiku. I didn't know the first thing about Haiku. I even told Dave that I didn't think the teacher liked me. As if he could know me enough to decide. I cried. I cursed. Y'all know I cursed a lot when he said "do it again please!" and then I cursed some more when he said, " almost but not quiet. One more time."

Finally, after a few months of writing and re-writing and reading and studying. I am doing well in a Beginners Haiku class. So much for me knocking that class out quick. So much for me having any of them "whipped". I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. Nor as good at writing Haiku as my teachers in school assured me I was. But I am learning. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. I have learned that every Haiku should have an A Ha moment.. They should also cause the reader to think. I am sharing some of my Haiku with you tonight. Haiku also are not supposed to have titles.. I have given these titles only to keep them straight for myself ~And because a sight that I post a lot of my work on won't take anything without a title.
Please enjoy.



Quail
sleeping quail~
soft snores forgotten
under a blanket of Gravy

In the Cemetery
an old cemetery
tilted gravestones thrusting
~ a Hare nibbles grass

Hissing Grass
vigilant reptile
Rippled over the rocks
Hissing Grass swirls


Into the River
mourners squawk~
Red tailed Hawk follows
Daisies downstream


Clean Slate
driftwood drawn words~
sandy slate washed clean
under waves of the sea.


Haiku written By:Patricia Sawyer
9-4-2008 and 10-1-2008


I hope Y'all have enjoyed my Haiku today. Maybe you can even imagine what image I was thinking of as I wrote some of them. I hope that every day you find something poetic in your own life. Something to have an AH Ha moment of your own. Enjoy life. Live it to the fullest that you can. Take a good, long, close, look at the world around you. You might be surprised at what you see. Have a great day!
Patsy