Health Haiku. Let’s switch up the writing style a bit for today’s posts! As you probably know, a haiku is a “miniature Japanese poem consisting of 17 syllables – five syllables in first line, seven in second, and five in the last. No rhyme or meter scheme is employed when writing haiku. The aim of the haiku is to create something greater than the sum of the parts.” Traditionally, haiku poems were written about nature and aim to capture the essence of the aspect of nature that is being described.
So let’s go with this but, of course, make it about our health focus (or condition). Our bodies are natural, complex, and difficult to explain. But they are also fascinating, intricate, and beautiful. Our health (or the health of the loved one we write about) is just as delicate. We are fragile but we are also strong. Think of today’s prompt as a quick meditation.
If you’d like to take a more authentic traditional perspective, you can include a Kigo, or “seasonal reference” (to April or spring, perhaps?) in your haiku.
Write as many haikus as you like! Remember when writing these types of poems, less is more. Use your writing time today as a light, meditative experience if you can. I like to think of haikus as mini meditations since you can’t detect the skill of the writer. A successful haiku is one that makes the writer and reader pause.
If you’re feel ambitious: Make your haiku into a tanka. A tanka is a haiku (5-7-5) with two extra lines (7-7). The last two lines, called the shimo-no-ku, can be used to wrap up your poem a bit more succinctly.
What did you meditate on as you wrote your haiku? How could you incorporate this writing exercise into your everyday blogging?
Participating in #HAWMC? Tweet us a link to your Day 8 post using the #HAWMC hashtag and be sure to share your post on the wall of our WEGO Health Facebook page – so others can read your posts!
It’s not too late! And even though Health Activist Writer’s Month is underway – you can still check out the prompts to use any time you may want an idea for your blog. Click here to get for all 30 prompts.
