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Friday, December 9, 2011

Friday Flash 55 -- Haiku on winter in Japan

 Winter Wonderland by Laurel Nelson


geisha faeries stroll -
cold hips on dry gnarled limbs -
warm hearts underneath robes

porcelain snowflakes,
wings fluttering on backs
in front of the tea house

silent the snowfall...
spring rehearsing symphony
resounds underground
  
butterflies in snow
whisper many languages:
each flake is unique

Snow is falling
in Land of the Rising Sun --
make Buddha snowman

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.


I do not always adhere to the Haiku format "rule" of 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. In fact, three of the Haiku in this post just turned out being 5-7-5 without my working them into that form. My new-found freedom came as a result of what I learned in this enlightening article, Becoming a Haiku Poet, specifically in the 7th paragraph that begins: You may have noticed that thus far I've said almost nothing about form in haiku. That's because form is not nearly as important as the other strategies I've covered. Form, in fact, is the most misunderstood aspect of haiku. . .  
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21 comments:

  1. Brian MillerDecember 9, 2011 at 4:51 AM

    buddha snowmen...ha nice...nice capture of the season over there...very nice haiku...that is a ver cool pic as well...

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  2. izzyDecember 9, 2011 at 6:09 AM

    Buddha snowmen, indeed! Nice!
    Keeping warm is tough some days- I wish we were approaching spring( as soon as Christmas is done!)

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  3. G-ManDecember 9, 2011 at 7:45 AM

    Domo Origato...
    Lovely Haiku's and they fit the prompt!
    Most Excellent 55 My Friend
    Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End

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  4. DeborahDecember 9, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    Beautiful ... and effortelssy done ... wonderful!

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  5. AnonymousDecember 9, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    That's really good, too good for just a '55'. Great use of vocab and imagery.

    Jamie

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  6. HelenDecember 9, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    This is sweet and gentle .. and yes, seems effortless.

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  7. hedgewitchDecember 9, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    These are very keen and crisp, Lydia--the first two I especially liked, but all are full of that winter bite. Great 55, and also enjoyed the article on haiku--bookmarked it for reference. It is indeed a very misunderstood form here in the West.

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  8. AnonymousDecember 9, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    I love haiku. And yours are so neat! They illustrate the picture (does that make sense?) perfectly.

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  9. ScarletDecember 9, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    Nice haiku snow set...lovely images of white fall andsnowman ~

    Happy weekend ~

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  10. KBDecember 9, 2011 at 8:48 PM

    Lovley. i'll send you some sun from New Zealalnd.

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  11. LydiaDecember 10, 2011 at 1:48 AM

    Brian~ Thanks much. The drawing really enchanted me when I saw it. :)

    izzy~ Thank you. Our weather report suggests rain, so I am agreeing with you!

    G-Man~ Thank you for the beautiful phrase! I had to look it up...new to me. :) Glad you liked this, and am wishing you a great weekend.

    Deborah~ You are so kind. Perceptive too, because this did flow easily for me (love it when that happens).

    hedgewitch~ I so appreciate your comment about these. Really glad you found the article worth bookmarking. :)

    Amber Lee~ Your comment would make a cool haiku!
    haiku illustrate the picture
    does that make any sense?
    perfectly

    Heaven~ Happy weekend to you, too, and thank you for your comment.

    KB~ Well, I'm not in Japan, but am in Oregon where rain is expected...so I will happily accept that NZ sunshine from you! (Your comment and portrait icon were sunny anyway.)

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  12. DeborahDecember 10, 2011 at 2:26 AM

    Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my blog Lydia xxx

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  13. LydiaDecember 10, 2011 at 3:35 AM

    Deborah~ I loved your post so much that I shared it on my FB wall. :)

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  14. FredaDecember 10, 2011 at 8:18 AM

    What a lovely fit!

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  15. Rob-bearDecember 10, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    A Buddha snowman.
    That would be interesting!

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  16. LydiaDecember 10, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    Freda~ Oh hi. Been thinking about you. Sorry to be behind in blog visits.

    Rob-bear~ I know! Makes me want to try one this winter.....if enough snow falls here this year.

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  17. FireblossomDecember 11, 2011 at 3:59 AM

    You realize, of course, that it says right on my profile that I hate haiku. But...this is you, so here I am. I do like the Buddha snowman. :-)

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  18. LydiaDecember 11, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Fireblossom~ I do know that and did not expect a visit from you for this post! So thank you for making an exception. I bow to you, :)

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  19. susanDecember 11, 2011 at 6:30 PM

    I love the little painting almost as much as the poem you wrote. The idea of a Buddha snowman is one I'll take home with me this evening.

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  20. Misterio VidaDecember 11, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    amazing... and now i am sad... because i thought haiku means any poem of 3 line stanza :( and i was thinking that i should try to write something...but now this 5-7-5 rule...heard it for the first time...and now i realize this is beyond me :( cannot write anything...

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  21. LydiaDecember 12, 2011 at 1:55 AM

    susan~ The little painting is magical like your drawings. I loved it too. :)

    Muhammad Israr~ Oh dear, Muhammad, please don't say you cannot write anything! You write beautifully! Follow the link to the article about haiku and read that 7th paragraph at least. The author's point was that the constraints of the 5-7-5 syllables do not apply beyond the Japanese language. He explains. I found it very freeing! The haiku must be 17 syllables, three lines, but the lines are not constrained to that 5-7-5 rule as so many have been trained to do.

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