William J. Higginson and Penny Harter wrote 'The Haiku Handbook,' published by Kodansha International in 1985.
Through the mind of Zen, the art known as Haiku was created.
If you are to write Zen Haiku, you must eliminate the 'you.' A poem is but a snapshot of reality. It is a moment frozen in time. The petty emotions are left orphaned.
Words are the very thing itself. It is poetry without the poet. Remove the 'Self' from the 'Art.' Just let things be…be the poem itself, without the ego surfacing.
Seeing or sensing
Something in the moment
Don't share your feelings…
Share the cause of those feelings
Poets find inspiration in common, everyday occurrences:
'Being small, haiku lend themselves to sharing small, intimate things.'
'Letting the object or event touch us, and then sharing it with another.'
'The writer shares with the reader…the reader shares a moment with the writer.'
Here are some poems, by various authors, found in the book.
Dead cat…
Open mouthed
To the pouring rain
On a barren branch
A raven has perched—
Autumn dusk
Clouds occasionally
Make a fellow relax
Moon-viewing!
Evening breeze…
Water laps the legs
Of the blue heron
A thief
Vanishes over the rooftops
Night chill!
The Milky Way too
Has become intense
We said and parted
Dead bird:
Such an agony of feathers
In the silence!
Bass
Picking bugs
Off the moon!
In a tight skirt
A woman sweeping leaves
into the wind
Library closing—
The sleeping wino wakes up
Holding a shut book
Waves of summer heat
Cows huddle
Beneath a sycamore
Into the blinding sun..
The funeral procession's
Glaring headlights.
Letter to the Author:
Kiley Jon Clark at worldlit@felpsis.net