Lately I have rekindled my interest in haiku. You may be familiar with this form of Japanese poetry. 17 syllables: five, then seven, then five. No more. No less. So simple that it is often taught in elementary school as a first introduction to a poetic form. A morsel of word delight.
The other day this came to me:
Silent breathe blow glide
Swimming I am most myself
and like a dolphin
My haiku are about the most everyday things, like losing my bike lock:
My battered u-lock
with red key around my neck
so glad you came back
It gives me a little hit of joy to count syllables and string these words together. I think about haiku in my coaching practice because of the importance of pausing, noticing and choosing. My clients are often overwhelmed by trying to make progress on so many priorities. Haiku can help quiet the mind and allow focus and reflection on something that is not a task or a goal.
Thinking of the words to choose I often tap the syllables out with my fingers – in the air, on a table, on my bicycle handlebar: 5-7-5, 5-7-5. I enjoy the detachment, the short and private focus. Silently reworking the words is fun and distracting and takes me out of busy thoughts and things I need to get done.
Anyone can do it. There is no need to write anything down. You can share haiku or not. Haiku can be your little pause – a gift to yourself. Try it.