Lame Bashō Imposter

Summer night

outside my door—

a mantis knocks.

Ah, the art of haiku. We remember learning that in grade school, right? Three lines with a structured syllable count: 5-7-5 and you must mention nature!

Well, haiku doesn’t have to be that rigid. I remember reading a collection of haikus by Jack Kerouac called Book of Haikus. In the intro, it was stated the Kerouac adapted to haiku by making it three lines in less than seventeen syllables. He felt this better captured the essence of haiku than the 5-7-5 form.

His book of haiku is a worthy read, and you should add it to your collection… But, the true master of haiku is, of course, Matsuo Bashō. I keep a copy of On Love and Barley-Haiku of Basho near me at all times. I pack it in my bag when we travel or camp, I flip through it from time to time to read one or two poems.

Nobody can do it better than Bashō. Every time I write one, it feels like a cheap imitation. Just look at this one, 129, from that book:

Come, see real

flowers

of this painful world.

Or how about 138:

Drenched bush-clover,

passers-by -

both beautiful.

Simple, beautiful. They are observations of the world by the Poet. That is why you should read and write them—they help train your mind to notice the things around you. You see the birth of things, the decay, the passage of time and seasons. Haiku hones your skill in looking at small things, large things, everything around you…. Being mindful will help you create images in your own art, poetry, writing.

Next time your out, take a journal with you and write at least one haiku: be light, observant, and in the moment. You’ll find them relaxing and writing them will inform your other works. Oh, and grab these two books to carry with you and read.