Hi friends, writers, and readers,
I am glad to share with you the publication of my new book, PINK MOON, an anthology of haiku poems. I have made a random choice of 365 out of 700 three lines poems written over a space of two years, thinking fondly that you may wish to read one poem a day during the year.
What prompted me to write the book?
Haiku is traditionally a Japanese poem consisting of three short lines that do not rhyme.
The erudite consider haiku to be more than a style of poetry. It is a way of observing the physical world and seeing something beyond, more profound, close to the very nature of existence, and to an essential vision of life.
Traditional Japanese poetry consists of three lines that contain a kireji, or cutting word, 17 syllables on a 5,7,5 pattern, and a kigo, or seasonal reference.
Similar poems that do not adhere to these rules are generally classified as senryu.
Senryu is about the human heart and spirit, expressions of life, and love. It is similar to haiku except that haiku is mainly about nature.
I became enamored with haiku poetry in 2018. In that year, I was at the London Book Fair to exhibit my debut poetry book ‘Soul Poetry’. I surprisingly came across a work by the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. I fell in love with his haiku poems at first glance. I saw magic, sound, and music in his words –
Early morning walk,
Tree leaves bristling,
A lovely sunrise
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan.
During his lifetime, Basho was recognized for his work in the collaborative hakai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master of haiku.
It took me a long time to learn the art of writing haiku. It demands faith, meditation, focus, creativity, love of nature, and mastery of words. All these, coupled with awe at the beauty of existence, I have jotted down these writing prompts in the traditional form of haiku, observing as closely as I can the syllable count, three lines, and a seasonal reference.
I hope my readers appreciate my haiku poems. A globetrotter, I write them as I soar on my quill in the open sky.
Anita Bacha 