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Gratefulness
The second of an eight-day practice celebrating National Poetry Month and inspired by Br. David's appreciation of and experience with haiku.
To make the three lines of a haiku 5, 7, and 5 syllables long is a merely superficial conformity to the Japanese original. What counts is the spirit. ~ Br. David Steindl-Rast
Welcome.
Shape and structure are often what first come to mind when we think of haiku — which is usually presented in three lines (sometimes in one or two lines) of typically less than 17 syllables. Poet Tom Clausen sees the structure as encouraging us to “express something meaningful in as few words as possible” and inviting us to “maintain a healthy focus and awareness” as we aim to express what is in the heart.
Haiku and calligraphy by Br. David Steindl-Rast
For those of you interested in the purest form of haiku, Tom Clausen offers the following:
The purists believe a haiku should always have a ‘season word’ and should be a short, one breath poem of less than 17 syllables. They are often of the opinion it should be present tense, direct, and not just a sentence….It should not be a statement of an opinion or a soap box to present an argument or a position. It is typically not a type of poetry that uses metaphor.
Today our invitation is to experiment with the basic shape and structure of haiku.
We invite you to close your eyes and take one or two slow, deep breaths. In this place of presence, feel that which is in your heart. You might consider a moment that felt particularly meaningful for you today. Spend some time feeling into this experience then experiment with capturing the moment in a one-breath, direct, present-tense expression. You might play with trying to write in a three-line format, striving to have less than 17 syllables. You might incorporate a season word. You might puzzle over the order and arrangement of your words and lines to arrive at what intuitively works best.
In the remaining days of the practice, we will suggest a specific focus for you to consider as you craft your haiku. For today and all days of the practice, we invite you to choose the degree to which it feels right for you to use the purist form. Checking off all the “criteria” is certainly not a requirement, and we encourage you to find flexibility within the discipline. As Br. David Steindl-Rast encouragingly says, “What counts is the spirit.”
After you have experimented with writing your haiku, we invite you to reflect on your experience in a notebook or in the reflection area below. If you’d like, you may also share your haiku!
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February finds me knitting changing colors. My sister’s gift is warmth.
Good rain Peace Pausing Listening Thunder Gray day Rain drops Creek flowing
Rich scent of wet earth Moisture soaking into roots Glorious Spring arrives
Diane – your Haiku captures Good Friday perfectly for me. The sharp contrast of the day. Good/horrific Friday. Sorrow and new birth, death and resurrection. Thank you.
I was not able to participate daily and have saved all of the practices…to do on the slower, quieter days. when they come to me. Today is day 2 for me….and it is Good Friday in the Christian tradition. I was raised Catholic and although I don’t practice Catholicism per se any longer, some of the traditions and rituals remain beautiful and meaningful to me. So today my mind and spirit is filled up with the life and death of Jesus.
.Spring Right before my eyes Death becomes life Once again
Birdsong intended, Waiting to be heard, unseen, like doors on our paths.
Pull on lavender Cupped hand captures its fragrance And then its gone
Hunger pangs arrive. Sausage, egg, cheese – geez Louise! Calm descends again.
Day 2 of my haiku journey, remember my weekend Still feel the weekend excitement of what to come wonder trust
Today, I thought of the ocean where my home is and how I long to be there again. And also how it made me feel.
ocean brings cool wavy breezes across my face and throughout my body I feel embraced by beauty
rushing here and there dodging autumnal showers embracing new life
my heart on a hockey field vulnerable, brave both doing our best
sun, wind, balm, chill, tornadoes air and nerves neither know how to settle
Fourteen thousand feet! Cascades dressed, in bright white gown heated deep within.
Free, amongst the clouds flying, floating in gray bird! Nesting on the ground.
I love this! Haiku, to me, is putting words to the “Stop. Look. Go. practice. Red bird fights himself Beak strikes the bright window pane Rap! Rap! Rap! in vain
I’ve lived that♥️
Rain ricochets off leaves To petals of purple iris Drunk on spring.
Coffee, hot, bitter, On whose backs do I savor My morning delight
BRAIN bursting: inspire spring ORDER No narrow Hunger, RUNNING escape
Really helped me connect with my senses on EXACTLY what I was feeling and going to do about it. I wrote it out by hand first which felt therapeutic too.
Grooming a dog daily Not even my dog at all she comes by to visit
her name is Semper Fidelis Latin for Always Faithful My neighbors matted up pooch
Ten minutes a day we meet She gives up matted hair And I give up my treats
Green trees in blue sky The air is cool with promise Not yet time to plant
Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal
Welcome to week three of our practice. I’m excited to continue offering these excerpts from…
Welcome to week two of our practice. I’m excited to continue offering these excerpts from…
I’m excited to be offering these excerpts from my new book, How to Love the…
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