Haiku from the Heart

This book is about connections. It's about the connections we make with places, it's about the connections we make with people; it's about the connections we make with events in our life. Traditional Japanese haiku is a short form of poetry which consists of seventeen syllables in three phrases which consist of five, seven, and five syllables. The three phrases are traditionally written on three lines and the natural rhythm falls accordingly into the three phrases as in:

One two three four five

One two three four, five six sev

One two three four five

A haiku typically has the characteristic known as kiru, or cutting. The haiku will start by reflecting one thought and then "cut" to another, often pivoting on a single word or syllable.In modern times, especially in America, haiku is defined more loosely. It may have less than seventeen syllables and is often written on one line, three, or even in a circle. I have settled on my own understanding of haiku as a form of poetry which is terse and concise, attempting to catch the essence of a feeling, mood, or situation while working within certain rules, sometimes bending them but not breaking them.