Haiku is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. A Haiku consists of 3 lines and 17 syllables. Each line has a set number of syllables see below:
Line 1 – 5 syllables
Line 2 – 7 syllables
Line 3 – 5 syllables
This is my 1st Haiku poem of 2017 and – along with the 80 Tanka’s I have written so far – I am well on my way to putting together a collection of poems to reflect the struggles of disabled people in 21st century Britain. I would like to publish these poems in a book to be released in 2018, but I need an illustrator to help me add images to my words and create the type of book that I envisage. If you are a budding artist, or know of one, then please do get in touch.
I am pretty nervous about trying this new form of poetry as I am not sure if my version fits with all the rules of traditional Haiku. I have given it a go anyway, even though I was originally writing a Tanka. After writing the third line I realised that anything else would detract from the message that I was trying to convey. After watching John Cooper Clarke on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, I am also tempted to experiment with other forms of poetry.
Anyway, here is my latest effort:
Flooded with plaudits
The harsh spotlight burns brightly
My pain stays shadowed
