We are what suns and winds and waters make us
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Image: Richard Leach, 7 Words, Distressed page from old poetry book on
playing card. Title: Found in The Poems of Algernon Charles Swinburne, 1904
30 May 2009
::chandeliers::on::the::floor::
carla coulson photo
during an unexpected detour {i still haven't arrived anywhere that even remotely resembles what i thought i'd have found by now} i tripped over a lot of things lying in my path to.... wherever i thought i was going...
for instance, a month or two ago i was looking for a challenging poetry lesson for one of the young students that i tutor in writing. the idea of haiku crossed my mind and five seconds after she complained about the constraints of 17 mere syllables, we were both hooked on the complex simplicity, the lull and force of writing haiku, of capturing moments in the same rhythm and a completely different light. flashes of light. glimpses of what i might otherwise not have told you, honest, courageous, brief, touching, strong, gentle, funny, poignant, subtle breaths of what was almost overlooked and whispered words of longing lost, held, found...
i've been writing haiku and sharing here and there, mostly on twitter, and in the meantime, have met some amazingly talented, creative, inspiring, supportive, fun and generous poets, writers and all-around interesting people, thoughtful and funny, i love funny, i need funny... and with some gentle encouragement that sincerely touched me, i've created a sparkling new blog to catch my fallen words shattered hopes scattered thoughts exhaled pieces together and molded into 17 syllables. 17 syllables that posses the potential to-- well-- you fill in the rest--
because the experience of haiku is personal, unique to each individual who reads it and different in the next moment if you choose to read it again. and haiku is accessible. anyone can find a laugh or a smile, a pause in a hectic day, a moment of peace, reflection, perspective, as your own thoughts echo in the deceptive depth of a single haiku.
most of you just haven't tried yet. i intend to change that. this is my effort. so please stop by ::chandeliers::on::the::floor:: and introduce yourself, and come back..often.. i'll post haiku and short poems {maybe some longer ones...who knows, go crazy!} throughout the day. i love getting to know all of you and your work. find me on twitter and we'll play #haikuwordgame together! i'm kinda shy so you might have to say hi first haha. i will start a list of twitter poets on my new haiku blog to keep the conversation moving.
so please enjoy the charming and charismatic nature of haiku poems that wink at you just when you think you're not looking. don't just read the few collected on my blog-- read as many as you can find. moments of your lives will forever be reflected and changed. {repeat if necessary}
x chantal {aka @inotherwords_c on twitter}
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2 comments:
cool thank you for that!
Hi Chantal,
Just want to voice my support for the beautiful things you're up to here and at Twitter. What you have to say about haiku is very much how I feel about it too. I'd like to mention Patricia Donegal's book "Haiku Mind - 108 Poems to Cultivate Awareness & Open Your Heart" as an easy-to-read exploration of haiku as a way of life, a way of seeing, exploring and personal discovery, a way of understanding one's entire life if one chooses. From what you've said, if you haven't already read it, I think it will become a treasure in your own library and maybe help to solidify your own thinking and maybe lead you in new directions as a poet and explorer. It certainly has for me. Whether you've read it or intend to, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book when you have time.
Thanks so much for sharing your artistry on the net. It's now one of the many things that makes Twitter and the internet in general so invaluable in my own life.
Take care,
Naumadd
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