Writing on Water

[sooZen]

"Haiku imagery is always first and foremost a real observation. It never merely illustrates an idea. It is not simile. The poems that have the most resonance and power, however, are those that are observations which have a symbolic after-taste. The symbolic dimension is an echo of the primary meaning, uniting the particular detail which is being noticed - often natural - with a human significance." ~ George Marsh

"Learn the rules, then throw away the rule book!" ~ Japanese dictum

"enter into the object, perceiving its delicate life and feeling its feelings, whereupon a poem forms itself" ~ Basho to haiku students

When I write my perceptions, I am always talking to myself and if others find something they can relate to within that is only peripheral to my journey. We each must find our own path, our own way and be our own master. Haiku has been essential to me in my journey for I found it expressed a way of "seeing" that I could immediately relate to. It was immediate, not just figuratively but literally. Also, because I have such an affinity to nature and observation of the goings on in the natural world, haiku appealed to me in a way that no other writing form did or has since my first read of Basho. Basho, the old traveling monk (who wasn't really a monk, at least in his reflections) led me to Issa and then eventually, I found Paul Reps and Jane Reinhold who taught me to throw away the rules and write.

"If one does not grasp something - something which does not merely touch us through our senses but contacts the life within and has the dynamic form of nature - no matter how cunningly we form our words, they will give only a hollow sound. Those who compose haiku without grasping anything are merely exercising their ingenuity. The ingenious become only selectors of words and cannot create new experiences from themselves." ~ Seki Osuga

The "life within" that Osuga is talking about is something one must be in touch with in order to be successful at haiku. Again, for me, the immediacy of haiku, the observation and the "not thinking" or fretting or worrying about the lines, the form, the rhyme of poetry or the beginnings, the middle and the endings of a story give a great sense of freedom along with just the clarity of a moment in time that I feel or experience. Being clever is not enough to write good haiku verse although I am sure that the wit and wisdom of many haiku masters is readily apparent to the reader. But unless I am able to impress that moment, and get in touch with the life within me, I fail miserably at my haiku.

And I write a lot of poor, badly composed haiku as all that attempt to write good haiku do. The simplicity of form, the ability to convey a picture for the reader with clarity, all are not easy. Simplicity is not easy, being simple and concise and leaving the reader with a "Aha!" moment is, in my opinion, one of the most complex and difficult of all forms of poetry. And yet, haiku is and should be fun to write and I always encourage everyone to attempt it, to enjoy it. It appears so simple but to say something that enlightens without a lot of words, where you leave a impression on the minds' eye, where the silence left between the words speaks louder than the words is a mark of a true haiku-ist.

The form is one of the most evolving and evolved forms of poetry. From it's early beginnings in the East to its transformation in the West it has and continues to change. It is like water, it flows, it pools, it rages, it changes the landscape of one's mind, like water changes rock. I attempt haiku and I am not a haiku-ist (or a monk either) but for me, the beauty, the stark simplicity of form, the capturing of a moment in time, is a life long quest. (And good meditative practice!)

The grackle scolds
my feeble attempts
haiku critic!

"What we most wish to say is usually what escapes us..." ~ Unknown

[stilltrucking]

Funny I was just thinking about Reps after reading a poem by mingo. Did Reps give his poems away. Write them on slips of paper and give them to people? Did he save his poems, did he publish them just curious.

I have given up on haiku
it is all poetry to me
I have so little affinity for rules.

Even this bit from Plath seems like a ku to me.


Mystic
"Does the sea Remember
the walker upon it?"


It beats me
I am just a want to be zen-judist
with hardly any practice at all

[stilltrucking]

for me the pleasure is reading haiku not the writing

"enter into the object, perceiving its delicate life and feeling its feelings, whereupon a poem forms itself"

For a moment I envied a grackle
I perceived its delicate life its feelings


watching a grackle on the balcony
Mr or Mz Grackle have you full filled your function
found your purpose in life


I think I may have actually written a haiku once
serendipity no doubt.

Something satisfying about haiku

the stark simplicity of form, the capturing of a moment in time, is a life long quest. (And good meditative practice!)

yes that is what it is.

I intellectualize it I am sure
i dig the notion of Reps writing his haiku on slips of paper and giving them away.
At least that is how I remember something you wrote about him.

[sooZen]

Thank you for your reply Jack. I too would like to be a "zen judihist" (great!)

Here in entirety is the link to my article on Paul Reps, Weightless Gifts: http://www.litkicks.com/PaulReps

Paul was truly the first to bring haiku to the West and he instinctively knew that the rules that applied to the form in the East would not be applicable here. As a master of brevity, his style appealed to me the first time I read Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, a book that Cecil introduced me to (my first foray into Reps.) His first book (and yes, he was published) was directed at anyone that enjoyed and wanted to write haiku, More Power to You - Poems that Anyone Can Make. And, because he was humorous, I loved that too.

The problem that I personally find with all the " haiku rule makers and rule keepers" that are so prevalent in the genre is they loose the essence and spontaneity by insisting one count syllables, include a seasonal word or stuff like that. When I speak of haiku evolving, I perhaps should say that there are those like Reps who were not just evolving but revolutionizing haiku.

And like any art form or any art in general, it is also a matter of perception and of course, taste as to what is or is not good haiku. I tend to like Rep's brevity and strive personally to paint my little haiku picture with as few words as I can but again, that is just a personal choice. Basho, who is considered the originator of haiku, broke all the rules that the "schools" insist are required who study him. I think that is weird.

I guess what I really should and want to say to you Jack is that a satisfying haiku should satisfy you, whether you are reading it or writing it! And to do that (read or write) without too much critique and just enjoyment. I am a born critic (of myself and hence, others) and so have set myself very high standards but I find the those little words, when they come effortlessly are usually the most satisfying.

[stilltrucking]

grackle power
a bird with a tude
don't need no rules

good morning SooZen
the best time of the day here
before the hot texas sun is up

I will study on the link later
after I finish my morning chores

I used to love trying to write haiku
I don't why I gave up trying
that's the truth
I am going to try again