The #verselove prompt at Ethical ELA today is All Things Cheese. But, although I like cheese…I don’t love cheese. So today I decided to write my poem about something I do love: ice cream. Just a Haiku to ease into the weekend.
Ice Cream
Ice cold and creamy
dreamy caramel choco-
late. Dinner tonight?
@kd0602
Today’s #verselove prompt was about choices…and I made a choice that was different from the intended direction (I think). So, today I decided to write a #smallpoem (close to Haiku) to go with a photograph–where I wrote with light.
Photography
Today I write with light
images speak my words
exposing sea treasures
@kd0602
Today’s #verselove prompt over at Ethical ELA gives explicit directions to break rules! Stacey introduced the idea of a Gogyohka poem–a liberated version of a Tanka–a 5 line poem without the restraint of syllable counts. Strangely enough, I had introduced Haiku to my young students yesterday, inviting them to write 3 line poems without strictly adhering to the traditional 5-7-5 format.
To inspire their writing, we headed outside again today, this time with iPads in hand in search of tiny perfect things. (We had read the book by the same name before heading out–looking for tiny treasures so often overlooked.) When you’re 6 or 7, nearly everything is a treasure. They love the poppies that grow along the fenceline, the spiral of the succulents with their variegated greens, and even the gas meter–a metal contraption–that they don’t recognize as having a particular function.
And their joy inspired my Gogyohka today.
Creative Joy
Released from classroom restraint
they search the school grounds
for tiny perfect things
subjects for child-fresh photography
inspiration for unrestrained Haiku
@kd0602
One of the things my colleague Wendy talked about yesterday during her conference session was how Haiku doesn’t have to be all about syllable count (our American school version)–instead, she talked about Haiku being a poem in one breath.
I love that idea! So I thought I would try it out–inspired by the wavy turban snail shell I saw on the beach this afternoon. I picked it up to see if the snail was inside, but it was empty–just the shell resting on the shore.
On the sandy shore
a castle spirals upward
but no one is home
@kd0602
Ironically, this one fits the 5-7-5 syllable format without even trying! I’d love for you to try one–with or without counting syllables, but aiming for a single breath. Feel free to leave your Haiku as a comment.
I so appreciate the community of writers and makers that take the time to read my posts and provide supportive feedback. And it’s because of them that I took the time to write this lazy Sunday. It was dreary and gray today, the perfect weather for staying inside to read and relax. Luckily, before we even realized it was damp and chilly, we headed to the beach for a low-tide walk. The mist dampened my cheeks and hair, but not my spirits as I explored the familiar shoreline. And the reward: breakfast out at the local diner just a short walk from the beach!
And thanks to Ronald who encouraged me to use the daily create suggestion as inspiration…I actually went back a day, inspired by “create a collage of a loved one,” I created a photo collage of lifeguard tower 19–the landmark I frequently walk to as my turn around point. I realize I frequently take a photo of tower 19: on gray days, on cloudy days, on brilliant blue sky days, looking up at the steps, facing north, facing east… And thanks for Margaret who offered a #poemsofpresence challenge in May, which today I took as an invitation to write a Haiku expressing an appreciation of Tower 19.
Tower 19
Beacon of safety
blue of ocean, sky, and dreams
comforting way point
®Douillard
Green
Dressed in chlorophyll
perfect frame, green stacked on green
precursor to brown
®Douillard
Today was one of those gloomy, gray days. There wasn’t quite rain, but the air was saturated and left a fine mist of droplets on everything…including me. A busy work day left me leaning on a short form for today’s poetry: Haiku (with some literary license).
Not Quite Rain
Extra-ordinary
paper-thin blossoms tipped with
tiny wet kisses
®Douillard
Faced with a long drive back home, we decided to detour and find some mini adventures on our way. It makes for a long day…but was filled with small surprises that provided the perfect fodder for some Haiku.
Wildflowers
Transitory sprites
conjuring springtime dreamscapes
also known as weeds
®Douillard
Wetland Walk
Basking in the sun
pulling me to look closely
turtle or a rock?
®Douillard
Geese
The gaggle gathers
lunch counter or wetland spa?
pause in reflection
®Douillard
My students and I are 23 days into our poem-a-day challenge. While not all have stayed caught up…many have. It’s such fun to watch their knowledge and skills with poetry and writing grow as they engage with written language and ideas every day.
Yesterday I invited students to create some Haiku focused on gratitude–something I had experienced through #haikuforhealing a while back. This seemed like a good time for some healing Haiku.
It was such fun to see what my student came up with. They posted their Haiku along with a photo on our class padlet. Here is a small collection of just the poetry–and notice how many students focused on family members as the subject of their poems.
And my own:
Neighborhood Naturewind brushing my face
dappled light bouncing off trees
nature brings me peace
Some days you just need to keep it short. And when those days present themselves, Haiku can be a solution.
Today’s Walk
neighborhood garden
featuring lone masked statue
bittersweet relief
®Douillard
Thinking Through My Lens 