TRANSFORMING THE HAIKU
Haiku came into my life so unexpectedly, so instantaneously, and I have no way to understand or explain. Towards the end of December, I remembered a box of Haiku magnets that I had bought, so I pulled out some strips and placed them on the front of the guest refrigerator. Thinking that there are so many writers and poets that stay at Casa Lenita, I felt I was doing it for them, giving them one more little morsel of playtime while they're making coffee or preparing food in the terrace kitchen.
Then one day, I noticed I too, was writing some every day. I began to think of the 365 small huipils from 2015, that might like some new attention. As I sifted through the tiny artworks, they seemed to guide me towards commentary. Not necessarily the usual Haiku content, which historically relates to seasons, nature, temperatures, etc. According to The Haiku Foundation, it can also describe things and events which produce certain feelings in us. All are 3 lines, which is the rule of Haiku, and even though not all of them follow the rule of 17 (syllables), it seems an auspicious number as I dive into this project.
In truth, 2017 began with such explosive, politically charged issues, that I needed for a place to put these emotions that ranged from deep sadness to outrage to helplessness and back and forth between acceptance and just trying to find my own center. This week of inauguration and the Women's March has been exceptionally challenging; I've fallen behind and am earnestly trying to regain my daily routine of writing.
on feeling lost:
trail twists upward now
hit my heart sideways
on divisiveness:
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| Guest Haiku / play time! |
Then one day, I noticed I too, was writing some every day. I began to think of the 365 small huipils from 2015, that might like some new attention. As I sifted through the tiny artworks, they seemed to guide me towards commentary. Not necessarily the usual Haiku content, which historically relates to seasons, nature, temperatures, etc. According to The Haiku Foundation, it can also describe things and events which produce certain feelings in us. All are 3 lines, which is the rule of Haiku, and even though not all of them follow the rule of 17 (syllables), it seems an auspicious number as I dive into this project.
In truth, 2017 began with such explosive, politically charged issues, that I needed for a place to put these emotions that ranged from deep sadness to outrage to helplessness and back and forth between acceptance and just trying to find my own center. This week of inauguration and the Women's March has been exceptionally challenging; I've fallen behind and am earnestly trying to regain my daily routine of writing.
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| Huipil Haiku from 36542015 |
on feeling lost:
trail twists upward now
hit my heart sideways
watch for the signs
 |
| Huipil Haiku from 36542015 |
on boasting:
from out of your mouth
polluted rivers spill mayhem
small birds resist bites
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| Huipil Haiku from 36542015 |
on divisiveness:
the split is real
inner and outer
may we find our center
 |
| Huipil Haiku from 36542015 |
on the inauguration:
other revolutions
tell us change is possible
coffee for everyone
What I'm noticing is a subtle yet circular connection between the works I made 2 years ago, and the events / emotions / experiences of right now. As is stated in The Haiku Foundation, "a haiku gives the reader a sense of something happening at a specific moment in time." We shall see if this synchronicity continues to occur as I follow this path.
Comments
Two visual bites of perfection
tiny exquisite pieces
each colorful taste completes the other
Bits of woven words, string, paper
wrap around each others form
empowering and multiplying meaning
xox