Poetry Corner – Poems and Dragonflies

Hello Dear Ones!

Seems that micropoetry (#micropoetry in the Twitter world!) is happily becoming a new past time for me. Short poems, haiku and senryu are all the rage with the folks I follow and who follow me. I wrote about this topic two weeks ago. If you missed that post you might want to take a moment to read it: here.

Just today I discovered (thanks to a new twitter friend) a fabulous website/blog where archives of some of the best twitter poetry are pulled together in the most appealing fashion. Please check out The Dragonfly Collection ~ haiku from Twitter ~ http://dragonflyarchives.wordpress.com/ The site is restful, spiritually nourishing, educational and inspiring! A site definitely worth your time. I’ve now bookmarked them for a daily journey into relaxation and soulful pleasure.

Though I’ve been writing poetry for most of my life, haiku was not commonly known about and was not taught in schools when I was of school age. So this style and the senryu form are new to me. I tend not to write senryu as it is so similar to the haiku but with a more cynical tone to it. I do not do cynical. I am a true Pollyanna and see the best in, and of, everything!

In brief, here is a definition of haiku:

n., pl., haiku, also -kus.

  1. A Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons.

And here is a definition of senryu:

SenryÅ« (川柳?, literally ‘river willow’) is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction: three lines with 17 or fewer total “on” (often translated as syllables…). SenryÅ« tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryÅ« are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious. Unlike haiku, senryÅ« … do not generally include a kigo, or season word.

The definition of both words were found at answers.com

Though my three unrhymed lines of poetry are like haiku in their structure, many of them are not about nature or seasons. Yet they are also not cynical or darkly humourous as a senryu would be. I have not as yet determined what category they might fall under. Maybe the version of haiku that is more often seen here in the west.

I’ve written at least a dozen or more short poems the past few weeks, since I discovered the simple and personal enjoyment that I receive from this easy, natural process. I thought to give you a highlight of a few of my favourites from those I’ve written most recently:

Brush strokes of sunset
*****
paint the soul with radiance
the heart with pure joy

Box of bright crayons
*****
colouring book lays open
my inner child smiles

My heart is smiling
*****
my nose and toes are tingling
laughter fills me up

Here’s one that started off as a micropoem.

Petals grace the ground, having first graced the flower, then the air as they fell.

Replacing one of the two-syllable words (flower) with a single syllable word (tree), it became a haiku: ( line one – 5 syllables, line two – 7 syllables, then line three – 5 syllables). I’ve included the haiku version for you here.

Petals grace the ground
*****
having first graced the tree then
the air as they fell

That’s it for today. I hope you learned something of benefit to you in your own journey as you wove through this post. I would like to think that it inspired you to try your hand at writing in a similar fashion. If you do, please send it along! I’d be pleased to enjoy it with you!

And please, do check out the Dragonfly Collection.

Create an amazing week for yourself, Dear Ones!

In Light and Laughter,

Marcia

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