Dr Jwp on writing 5-7-5 Haiku
I have long worked primarily in short free verse, where poems arise as immediate expressions of thought and observation.
In addition, I have explored the traditional 5–7–5 structure of haiku. These haiku are often developed by selecting very short free verse poems I have written and refining them into the structured syllabic form.
This two-step process reflects an ongoing inquiry into how insight can be expressed both freely and within formal constraints.
While much of my work remains unstructured, the following poems demonstrate that structured poetry is understood and can be applied when chosen.
Year 2008
green birds bright red petals
a brilliant magnificence
spinning orb tilting
080509 (poem date)
wedding vows mature love
a broken heart missing now
faded cardinal
080509
origami cranes
breathless colors simple bright
peace wing prayers in flight
080509
one long breath exhale
expanding forever now
euphoric breathing
080509
propelled steel lead balls
father brother male child death
stripping souls blood flows
0800509
three sixty-five ticks
erupting forever spring
disintegrating
080509
granite marble stones
wooden steel cocoons hidden
time never caring
080509
Bill Sue Joe Ned Ken
egocentric moments pass
homogenous grass
080509
pyramid stepping
sunny stormy cold hot days
ascending to die
080509
eagles soaring high
wing tip to wing tip blue sky
surfing gentle waves
080509
a billion red ants
soaring concrete glass steel cubes
walking flattens earth
080509
sea breeze wave shush shush
orange fire floats down dissolving
breathing peaceful deep
080511
cubic stones white paint
a steel bed, desk, door in green
the acorn, the oak
080511
deep freeze, starry night
white dots nuclear hell fire
monkey teeth chatter
080511
mighty cathedral
the marble steel cubicle
praying under stars
080511
single file bullet days
penetrate forever now
inked diary pages
080511
the rain drawing down
enormous infinite roots
nuclear gene tree
080511
wild geese formation
look north now, look south later
the bellows breathes in
080511
children's light fingers
skitter across daddy's knee
prairie winds comb grass
0800512
little dragon teeth
prickly spines old cactus plant
soap bubble floating
080512
loving deep blue eyes
time and space fold together
steel bands welded tight
08512
white doves peace alights
paper cranes fly as white smoke
still waters run deep
080512
gun sites target man
a silver bullet flies home
in the book life ends
080512
soft full lips caress
breasts of plenty firmly press
bees siphon honey
080512
sacred texts if words
vibrations heavenly song
hot sun warms cold air
080512
caterpillar crawls
blue jay screams delightfully
seeds rot underground
080512
old shoe mileage much
foot travel concrete dirt stone
one legged bird hops
080512
humans crowd touching
something sharp to see by sea
monkeys chew in trees
080512
black snake ziggles water
crooked ripples kissing shore
the water is fluid
080512
pain and suffering
the world human condition
canaries in caged
080518
beautiful lilies
bloom brilliant spring at my home
I can see April
080518
glassy raven eyes
bright sunlight bakes and lights earth
Mother Mary glass
080525
still flat glass water
blue-green scum secluded pond
rain gathers darkly
080525
dragonflies fast float
little eyes in full wander
heavy metal wings
080525
hummingbirds darting
red white yellow blue blooming
and bees honey make
080525
galloping horses
endless prairie grass waving
spacecraft rockets fire
080525
wood cradle rocking
hardwood floors mocking rhythm
heavenly dreams fade
080525
skaters blade cuts ice
wave of chips, a power arch
cold crisp air biting
080605
fateful chops carve me
my reality changes
nuclear sun I
080605
clear water held fast
life sustaining sustenance
sunshine vaporize
080605
diving through the air
swimming sharply in water
a rock goes ka-plop
080605
I am the hardcore
stripped of all my who-I-am
marked defiance
080605
dungeon wall brite white
cement stone confining cell
dust comes and dust goes
080605
boiled egg oval white
protein pill flesh bone mind fired
breathe in breathe out gone
080605
sun sky blue bird black
white clouds fluff ball and roll up
ocean above me
080721
a lark song morning
before the sun, cool damp grass
sun comes rushing day
080721
pile of books a chair
metallic anchored steel desk
thoughts spill out as words
080721
cement walls white paint
cement floor steel door locked lock
eyes closed in freedom
080721
letter written thoughts
hand to hand carried away
delivered when thought
080721
dirty dirt wet mud
seed impregnated earth womb
growing miracle
080721
children laughing loud
the joyful play happy child
the old crack no smile
080721
the sun runs above
the pole's shadow draws a line
long shadow stabs night
080721
window glass framed sky
blue and white gray and brown dark
water light fat drops
080721
sacred prayer beads
communication with oil
fingers hold old words
080721
a life of next steps
birth to death we traveling
treadmill to nowhere
080721
painting pictures bright
abstract something nothing art
emotion or less
080721
heavy ocean full
manifest disintegrate
enclosed universe
080721
the life splitting womb
vomiting a sacred life
dying flesh and bone
080721
the earth turns around
miracles brilliant golden
more than one to each
080730
the soft breeze travels
God kissing here and there now
“just the wind", she says
080730
somewhere a rainbow
glorifies the misty sky
those who see, in awe
080730
little miracles
abound in brilliant flashes
the blind can not see
080730
the big red-orange ball
burns out on the horizon
this day gone night comes
080730
childrens hands touching
thing that moved and joys them
wakening beings
080730
happy birthday dad
eighty-two years come and gone
your father, the son
080730
dirty gray shadows
cast by bright yellow sunshine
depresses and chokes
080901
words spill out on wood
all kinds of crazy idle things
action never writes
080901
what evil comes now
sun gets up the evil men
the good awake sleep
0980901
rumbling grumbling men
mindless songbirds singing songs
whistling away
080901
the creeks crawl overland
all nature takes a drinking
water is a god
080901
words inked on paper
ax buried in an open skull
words kill memories
080901
come back my lover
but not like you were back then
but how I wanted
080901
where did the old go
they were here when I sleeping
now hide they in dirt
080901
huge waves beach hammer
human anvil blades produce
heads roll in the waves
080901
hands write poetic
arms and hands filled with steel
patriotic wars
080901
I've had many loves
all gone now. lovely escapes
I destroyed my wants
080901