But apparently Haiku is a poetry form that is much more complex than I remember learning about in school.

In Japanese, Haiku are written linearly, top to bottom. The 5-7-5 syllable, three-line format that English speakers are familiar with is just a convention chosen over time.

The more important aspects are the things I never learned in school.

Haiku often focuses on nature. There is a Kigo, a word or phrase that symbolizes the season.

It also uses juxtaposition rather than metaphor, which Western students are more familiar with (Shakespeare, etc). There is a Kireji, a ‘cutting word’ that creates a pause or sense of closure.

There are other conventions used in English Haiku, such as the lack of capitalization and punctuation and not having a title.

Like any other artform, rules are meant to be understood and not always adhered to. I number mine just so that I know which is which.

Here are two poems I wrote last month.

1

2

Thank you.

Publishing my art online is something I never thought I would do. It’s something I thought I would never be comfortable doing.

I’m using this as an opportunity to explore whatever I want to explore, to do the things I’m not ‘good at’, and to face my fears of being perceived.

The void accepts everyone.

I heard you like hats, so I made you a little video.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and don’t forget chocolate is on sale tomorrow!

- shunahay

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A ship crossing the ocean in a storm is not unusual.

But when a crew spotted a large wave coming at them from the horizon they raise the alarm.

Ideas are thrown around in a panic. The Captain arrives on the bridge and calmly orders the ship to turn into the oncoming wave.

Protests erupt around him from well-meaning officers.

The Captain, an old sailor with far more experience, addresses them.

The wave is faster than they are.

The wave is wider than they can sail before it hits.

Taking the wave side on will capsize the ship.

The wave is inevitable.

Turning into the wave is the only course that does not guarantee death.

The Captain orders the ship steer into the wave.

Unsure, the crew followed orders.

The bow swung around to face the wave as it approached at a relentless pace.

The crew was quiet and tense, unsure if they would survive.

The wave loomed over the ship, the bow rising with the water. The ship passed through the wave, dipped violently into the trough that followed, before a second large wave crashed down over it.

Windows were blown out by the sheer force of the water. People were thrown about. There was no recovery time between waves.

And then, the ship was through. The storm continued at a moderate intensity, but the crew paid it no mind.

They were alive.

True or not, this is how I remember the story.

The lesson at the time was about trusting your training, and using your experience to lead others.

Years later it continued to echo inside my head.

I was at a breaking point. My infant was in hospital. So much demanded my attention.

I thought about this story a lot.

When there is no way to avoid the storm all you can do is face it. And by facing it sooner, you’ll save yourself from suffering longer.

No way out but through.

Where is hesitation adding to your stress? How can you lean into it, and move through it sooner?

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