Delight in the change around you with haiku

Delight in the change around you with haiku

Commentary by Lisa Ormond | FāVS News

The natural world around us is signaling what you’ve probably already sensed…fall is here. The shorter days, cooler nights, the changing tree colors, the quietly dropping leaves and the hum of the combines harvesting golden hillsides are visuals that a season shift surrounds us. 

It’s time to wave goodbye with a smile to summer and its sensational sunshine and jam-packed spin of active days — to welcome the more subtle saunter of autumn and its unique nature’s rhythms.  

Seasonal changes are glorious and can be even more wonderful when observed with a level of attentiveness.  

Push the pause button

For me, autumn serves as this invisible transitional bridge between warm, bright summer and that of the upcoming cold, dark winter. Fall is a great time of year to embrace color and nature’s beauty and find peace amidst the changing trees. 

I’m always delighted when autumn finally makes its way to my calendar in September. It’s my favorite season. I’m like this little kid on Christmas morning in anticipation of its arrival. There is so much to discover when you take a few moments to do so. Explore and enjoy it!

Allow your mind, body and spirit take a big clearing exhale followed by a slower cleansing inhale as you enter the fall season. It can be refreshing if approached with an open desire to release and relax into the change. This is the season to ‘leave’ it all behind and shed some unwanted layers to prepare for the family and friend gatherings that fall offers. 

Haiku for you

One way to welcome the season of fall is to create haiku. Haiku is an ancient form of poetry that’s a lot of fun to try, easy to follow and it can help you put into words what you experience and see as you embrace this season change. Plus, you don’t have to be a writer or a poet to try it. 

Haiku (pronounced high-koo) is a type of short-form poetry that originated in Japan. Although the name haiku dates only to the nineteenth century, the form has existed for hundreds of years. Traditionally, haiku often focuses on nature, but this ancient art form continues to evolve to include humor and other themes. Modern haiku often deviate from these rules to experiment with new formats and incorporate new subject matter. 

One common theme explored  by historical and modern haiku poets though is seasonal changes. Unlike other poems, haikus usually don’t rhyme.  

The simple format offers ease 

One of haiku’s defining characteristics is its concise and easy-to-follow structure. You don’t have to overthink it too much because it is straightforward and consists of just three short lines of words and the same number of syllables. 

You always follow this same pattern (sequence) of syllables: 5, 7, 5

Line 1: Five syllables

Line 2: Seven syllables

Line 3: Five syllables

You can easily create and “hold” the poem in your mind as you play with syllables and words or write it down on paper or on your phone. It can certainly give Sudoku a run for its money as a good mental exercise for cognitive health.  

Haiku on-the-go

Haiku can be created anywhere, anytime. 

Whether you spend time outdoors in nature or indoors watching football, cooking fall-like foods or gathering with friends and family for activities such as Halloween or Thanksgiving, try playing with it. It’s kind of like a puzzle but with words. 

See if you can capture the joy of children dressed up in their favorite Halloween costumes. The smiles on their faces. Their attempts to “scare” the candy givers. How they run from house to house with eager anticipation. Or try to capture in haiku what it’s like when family and friends gather and celebrate Thanksgiving around cooked foods, desserts, traditions and the stories told to one another. 

Examples of haiku

Take a look at these examples of haiku, traditional and modern, by poets from around the world. Below also are two of my own fall haiku poems penned. I have a vast library of fall poems because I just can’t stop myself from writing haiku during this season since it is so full of life!

Season Shift by Lisa Ormond

Let nature lead you

Wonder some to wander lots

It won’t stop so go 

Fall by Lisa Ormond

Surround yourself there

Leaves crunch, apple munch, warm lunch

Breathe deep crisp air in

Benefits of poetry prose

Poetry has long been known to be a mental health booster for a multitude of reasons. It can provide comfort and lift mood during periods of stress, trauma and grief. Its powerful combination of words, metaphor and meter help us better express ourselves and make sense of the world and our place in it. 

What better time than now during this seasonal change to try haiku. You just may find it puts a smile on your face, a spark in your mind and a pep in your step as the leaves fall around you.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.