A Collection of Haikus

I have written five Haikus in just one day. It was the most productive thing I've done in months. And I'm super proud of myself.

I've experimented by asking five strangers to swap postcards with me. I've written each card a haiku. I gave myself a deadline and here are the results.

Haiku #1

Pleasant break of dawn

The sunlight touches my face

Greets me good morning

Haiku #2

I hate the spotlight

But I want you to see me

It's complicated

Haiku #3

Tulips are in bloom

A bouquet will make her smile

I'm glad we've met

Haiku #4

It would be a dream

To be accidentally

Locked in a bookstore

Haiku #5

Do you like lemons?

I made a sweet juice out of them

Life gave them to me

How to Write a Haiku

Haiku involves writing three lines with certain number of syllables each line. Usually, writers follow the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. As for the topic, you can't just throw in random words. It doesn't have to rhyme either. The most common topics are about nature, seasons, holidays and feelings. You can venture out of topics if you want. 

I have written an example below. 

5 - Hello Summertime

7 - Love the sweet mangoes you give

5 - Let's make a smoothie

The story behind this haiku? Currently, it's summertime here in the Philippines. During this time every year, my family travels north to Bacnotan, La Union. It's my dad's hometown during his youth. What I love about this place is the beach and my grandparents' farm. There's a lot of mango trees there. We get to harvest mangoes and bring two to three sacks of it to our home in the city. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit since the start of the pandemic.

Anyway, here's a simple step-by-step process in writing a haiku:

1. Pick a topic. I chose a season.

2. Think of words that are related to each other. For me, it's "summer", "mangoes", and "smoothies"

3. Tell a story about it. Make sure to follow the 5-7-5 syllable pattern!

And there you have it!