Poetry for Beginners - Haiku (and more?)

[Onionleaf]

As much as I love reading stories and poetry, I really have no talent for writing them. However, that doesn't mean that there's no reason to still enjoy it as a hobby. I've always found haikus to be both fun and fortunately not too challenging. So I thought I would write some once in a while to distract my mind from the hassles of daily life.

I hope you'll also join me on this mini challenge and get your creative juices flowing. Who knows, there may be a writer lying dormant within you...

I
Pen twirls on paper
A stage of pure perfection
With no binding rules.

II
White. Black. Back and forth,
Keys are struck, bringing forth sound
As clear as raindrops.

III
Through ornate branches
The sun burns golden, then red
Amidst pastel skies.
(The winter sunsets have been really beautiful this month!)

[Libera]

I found this post just before I went to work today and boy was that a mistake.  This is a great idea!  I spent most of time today goofing off writing haikus, which is strange since I've never really done any writing before.  I guess what you said about there being no reason not to enjoy it as a hobby struck me, as I probably don't do more writing because I think I won't be any good.  But you're right, that doesn't really matter if you have fun while doing it, does it?

Without further ado, here is a selection of some of the ones I wrote earlier today. (sadly with a phone keyboard rather than a pen, although the image that your first haiku gives is certainly inspiring!)

I

Summer is hiding
under a cloak of bleak grey
while autumn still comes.

II
Life could be colour,
bewildering strokes of light
twirling and blending.

III
The proud Silver Lords,
atop their spires of cold glass,
envy the Gold Lords.

IV
If we saw just blue,
the rainbow might to us be
as gods to dark seas.

V
I dream that past hopes
rise, collect on me like dew
for me to realise.

It's funny that you mention how beautiful the sunsets in winter are with you, while here it's summer and the weather is terrible!

[Onionleaf]

Hi Libera, I'm totally blown away by your intricate haikus and am surprised by your comment that you have never done any writing before. Thanks for joining in!
Trying new skills can be very enjoyable, especially when you're not worrying about how the result will turn out. That's how I started drawing, and am so happy that I was able to make that first awkward step of picking up the pencil.

Anyway, I thought of a silly one about my accounting job when driving back from work

IV.
Cascading columns
Arithmetic tales through time
Such joy when balanced!

[Libera]

I'm glad you liked them, I certainly had fun writing them.  Your third haiku left me thinking about weather and colour, so I guess that inspired I, II and IV.

You're right, it is a silly one but it made me laugh so thank you for that.  I wouldn't have thought of using accountancy as a topic for a haiku!  I particularly like 'arithmetic tales through time' as a way of viewing spreadsheets (it certainly makes them sound more exciting!).

I was thinking it might be cool (if you were interested) to pick a theme and we could both (or anyone else who wants to join in, of course) go off and write a poem on that theme and then we could share them afterwards.  I don't know what sort of time frame would be best (maybe bimonthly, or monthly?) but I'm open to suggestions on that.  Maybe we could also pick a type of poem to write, or we could leave that undecided?  (I don't know a whole lot about poetry forms, but I'm sure some googling could remedy that.)  I'm also not sure on how we should pick a theme but we could always just take it in turns if that's simplest.

A post on here wouldn't be complete without a poem of some form, so here's another of the haikus I wrote last Monday (sadly less cheery than yours):

VI
Heaven is colder
than I had imagined it.
No angels, no sky

Edit:  About the 'theme', it could be a word (like 'Triumph' or 'Discovery') or maybe it could be a picture or a story or even (this might be quite difficult) a piece of music.  As I said before, I'm very open to suggestions.

[E. Gadd Industries]

Oooooooo poetry! I love poetry, and all the haikus here are amazing!
I suppose I should drop something here of my own.

I
Thinking of something
To say is not easy, but
Still, here we all are

The way I write poetry, there's no in-between. Either I'm super serious with it or make it insanely dumb, like this one X) something more serious would be...

II
Should nature ever
Be challenged by mankind,
I will fight for it

[Onionleaf]

I was thinking it might be cool (if you were interested) to pick a theme and we could both (or anyone else who wants to join in, of course) go off and write a poem on that theme and then we could share them afterwards.  I don't know what sort of time frame would be best (maybe bimonthly, or monthly?) but I'm open to suggestions on that.  Maybe we could also pick a type of poem to write, or we could leave that undecided?  (I don't know a whole lot about poetry forms, but I'm sure some googling could remedy that.)  I'm also not sure on how we should pick a theme but we could always just take it in turns if that's simplest.

Sure, that could definitely work! Picking a theme can get the ball rolling for anyone wishing to participate. Life can sometimes get busy for me and a month can fly by really quickly, but it should be enough time to come up with at least a short verse. I'm happy for you to decide on the first theme.

Well.. now I, too, can't imagine posting here without attaching a poem of some form or another:

V.
Our mind, once hollow,
Fills with imagination
Sparkling vividly.

@E. Gadd: Yay, I'm glad you joined in! There's no right or wrong way to write poetry, at least on this thread anyway

[Libera]

Great!  I'm really excited for this and I can't wait to see what people come up with.  I'll clarify a few things from my previous post though so everyone's on the same page. 

• I think monthly is the best time frame to go for.  As you say, people's lives can get busy and I don't want it to feel like a chore.  (You can't rush genius! )  Normally, I think we should give the new theme on the 1st of each month (or close to that.)
• I've changed my mind and I don't think enforcing a certain form is a good idea.  Write whatever style of poem you want to or you think fits best for the sort of poem you want to write!  Sometimes I think that maybe all of the different forms and the rules put people off, so I don't want to do that.  If you do use a specific style of poem, do say what it is (it'll be a chance for everyone else to learn a little!).

Although I said we should usually start on the 1st of the month, I think I'll start this one today and give everyone (including myself!) a little bit of extra time this month.  So, without further ado, here is the theme for August:

-The Seasons-

Inspired partially by the fact that Onion and I live on opposite sides of the world, and as such experience the different seasons at different times.

Now as I said, 'The Seasons' is the entirety of the theme here and so anything you write that relates to that is great!  If, however, you are looking for a little bit more inspiration I've collected a few things from various sources to help get your writing brain whirring...

Spoiler

The Masque of Four Seasons by Walter Crane:


I mentioned music before, so of course there is an obvious choice here.  Nearly everyone has heard Spring before but perhaps you haven't heard the rest?
The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

If you live close to the equator, you don't really experience the four seasons like others do, but there are still seasonal differences.  Here are side by side comparisons of a landscape in Zambia during the dry and rainy seasons respectively:

The image was taken from https://emilybrowntozambia.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/dry-season-rainy-seasons/ where you can find more pictures if you so desire!

And finally, after all this is a video game sheet music website, here is an extract of the Shadows of Valentia ending song (in English):
The seasons they turn,
Winter to spring.
Dulling the pain and
Erasing the sting.
The seasons turn,
Summer to fall.
Time's warm embrace
Begins to heal all.

Also a bonus, more scientific image about the seasons:


I hope some of these help!

[close]

As I said before, I'm looking forward to this a lot.  Also, I too am glad you've joined in E. Gadd!  Hopefully you also would like to take part in this, but don't feel any pressure.  I hope this might also convince some other people to have a go at writing... (We don't bite!)

To end, here is another haiku I just wrote now along the same lines as Onion's V:

VII
Excited to be
Alive; Sharing, Exploring
A world neglected.

Edit: Of course don't let this get in the way of posting unrelated poetry.  I'll certainly still be posting random haikus that I happen to come up with while walking to work.

[E. Gadd Industries]

Oooooh this will be fun! I'm writing a limerick for this to poke fun at Kentucky's restive weather, regardless of season:

Kentucky's a bad place to be
If you, like the rest, wish to see
Snow in the winter
Green in the summer
But revers'd, that's just Kentucky

[Onionleaf]

^^^ *giggles*

Awesome! Thanks for putting so much thought into your idea, Libera. The Seasons is a wonderful choice when it comes to poetry. I'll be brainstorming and jotting down lines in time for end of August.

[Libera]

So this was a bit harder than I was expecting, but I managed it (just!).

Memories of Snow

White beyond white stretches out,
holding solar-sparkling diamonds;
A warm cold that soothes the land
below a perfect azure sky

But here a cloak hides the sun
as rain batters the mud-soaked ground.
A wind that has all that cold
and yet none of that tenderness.

As this winter fades away
replaced by a similar spring,
left behind, the clouds part
and the water starts to crystallise.

When I started this I thought a month would be plenty of time, but I quickly grew to see that it actually went by so fast!  I'm looking forward to seeing anyone else's stuff.  (I liked your limerick by the way E. Gadd )

[Libera]

Maybe that monthly idea was a little ambitious... Anyway, I just thought of this while in bed:

VIII
The white bird spirals
up, up, up, up, up, up, up
to the endless skies.

[Onionleaf]

Sorry I never got around to posting anything, things got really hectic, and yes, one month can really fly by in a flash. I will definitely post a poem once I have one that's ready to share.

Loved reading both of your poems, they are so dreamlike and soothing.