At work a few days ago a manager challenged staff members to write and share a haiku. These would be shared in a common space used as a lunch/break room. Submissions could be left in the room or could be shared online. They could be submitted anonymously. I have only seen those submitted online and, while limited in number, have been interesting and are fun to read.

What is a haiku, you may ask? I will admit that I would have needed to ask the same question had I not been introduced to haiku in a college English class. While I did not remember the details, after seeing the first haiku shared online, I remembered some of the details.

A haiku is a short poem. In English, a haiku usually has just three lines and only seventeen syllables. There is no need for the three lines to rhyme. This form of poetry originated in Japan but is now common in many countries and languages. The structure may vary slightly but typically consists of five syllables in line 1, seven syllables in line 2, and a final five syllables in line 3. Haiku usually focus on a subject in nature.

An example of a haiku from Wikipedia is:

the first cold shower
even the monkey seems to want
a little coat of straw

There are also some rules that apply to haiku such as words you should not use and other things. Some haiku groups have even suggested that rhyming must occur although this seems rare.

My personal response to our office collection was:

look up to the sky
bright blue, white clouds, golden sun
comes soon summer’s heat

Haiku is not that difficult so if you have some free time perhaps you should try. Or if you have family maybe you could do it together. Even the children could try it. If you do, have fun.