Tag: Haiku

9/11 Remembered!

9/11 Memorial 2024  911.3

We haven’t forgotten that day…we, each, know exactly where we were when that terrible thing happened. That horrific thing that we never imagined could happen here.  I remember I turned on the TV at about 10 that morning, going to catch up on a little news…at first, I thought I was seeing a trailer for an action movie on the screen. Then I tuned my ears in and realized the disbelieving tone to the journalist’s voice, the horror at what we were all watching across our nation. And then the unbelievable on top of the unimaginable, another plane slammed into the second Tower.  

Americans gathered today in NY City, at the Pentagon, D.C., and in Pennsylvania to pay respects to the heroes lost that day. 
WE AMERICANS WILL NEVER FORGET! 

9/11 Memorial (2014,)  I’ve been watching those terrible days on TV, relived, from 9/11/2001.  The release of new, sometimes grisly, information about that horrific, bright blue, autumn day when our beloved cou911ntry was invaded for the first time in our history, (if you don’t count the Brits).  Over the years I have written some poetry of my reflections, my heartbreak as I visited ground zero and the firehouses [back in the early days], then observed the almost finished repair a few years back.  It’s pretty for a cemetery.  The building I’m not so fond of the architecture; for me, it resembles a middle finger thrusting into the same blue sky, daring them to try it again?  I don’t know…………so here is my latest offering and a couple from other years on this anniversary of our souls weeping, forever changed.

the  forever wound       (Haiku)

A deep gaping hole
newly covered with scar flesh
a cemetery

the reflective pond
the bright thirteen year old trees
the lost souls still there

the money-men charge
fees to visit our worst time
Ah, America!

Anniversary 9.11.11

I wait to exhale
will terrorists celebrate
with their big loud bang?

walking among us9.11
to celebrate what they did
murder innocence

today, a grief day
remember a bright, fall day
ten short years ago

Ground Zero 9.11.12

Heartache fills the chest
Terrorists murdered thousands
Pain is fresh and new

Haunts walk the gardens
Four hundred trees, firemen all
the fountain of tears

Green leafed trees stand tall
Names carved never to forget
Red, white, blue flies proud

(c) Trisha Sugarek

The question begs:  Have we learned anything?
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NEW Haiku Journal

Just  published.  A NEW  journal   for  your  Haiku  poetry.  Some  instruction  and  tips  to  help  get  you started.  190  lined,  blank  pages  for  YOUR  poetry. Poetry is  imbedded  in  the  margins  of  the pages  to  inspire  your  writing.

An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
Matsuo Basho

      morning sun dapples
      trees in a polka-dot dress
      shines soft green and light
           ~ T. Sugarek

 

Light of the moon
Moves west, flowers’ shadows
Creep eastward.
Yosa Buson 

                                                       Black, gnarled branch
                                                         green leaves blush
                                                       droop in autumn rain
                                                              ~ Unknown

angle of fall’s sun
so different from spring’s rays
dapples the sun porch

end of hot summer
the crisp, sharp tang of fall’s breath
smokes the air about

a waiting for sleep
under the blanket of snow
until spring sun beams ~ T. Sugarek

                                               Whether one passes on
                                             or remains is all the same.
                                       That you can take no one with you
                                                is the only difference.

                                                Ah, how pleasant!
                                    Two awakenings and one sleep.

                                  This dream of a fleeing world!
                                 The roseate hues of early dawn!
                                               Tokugawa Ieyasu

Perfect size to fit into backpack, handbag, tote or briefcase. 
Available NOW. Purchase. Click here 
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PoetrySoup.com features this author’s poetry

moss covered trees Dear Trisha,

Congratulations, this is just a quick notice to let you know that your poem Memories of the South is one of the poems being featured on the PoetrySoup home page this week. Poems are rotated each day in groups of 14-16 to give each poem an equal opportunity to be displayed.

Thanks again and congratulations.  Sincerely, PoetrySoup

Memories of the South

Memories of the Old South
Brush and ink by Trisha Sugarek

spanish moss shimmers
slave ghosts of days long gone by
hanging from the trees

stain on Old Glory
dark time of subjugation
when man enslaved man

memories forever
then bodies, now gray moss hangs
tears, blood darken roots

For more Haiku-style (Renku) poetry check out my book, The World of Haiku

Haiku Poetry from around the World and here at Home!

monkey.3

As promised, send me your poetry (Haiku) and I will post it.  The surprising and delightful thing is I received poetry from all ages and from as far away as India and Argentina.  It’s only fitting that we begin with one from the master.

 

Untitled    (Bashô, Japan)

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

To enjoy life…  (María del Carmen Chiappero, Argentina)

The lovely sun shines,trees.sun7
the wind blows by the window,
an old sweet song sounds.

With a melody,
Many melancholy words
leave a deep meaning.

We´re “dust in the wind”.
We´re all part of this giant big world,
but we´re very small.

Moments don’t come back
life goes on now, step by step
Then let´s enjoy life.
Continue reading “Haiku Poetry from around the World and here at Home!”

How To Write Haiku

  ‘One of my most popular posts has been my series on how to write Haiku.  So I thought I would bring this post back for my newer friends, followers and visitors.’

Mt.Fuji.2.Cover 001Haiku Poetry, an ancient form of writing poetry from Japan, is very strict in its discipline. Three sections of three lines each. The first and  third lines, in each section, must be five syllables. The second line must be seven syllables.  A reference to nature is usually found somewhere in the poem. My Sumi-E ink and brushwork you see here is also an ancient Japanese technique.

Tip:  When I first write haiku I don’t worry so much about the structure on the first draft.  I get my thoughts down and then start editing words (syllables) until I have the correct structure  of   5-7-5.  This works best for me and gives me more freedom.

Tip: Over the centuries (and certainly in the US) Haiku has been reduced to one section of three lines.  In ancient Japan culture (11-12th centuries) a haiku (correct name: Renku)  had three sections of three lines.  I prefer to write in the ancient style but it is acceptable, by some, to write a complete poem in three lines.

For  years I had been writing little snippets of this and that, periodically trying my hand at writing Haiku.  Years later a book of poetry washaiku, smaurai, Misashi, poetry, writing, blogging, blogs
conceived and then a book dedicated to Haiku, one of my favorite forms of writing.  A companion  Journal for your Haiku compositions and other journaling is also available.

REVIEW from The Midwest Book Review, February 2013

‘The World of Haiku is a striking collection of original poetry; each poem consists of three haiku verses. Bold, pen-and-ink artwork embellishes each brief poem. The World of Haiku embodies the spirit of encompassing timeless observations in a fleeting moment of verse, and is a delightful treasure for any who enjoy contemplative haiku poetry. ~~Paul T. Vogel, Reviewer

haiku, poetry, pen and ink art, poems, Japanese haiku,Hope you enjoy these samples of  my Haiku…

                                                             Haiku  ©

                                                 to write haiku is
                                                       to distill to perfection
                                                   with only three lines  

 

 

Spring Birth ©  (Renku)

one twig, two twigs, three
soft down plucked from mother’s breast
the perfect bower

three tiny blue eggs
under warmth of mother’s love
they stir, they hatch new

three urgent beaks open wide
insistent, burning, they beg
speckled downy fuzz


Fall Opens the Door  ©

morning sun dapples
trees in a polka-dot dress
shines soft green and light

chill hint of autumn
smells of summer, loam, and pause
visions of winter

sap returns from leaves
to store deep in the tree heart
yellow, red, orange, burnt

  brush and ink by author/poet

Roar of Silence  ©

to live in the woods
listen to the sheer quiet
so weighty and loud

the morn silent, still
not a whisper of sound stirs
deafening stillness

weighing on the ear
silence roars loud in the brain
the bird’s shrill cry brays

and from two masters….Yukio Mishima and Miyamoto Musashi,  a 15th century Japanese swordsman and ronin (the term for what we now know as Samurai) became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered one of the greatest warriors of all time. Samurai were expected to explore their artistic and philosophical side and most were known, not only for their prowess on the battlefield, but for their beautiful poetry.  (Note: translated, the poetry does not keep to the exact discipline. Japanese poets used ‘sound units’ rather than syllables.)

The sheaths of swords rattle
As after years of endurance
Brave men set out
To tread upon the first frost of the year

A small night storm blows
Saying ‘falling is the essence of a flower’
Preceding those who hesitate
—Yukio Mishima

……and by Miyamoto Musashi

A crow has settled
on a bare branch
Autumn evening

On a withered branch,
A crow has stopped
Autumn’s eve

A lone crow
sits on a dead branch
this autumn eve

(PS. I invite you to send me your Haiku and if you wish it, I will critique and publish it here on my blog.)
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Haiku Poetry and How to Write it! (part 2)

Willow
Pen & Ink by Trisha Sugarek

 

In Japan the Samurai/poets would frequently write Haiku before battle. Death poems were considered a necessity, graceful, natural, and emotionally neutral, in accordance with the teachings of Buddha.

Like a rotten log
half buried in the ground
my life, which has not flowered,
comes to this sad end. 
Minamoto Yorimasa  1104-1180

Samurai Song  ©  T.Sugarek

delicate blossom
rests in the still gnarled hand
bruised petals weep tears

weary eyes open
tiny cuts, the body bleeds
peace still years away

sun rise breaks the hill
heralds another battle
draw your sword and charge

   ( Three sets, three lines each.     First line = 5 syllable, second line = 7 syllables, third line = 5 syllables) Traditionally, some reference to nature should be included. Continue reading “Haiku Poetry and How to Write it! (part 2)”

Haiku…flower graveyard…crushed love

Haiku, poetry, love,writers, poet

Forgotten Flower, forgotten love  ©
by Trisha Sugarek

Crushed petal, crushed stem
Flattened flower, Trampled love
Dead and dry flower

Crushed love, crushed heart, still
Packed down against the pavement
Crushed flower, crushed stem

Forgotten love, lost
Dried between sun and pavement
pages in a book
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I left the UPS store yesterday and walked to my car.  I found this carnation in the parking lot, flattened and dried perfectly, as if saved between the pages of an old book.
What would this single flower tell me if it could talk.  Did a girl throw it down while in a lovers’ spat?   Did a boy  throw it away when the girl didn’t come to meet him?  Or did it fall from a grocery store-bought bouquet on Mother’s Day?   I stood in the parking lot, gazing down at it, while the world rushed around me.  I am officially the crazed old lady, standing on the hot pavement looking down at a dead flower. 
(photo by Trish Sugarek)

Inspiration can hit anytime, anywhere.  I wrote the Haiku in the car on the way home, and then hurried into the house lest I forget the verse.
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS. INTERVIEWS with other best-selling AUTHORS!      A SERIES, “The Writer’s Corner”

I have had a wonderful response from other authors and will feature an interview with one of them once a month . I have invited such luminaries as: Ann Purser, Susan Elia MacNeal, Mark Childress, Rhys Bowen, Dean Koontz, Sheryl Woods, Jo-Ann Mapson, Jeffrey Deaver, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amber Winckler, Robert McCammon, Sue Grafton, Walter Mosley, Nora Roberts, and many others.

So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!  Mark Childress was our April author.  Robert McCammon is scheduled for May. Caroline Leavitt is June‘s author.  July features Rhys Bowen.  Sue Grafton is August’s author and September will feature Tasha Alexander.  Slick mystery writer, Andrew Grant will join us this winter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Midwest Book Review loves “The World of Haiku”

The MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW gives “The World of Haiku”  glowing praise

 

haiku, smaurai, Misashi, poetry, writing, blogging, blogs                ‘The World of Haiku is a striking collection of original poetry; each poem consists of three haiku verses. Bold, pen-and-ink artwork embellishes each brief poem. The World of Haiku embodies the spirit of encompassing timeless observations in a fleeting moment of verse, and is a delightful treasure for any who enjoy contemplative haiku poetry.

©”Summer Woods” : a single leaf floats / deer creep along well worn paths / fish leap with delight // rings spread on the pond / katydids shout their presence / goslings paddle near // breezes stir the trees / the forest floor perfumes rise / a lone bird exults’
~~~Paul T. Vogel,Reviewer
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Tips on how to write this beautiful form of poetry.  Click HERE

writing, journaling,poetry, japanese poetry,A companion book,  “My Journal**Haiku” is also available to spark your poetry writing.

Pushing out Experiments (part 2)

Haiku poetry, poetry, female poets, Japanese,A Poet You’re Not!

In talking more about experiments I need to go back to 2010.  I began writing poetry in my head.  Wait just a darn minute!  I thought,  I’m not a poet!  I don’t know the first thing about pentameter, or phrasing, or any of that stuff!  Cut it out!,  I ordered my brain! ……No sale!

So I began to put it down on paper to see what I might have.  One day I remembered a little silver journal that sits in my bookcase where I keep quotes that I like and don’t want to forget, tidbits of this and that, and (surprisingly) quite a bit of what I, myself, had scribbled over the years and tucked away.  (Remember what I said about the drawer and letting your writing rise like bread?)

So with my trusty ‘delete’ key at the ready, (the letters are practically worn off that key) editing and re-writing and with much trepidation I considered publishing my first book of poetry, “Butterflies and Bullets“…….but a little voice (the one that keeps me from exposing myself and keeps me from experimenting)  kept poetry, Haiku, family, love, betrayal, death, grief, recoverywhispering, “Who do you think you are?  A poet now?  HA!”

To protect myself  if someone actually said: “She thinks she ‘s a poet now?!” I subtitled the book: poetry, musings and other stories.  Then I showed a proof to an acknowledged poetess to see what she thought.  To publish or not to publish, that was the question.  With her encouragement  (she thought I had some good stuff) I told my ‘little voice’ to shut up; I was going for it.

Well, I’ve never sold a single copy to a stranger. Plenty of friends and family say they love it but no real customers buying it for the love of poetry.  An experiment that failed.…or was it?

This opened my brain and my heart further and I began to write Haiku.  I had read the great Samurai warrior-poets for years and it must have rubbed off on me.  For months I had an unfinished book with all the poetry written but the pen & Ink art work that I wanted to include wasn’t completed.

Enter my new website…….(May 2012) I started getting hits on my Haiku poetry. Almost every day!  There has been a wonderful Renaissance of this time-honored poetry and people were coming to my site looking for more.  So I put my book, “The World of Haiku” on the front burner and completed the art work.  My audience was calling!

It’s only been out about eight weeks and it is selling!  No one is as shocked and amazed as I am. I have since added a companion book, a Journal to inspire others to try their hand at writing Haiku.

So, writers, keep pushing your experiments….keep writing….if one thing doesn’t work try something else.  Yeah, the money’s nice but what we, as writers, really want is for people to read what we write!  Right??

Wind Horse ©                                                             Haiku poetry, Japanese poetry, Japanese art,

running free, wild, brave
tail streaming high in the wind
hoof pounding the earth

horses turn their haunch
to show their scorn for the storm
and nature’s tantrum

allows man to think
he can command elegance
and tame the wild heart

Trisha Sugarek

(image used with special permission by Lori Smaltz)

 

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Send your original ‘haiku’ poetry and I’ll post it

Haiku poetry, poetry, female poets, Japanese,I have been quite amazed at the number of searches for haiku poetry and then the search ending up in a visit to my site.  Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining.  My amazement lies in the interest (in our modern world)for this beautiful type of poetry that has survived the ages.  Did you know that the oldest written work in Japanese literature is the haiku by Kojiki in the 8th century.

So I came up with the idea of inviting YOU to send me your haiku poetry and I will include it in a post from time to time.

I only ask that you write it in the correct and time-honored style of three stanzas, three lines each, five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables.  Tell me if you want me to use your full name. Be certain to include your website address so that we can continue to market each other. You can send it on the “comments” page or the contact us page and I’ll be sure to get it.

I love the idea that my new website is interactive with more than just my voice…..and will have others’ voices joining in……..

And if you are new to this form of writing, please try it and send it to me.  Here is a sample of my haiku to get you started:

The Seasons of the Sun  ©    from my book, “The World of Haiku”

angle of fall’s sun
so different from spring’s rays
dapples the sun porch

end of hot summer
the crisp, sharp tang of fall’s breath
smokes the air about

a waiting for sleep
under the blanket of snow
until spring sun beams

More trivia: The ‘Waka’ is the oldest form of Japanese poetry, used centuries before the more commonly known ‘haiku’.  Waka actually means ‘japanese poem’.  Traditionally lovers as well as persons of high social standing used waka poems to communicate.  Waka poems are noted for their attempt to capture feelings, rather than explain them.  A waka is also called a ‘tanka’; they share identical structures.

Best regards,  Trish