About

Haiku is a form of poetry closely associated with Zen Buddhism.  Unlike English poetry, the words do not have to rhyme. Instead, the emphasis is on capturing the uniqueness of everyday experiences  and  expressing them in  three succinct lines of verse. A good haiku is direct and raw, not philosophical and dry.

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote the following on haiku: Through poetry you could find your own state of mind. That is precisely the concept of haiku: writing your  mind.  People shouldn’t be too arty, but they should write their own state of mind on a piece of paper. That’s the meaning of the slogan “first thought best thought”. We have to be careful that we do not put too many cosmetics on our own thinking. Thoughts don’t need lipstick or powder.

More information on haiku is available on this web page: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem while examples can be found on this site: http://www.bluewillowhaiku.com/translation.html

Anyone who feels inspired may  send their contributions to this address: deerparkhaiku@gmail.com Both haiku and contemplative photographs are welcome.

After submitting,  it may take some time for your haiku to appear. Please be patient. There is no need to submit a second time.

Here are a few famous haiku:

The wind in the pines
Morning and evening
Carries the sound of the temple bell

Santoka

A cold Autumn night
I clutch my robe,
The bright, clear moon covers the sky

Ryokan