A Gathering of Haiku

We are a bit omnivorous here, occasionally straying into philosophy and even literature. I have put up some haiku before, but not for quite a while. I write several every week, so here are a selection of the ones that are the least bad:

Here comes the New Year

How very odd the Old Year:

Plague, politics and loss.

* * *

Sudden heat of Spring

In such a hurry to melt

All trace of winter.

* * *

Green glint: hummingbird

Hovering so precisely

Misses not a bloom!

 * * *

Quiet rain at night

Falling out of its season

Traces of memory.

* * *

Ancient wisdom or

"Latest research." I think I

Know where the truth lies.

* * *

Heavy rains today

Plants are drinking eagerly

World takes a shower.

* * *

Sad to realize

How poor in relationships

I have always been.

* * *

Ghosts of past mistakes

Flow through my dreams, keeping me

Awake, feeding doubt.

* * *

But I don't normally type my haiku into a computer. Instead, I write them with a fountain pen, like this:

English is probably a less suitable language for haiku than Japanese as it needs more syllables to say something. But the discipline of five syllables, seven syllables, five syllables I find to greatly aid in focussing these tiny crystals of thought. The other requirement in the traditional haiku is a word that reveals the season. Sometimes I observe that, sometimes not.