 17 explores the possibilities for haiku as a literary art in English.* Founded by poet and author Clark Strand, the group sponsors a variety of activities:
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Weekly Haiku Challenges with Clark Strand on Facebook
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Haiku—The Master Class, a year-long course in every aspect of haiku (registration is closed for 2022 and will reopen for 2023 in the Fall)
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Haiku Teacher Training, a 10-month curriculum for Master Class graduates who wish to lead haiku groups of their own (this training will be offered again in 2023)
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For information on how to join any of these activities email clarkstrand@aol.com
* To view the "17 Essential Points" that inform our approach to haiku in English, you can consult the list at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Upcoming Programs & Events
THE WAY OF HAIKU—From Pathos to Play
March 5 to March 6, 2022
Haiku is the most popular form of poetry in the world today, written in nearly every language. But what is haiku, really? In his work-in-progress Haiku Masterpieces, Kaz Tanahashi observes that, from the time of Bashō, its essence was kokkei (or “humor”). In fact, the word haiku means literally that: “humorous verse.” But haiku humor isn’t always funny. It can be biting, bittersweet, or even dark—a “humorless humor” that can also embrace the sadder aspects of life.
Join Natalie Goldberg, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Clark Strand, Roshi Joan Halifax and Kwame Alexander on a remarkable journey “from pathos to play” and experience the full range of haiku. Be prepared to write haiku yourself and share your work with others.
Schedule:
The first session of this online, donation-based program takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Mountain Standard Time (MST) and concludes on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. MT.
Click HERE for more info. For an article on "haiku humor" related to this event, click HERE.
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ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS of the 17-Haiku in English Year-End Season Word Challenge
This year’s judges were 17 editors Clark Strand, Susan Polizzotto, Becka Chester, Suzanne Tyrpak, and Clifford Rames.
WINNER
the first sunrise poured
into darkness like honey
until it said yes
— Noelle Adamo
The slowness of poured honey (especially in the early morning, when it is still cold from the night) makes it the perfect metaphor for the spread of golden light across the sky on the first morning of the year. The eroticism of the last line, veiled but palpable, hearkens back to one of the oldest themes in Western literature: the belief that love conquers death.
The darkness can only say yes to the sunrise. How could it not? But its resistance to light and warmth, to the sweetness of slow caresses, is a fitting response to the end of another pandemic year. That much darkness does not give way readily. It must be convinced to relinquish the bitterness of loss and embrace the sweetness of love and hope once again.
Those who take their bearings from the Japanese tradition may question the use of metaphor and personification in Adamo’s poem—and even the use of past tense. In making their selections, however, our judges evaluated the hundreds of haiku submitted on the basis of how well they functioned as English language poems. With that criterion in mind, this haiku was the clear winner, the only one selected independently by all five judges.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
after your goodbye
I awake to the slowness
of the first sunrise
— Mel Goldberg
As a genre of lyric poetry, the aubade (or “morning song”) goes back to the Troubadours of the High Middle Ages and the tradition of courtly love. Its subject matter is lovers forced to separate at dawn. To that tradition has been added a twist: the lover has departed, leaving the poet to watch the slowness of the first sunrise of the year. The use of the word “goodbye” adds a melancholy note of finality. Is their parting perhaps a permanent one?
My daughter and I
celebrate the first sunrise —
14 hours apart
— Alex Lubman
One of our judges questioned whether the poet and his daughter could have celebrated the first sunrise at the same time, given that they are half a globe apart. But, on reflection, that seemed to be the point. The poem is more poignant for the fact that they cannot witness the sunrise together. The real subject is the poet’s bond with his daughter, which bridges their separation in space and time.
This year’s Winner will receive a Five-Year Midori Haiku Diary and a free one-month subscription to the Facebook group WEEKLY HAIKU CHALLENGE with Clark Strand. Honorable Mention poets will receive two-week subscriptions.
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THIS MONTH’S HAIKU TIP:
Essential Point #7: No String, No Sky: The Persistence of 5-7-5
Over the last century, poets have experimented with various forms for haiku in English. However, 5-7-5 remains the form most recognized by the general reader.
Much of the satisfaction of writing a haiku is derived from solving its 17-syllable “word puzzle.” In fact, haiku evolved from a game in which poets took turns competing to see who could solve that puzzle in the most satisfying way. This was all in good fun, because the enjoyment of the game was the point. Nevertheless, it eventually evolved into an art.
Over the centuries, the challenge of working in a fixed form has continued to give haiku its unique appeal. Part of that appeal results from the sense of camaraderie that poets experience in sharing a common form. But much of it comes from the way the 5-7-5 syllable pattern gives the mind something to push against. Counting out the syllables, playing with different words, stirs the imagination, helping us to find the perfect phrase to express our thoughts and feelings.
Composing a haiku is like flying a kite. Release the string and the kite will fall. Pull it taut, and it will harness the power of the wind to rise into the heavens. As long as our poetic imaginations are tethered to the 5-7-5 syllable form, there is no limit on how high they can fly.
In the latter half of the 20th century, English language haiku poets began to experiment with “stringless” haiku. But the free form movement never captured the popular imagination. In 2014, a well-known advocate of that approach lamented that the 5-7-5 syllable form for haiku in English had become so ingrained in the popular culture that nothing could be done about it. He failed to mention that, for this very reason, haiku has become the most recognizable and widely practiced poetic form in the English-speaking world today.
—Suzanne Tyrpak & Clark Strand, Editors
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Highlights from the Weekly Challenge Group
Each month "17" features four haiku with commentary from our online Facebook community, Weekly Haiku Challenge with Clark Strand. To learn more about the group and how to join it, go HERE. —Suzanne Tyrpak, Highlights Editor
"stubble" autumn / the landscape
rooted to this place
defiant stands of stubble
do not fear the plough
—Jonathan Aylett
The poet wrote this haiku with Ukraine in mind, a country currently facing possible invasion by Russia. Stubble refers to their land, and also to the Ukrainian people prepared to fight for all that they hold dear. Like the fields, they stand rooted—bravely facing the plough (Russia) threatening to cut them down. It’s a call for courage against a powerful adversary implying, even if they are cut down, their roots run deep, and they will survive.
Heartbreakingly poignant, this poem will resonate with all brave souls facing invasion.
—Suzanne Tyrpak
"football" autumn / humanity
a room of her own
without cowboys or vikings
to forget football
—Susan Polizzotto
This poem offers an allusion to a famous feminist essay by Virginia Woolf, the title of which was derived from its most famous sentence: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”
“Cowboys” and “vikings” are not just names of football teams. They represent aspects of a testosterone-driven culture from which the speaker must escape to feel centered within herself.
The poet, having retreated from the noise of a televised football game to the contemplative quiet of a closed room, makes the opening line both an allusion and a kind of pun. This is a fine example of haiku humor.
—Clark Strand
"cider" winter / humanity
sipping hard cider…
my predictable journey
from laughter to tears
—Clifford Rames
An eloquent description of cider’s inebriating effect. The poet knows himself well. His initial reaction will be one of levity and laughter. But he’s been down this road before. He knows it will lead him eventually to sadness and tears.
The holiday season is supposed to be filled with joyful celebration. But for many, it proves to be a melancholy time. Recalling holidays shared with loved ones no longer here, surrounded by festive exuberance, can boost a gloomy mood.
Truly profound, deeply joyful feelings are sometimes followed by a poignant sadness. The two emotions are at times inextricably paired.
—Becka Chester
"walnut" winter / plants
Just the two of us
connected, but separate
nutty walnut self
—Suzanne Tyrpak
This haiku captures a deep truth in a wacky way.
Initially, the poet seems to be speaking to the reader or a companion. We might imagine two friends or lovers, or a parent and child whose relationship balances intimacy and independence.
That notion gets comically overturned when we realize that the first line refers to the two hemispheres of the poet’s brain, often seen as opposites. Paradoxically, we may think or feel two things at once.
The poet makes the problem feel small and comical by comparing herself to a walnut. Notice the pun on “nut.”
—Clark Strand
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Upcoming Season Words for the Weekly Haiku Challenge
For those belonging to the Weekly Challenge Group, it can be helpful to know what words are coming up over the next month, but we encourage all of our subscribers to write and share haiku on these themes. In this way, we can begin to follow the seasons together—spring, summer, fall, and winter—and share the joy of haiku together as a community.
—Becka Chester, Season Word Editor
January 24 Season Word, “hibernation,” winter / animals
Hibernation is often assumed to be a type of sleep, but it is a distinctly different condition. When an animal hibernates, it slows its metabolism down to less than 5% of its normal rate. This state conserves energy, eighty percent of which is used by the animals to periodically rouse themselves to warm up or to get actual sleep.
Bears, queen bumblebees, lady bugs, bats, box turtles, hedgehogs, and snakes are just a few of the creatures which hibernate during the winter months. When the air becomes colder in the evening, several species of hummingbirds will go into a nightly state of torpor by halving their body temperature and slowing their heart rate from 1000 beats per minute down to fifty. There is only one other bird species, the common poorwill, which, instead of migrating, hibernates. The common land snail hibernates by sealing itself into its shell and can remain in this isolated state of suspended animation for three full years.
February 7 Season Word, “Groundhog Day,” late winter / observances
Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd at the midpoint between winter solstice in December and the spring equinox in March. Although the observance is a distinctly American tradition, it has roots in Celtic and Christian traditions. Imbolc was a Celtic festival celebrating the anticipation of warmth and new birth. The day was also referred to as St. Brigid’s Day, which evolved from beliefs about the pagan goddess Brigantia, who was associated with dawn, light, and spring. Candlemas, also observed on February 2nd, commemorates Mary’s presentation of the infant Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. It is observed with the blessing and lighting of candles. All these traditions are symbolic of the triumph of spring over winter, birth over death, and light over dark.
When German immigrants arrived in the United States, they brought some of their Candlemas traditions with them, one of which was to observe a badger emerging from its lair. If it saw its shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter. Finding a dearth of badgers in America, groundhogs were substituted, the most notable of whom is Punxsutawny Phil, made famous by the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day.
February 14 Season Word, “first love / first crush,” late winter / humanity
Webster’s dictionary defines first love as “the first person one loves in a romantic way.” On Valentine’s Day, many recall with nostalgia their first love or crush. This may be a memory from primary school, perhaps of a flirtation that blossomed into a furtive exchange of paper hearts and handholding. Or it may be a recollection of a more serious liaison from later in adolescence.
As this is the first time these emotions awaken in a young person, it leaves behind the emotional memory of possibility and excitement. The person associated with the recollection often remains engraved in one’s mind. Since there are few people who remain in a relationship with their first love, this memory may also summon poignant emotions of a first loss.
Two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) captures a few of these sentiments in his poem “First Love,” an excerpt of which reads:
“Her throat is full of songs,
She hums, she is sensible of wings
Growing on her heart.
She is a tree in spring
Trembling with the hope of leaves…”
February 21 Season Word, “blanket,” all winter / humanity
From evidence discovered in ancient tombs around the globe, our first blankets were made of animal skins, clumps of grass and woven reeds. A fourteenth-century Flemish textile weaver named Thomas Blanquette may be the source for the word “blanket.” Before the invention of his heavy woolen fabric, most people slept under heaps of animal hides.
When we sleep, our breathing slows and blood circulation diminishes, dropping our body temperature from 98 degrees to around 96 or 97 degrees. Unless they are electric, blankets do not generate warmth; the heat from the person beneath it remains contained, separated from the cold air outside. Wrapped in a blanket, many feel a sense of protection and can relax for a better night’s sleep. A recent sleep study of weighted blankets indicates that, when beneath one, there’s a higher production of serotonin, a hormone that aids in sleep regulation.
In ‘Haiku World’, William Higginson writes, “We may need blankets before winter sets in, but they deeply characterize the season.”
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Kool ‘Ku News
Haiku is the most popular form of poetry in the world. That’s why it so often appears in popular culture. Here are some of the poems that made the news in our online community—plus special mentions in the media, contest announcements, and more.
–Clifford Rames, News Editor
December 2021 Kukai Results
A Kukai is a monthly haiku gathering where poets submit 3-5 poems anonymously for commentary by their peers. Participants choose the five haiku they liked the best from those submitted and explain briefly what they liked about them. Below is the First Place poem (8 votes) for our December Kukai, along with selected commentary by our members. Congratulations to all—including the three poets who tied for Second Place with 6 votes each!
A winter affair
my secret liaisons with
the gingerbread men
—Shelli Jankowski-Smith
Susan Polizzotto: "Wonderful haiku humor! I get a vivid image of the poet sneaking another cookie from the platter or cookie jar.”
Becka Chester: “I love the gentle slyness of this poem! Let’s hope the poet’s spouse doesn’t see any telltale crumbs lying around!”
Suzanne Tyrpak: “Clandestine cookie munching. I laugh every time I read this poem. The poet likens sneaking cookies to an erotic affair with a forbidden lover. Has the poet turned to cookies to fill a void in her romantic life? The underlying melancholy to the humor elevates this poem."
Clifford Rames: “A surprising and wonderful turn-of-thought, perfectly set up, with a clever, humorous, and satisfying finish.”
To read all the winning poems, entries, and commentaries, you can subscribe to the WEEKLY HAIKU CHALLENGE with Clark Strand on Facebook. For information on the group, how it functions, fees, and how to register, click HERE.
Results of the December 2021 Tricycle Monthly Haiku Challenge
“Every good haiku has two layers of meaning. The first is the image or surface layer: what is literally happening in the poem. The second is the ‘turn of thought’ added by the poet to that surface image to give it additional significance or meaning. A great haiku requires a third layer that gives a poem depth and dimensionality, transforming it into a virtual 17-syllable world.” —Clark Strand
Congratulations to Tony Williams, who uses two rainbows—one mythical, one real—to encompass the entire history of human supremacy over nature in his winning “winter rainbow” haiku.
a winter rainbow…
this time we are at the end
of the beginning
To see all the December results, honorable mentions, and full commentaries, or to submit poems to the Tricycle Monthly Haiku Challenge for January (season word = “frost”), click HERE.
Don’t Forget: Tricycle now has its own private Facebook group, the Tricycle Haiku Challenge—a place to connect with other participants, respond to calls for submissions, discuss the winning poems, and ask questions. You may request to join the group HERE.
Haiku Success Stories
More and more haiku written by our Weekly Challenge members are finding a place in the wider world. Below is a selection of publishing successes and competition wins by members. Enjoy!
Kyoto x Haiku Project—KUKAI
Mayuzumi Madoka, one of Japan’s most widely recognized haiku poets and foremost proponent of formal haiku in the world today, has invited poets from around the world to submit haiku to her Kyoto x Haiku Project.
A new selection of flower-themed haiku has been added to the Project’s “Haiku of the World” section. We are pleased to report that several of our members’ haiku, including poems by Lynda Zwinger, Becka Chester, Marcia Burton, and Sari Grandstaff, were selected for publication. Congratulations to all!
Polish Haiku Association—International Haiku Competition
A record number of poets—420 authors from 59 countries—participated in the 11th annual Polish International Haiku Competition. We are thrilled to report that this haiku by one of our members, Jonathan Aylett, was awarded one of ten commendations:
fading memories
dry patches in the car park
after a rainstorm
Congratulations, Jonathan!
tsuri-dōrō – a small journal of haiku and senryū
Congratulations to Shelli Jankowski-Smith, whose haiku (below) was selected for publication in the January/February 2022 issue of tsuri-doro:
Haiku workshop break …
with focus and precision
I fix my toilet
Eastern Structures
The latest issue (#20) of Eastern Structures was published on December 4, 2021, and features the haiku of several of our members, including Jonathan Aylett, Becka Chester, and Susan Polizzotto. To submit haiku for the next issue, go to the Eastern Structures website. To purchase your copy of the issue #20, click HERE.
Upcoming Competitions and Submission Deadlines
Kyoto x Haiku Project
A new window for submissions for Mayuzumi Madoka’s online haiku project is now open. You may submit up to eight haiku inspired by the season word “bird/birds” (please note, the season word is not “bird/birds”; rather, you are invited to use any specific, seasonal bird that inhabits or visits the area of the world where you live). Please note that Madoka’s team will nominate select poems for inclusion in a Kukai. More information is available on the Project’s website.
Haiku In the News
A Conversation: Haiku within Medicine, Coping with Burnout
An inspiring interview with Frank Clark, MD, who has turned to poetry—and haiku, in particular—as a means to cope with depression, stress, and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Top Ten Christmas Carol Haiku
A lighthearted and fun exploration of popular 17-syllable haiku that play off common themes in Christmas carols.
Haiku Books: Our Monthly Pick
So Happy to See Cherry Blossoms, edited by Madoka Mayuzumi (Red Moon Press, 2014)
After the great earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 2011, Madoka Mayuzumi, Japan’s foremost contemporary haiku poet, toured the affected areas of Japan and met with survivors, with whom she also conducted haiku writing sessions. The resulting poems, translated by Hiroaki and Nancy Sato, not only serve as monuments to the traumatic events of that year, but also to the survivors’ awe-inspiring resilience and ability to triumph in the face of utter calamity. A true testament to the power of poetry and the ability of haiku in times of loss and grief to aid the healing process.
Quote of the Month
“Having a framework of seventeen syllables is a helpful thing in composition; though what is meant by syllables in Japanese and other languages is not the same exactly. I believe that some sort of framework may be useful for people who compose haiku in English. The effect it has upon the content is an interesting one, rather like the dohyō or ring where sumo wrestlers engage.”
—Katō Kōko, Editor, A Hidden Pond Anthology of Modern Haiku (Kadokawa Shoten, 1996).
CLASSIC COMICS
(Source: https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/h/haiku.asp)
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