This morning I took a trip over to the soon to be defunct 3lightsgallery. My mind has been craving haiku these last few days; their brevity, their clarity, their transformative power. And while haiku as a form is growing in popularity (if that is the right word?), the art still remains misunderstood by many and in terms of education, haiku is widely taught as little more than a counting excercise… as long as its 3 lines - 5 syllables then 7 syllables then 5 syllables - it’s a haiku. Not only is this a turn off for young writers, but nothing, and I mean nothing, could be further from the truth.
So what is the truth in haiku? John Bird’s work for Haiku Oz earlier this year is definitely worth reading when contemplating this question, but for me, the truth lies in discovering haiku that hit hard, stay with you and reveal themselves slowly, becoming part of your world.
Looking through Ron Moss’s gallery over at 3lights provided several of these moments. One such moment came when I discovered Moss’s poem and accompanying image:
deep into the mountains the road I’m lost on
We have all travelled such roads - both literally and figuratively. Moss’s ability to illuminate the inner and outer journey with just a handful of words is a great example of the power of haiku. And there are many more transformative moments that await in Ron’s gallery. I hope you carry some of these moments away with you…
And my own offering:
playing with matches in the long grass red moon
