Poetry Friday: haiku

Last week at Life on the Deckle Edge, Robyn Hood Black, shared a fabulous new book, Write Like Issa by David G. Lanoue. Go read more about Issa and haiku and the new book I’ll wait. In addition to sharing lessons and examples from the book, she is offering to give away a copy one lucky commenter (leave a comment by June 28). I am still new to haiku (outside of lessons from elementary school that focused on counting syllables), but I am eager to learn and read more! I even took up her offer to sign up for a daily dose of haiku by Issa from the DailyIssa Yahoo Group. If you’re interested, you can sign up, too, at Yahoo.com (Groups). I have enjoyed having a poem delivered to my inbox every day.

That daily infusion of haiku is slowly convincing me to slow down and notice more of what is around me. One of the joys I’ve discovered is the abundance of fireflies we have this summer. Whether it’s a change in firefly population or a change in my perception, there are fireflies galore. One night after putting my chickens to bed, I stopped to drink in the sight of fireflies lighting up among the branches of the weeping cherry in the backyard.

Fireflies dance among
weeping cherry branches–
Christmas in July.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Heidi has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at My Juicy Little Universe. Stop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week. 

35 Comments on Poetry Friday: haiku

  1. Robyn Hood Black
    June 30, 2017 at 8:48 am (7 years ago)

    Kay, so glad you mentioned this post in this week’s comments on my blog, because we were on the road last Friday and I missed so many posts! I’m thrilled you’re among the throng of us under haiku’s spell… and under firefly lights. :0) Thanks for sharing! (BTW – my anti-spam words are “snug joys” – and some haiku can be described that way for sure.)

    Reply
  2. Michelle Kogan
    June 24, 2017 at 5:27 pm (7 years ago)

    Lovely firefly dance Kay with a great surprise in the third line!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 26, 2017 at 7:34 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Jane @ Raincity Librarian
    June 24, 2017 at 11:58 am (7 years ago)

    I hadn’t given haiku much thought in years, not since elementary school, until I went to Japan, and experienced it in its homeland – what a powerful experience! And now I can’t get enough!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 24, 2017 at 2:55 pm (7 years ago)

      Wow! I would the the opportunity to experience haiku in Japan. Until then, I’m enjoying the daily Issa haiku in my inbox.

      Reply
  4. Carol Varsalona
    June 24, 2017 at 12:42 am (7 years ago)

    Kay, fireflies are a popular topic this week. I guess it is because summer has officially started. I do like thinking of a rare treat of which you speak-Christmas in July. If you take a photo to accompany this poem turn it into an image poem for my summer gallery. I best be getting back to designing Springsations. My newly arrived granddaughter interrupted the process but that was a good interuption.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 24, 2017 at 9:06 am (7 years ago)

      Enjoy that new granddaughter! I don’t know if I can get a picture or not. My camera and photography skills don’t do so well in the dark.

      Reply
  5. Violet N.
    June 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm (7 years ago)

    What a lovely dancing poem!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 24, 2017 at 9:05 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Mary Lee Hahn
    June 23, 2017 at 8:06 pm (7 years ago)

    Lovely image! Fun to see fireflies on your blog, too!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 24, 2017 at 9:04 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you! I’ve enjoyed seeing fireflies flit from blog to blog this week.

      Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:58 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you! And thanks for sharing another firefly poem. It is lovely.

      Reply
  7. Brenda Harsham
    June 23, 2017 at 2:21 pm (7 years ago)

    I love your poem, and the image it brought to me. I wrote a haiku today, too. https://friendlyfairytales.com/2017/06/23/strawberry-moment/ but I didn’t put the link in PF. If you’re interested in haiku prompts, an Aussie friend is starting a site for prompts, and I have a link in the haiku post.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:53 pm (7 years ago)

      Thanks for sharing the link. I will check out your haiku and the haiku prompts!

      Reply
  8. Tabatha
    June 23, 2017 at 1:53 pm (7 years ago)

    I love hearing about the impact that posts in the Poetry Friday community have, and their reverberations. Your haiku is charming. Just running across fireflies (in person or in my mind) makes me happy!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:52 pm (7 years ago)

      I, too, love seeing all the poetry connections in this community and enjoy seeing the ideas spread and take flight.

      Reply
  9. Linda
    June 23, 2017 at 1:35 pm (7 years ago)

    What a bright burst on the page (ok, screen) your haiku is. I love it!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:51 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you!

      Reply
  10. iphigene
    June 23, 2017 at 12:22 pm (7 years ago)

    I’m reading about fireflies and birds this week. I love love the image of fireflies as christmas in july. That was just vivid and made me think of christmas lights.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:51 pm (7 years ago)

      That’s exactly what the fireflies in the tree made me think of. It was full of them!

      Reply
  11. jama
    June 23, 2017 at 12:07 pm (7 years ago)

    Another firefly poem! Just lovely. I can just picture them. Have fun writing more haiku! 🙂

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:50 pm (7 years ago)

      Thanks! I love all the firefly connections this week.

      Reply
  12. Laura Shovan
    June 23, 2017 at 11:34 am (7 years ago)

    Beautiful, Kay. The fireflies like to shine in our backyard pear and cherry trees. At night, against the full summer trees, they are so bright!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:50 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you! They have been putting on quite a show for us this summer.

      Reply
  13. Linda Baie
    June 23, 2017 at 9:39 am (7 years ago)

    I do receive the daily haiku from David, a joy every day. We don’t have fireflies here in Colorado, but I have fond memories of them from living in Missouri. Your haiku is just right to me, Kay. Christmas in July, beautiful!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 2:50 pm (7 years ago)

      Thank you! The daily haiku are such a joy to brighten a moment. It’s hard for me to imagine summer without fireflies (or lightning bugs as we used to call them), but suspect Denver has its own summer delights.

      Reply
  14. Heidi Mordhorst
    June 23, 2017 at 7:25 am (7 years ago)

    Kay, it’s nice to finally have time to meet you properly! I LOVE your firefly haiku. Like the moon and several other nature topics, fireflies never lose their thrill for poets, but it’s hard to find a new way to see them. Christmas in July does that–thank you!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 7:46 am (7 years ago)

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was captivating watching them flicker through the tree.

      Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 7:46 am (7 years ago)

      The fireflies have been phenomenal this summer! They put on quite a show.

      Reply
  15. B.J. Lee
    June 23, 2017 at 2:44 am (7 years ago)

    Very nice haiku! Thanks for mentioning that book. I’ll have to look for it or comment on Robyn’s post in time! 🙂

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 23, 2017 at 7:45 am (7 years ago)

      Thank you! I also want to find a copy of the book. It sounds amazing.

      Reply
  16. KatApel
    June 22, 2017 at 8:31 pm (7 years ago)

    Haiku… So short and so simple… it’s deceptive!! I knew I wasn’t ‘getting’ haiku, and wanted to get my head around it before exploring it with my Yr3 class at the time. I asked a friend who was a pro, to join me in a Month of Haiku. It grew to be about 50 of us sharing the month – and boy was it invigorating! And yes, haiku does prompt you to notice (and appreciate) the minutiae. That Month of Haiku was about 10yrs ago – and there is still so much I have to learn about haiku!! I guess that means, I could relate. 🙂

    Loving your Christmas in July. Fireflies are their own special wonder.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      June 22, 2017 at 9:15 pm (7 years ago)

      Yes, short and simple–and deceptive! I love the idea of a month of haiku. I may have to try it sometime myself. Right now I am learning just from reading one a day.

      Reply

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