We did haikus at school, right? You learn that they go 5 syllables – 7 syllables – 5 syllables. And you think, ‘what’s the point?’
Well I’ve recently discovered, since reading ‘Haiku Poetry Volume Four’ by James Hackett, that there’s a bit more to it than that. With haikus you are trying to capture a moment truly. It is all about being in the now (much like what they teach me in my yoga classes), being witness to nature and capturing it without trying to be artful or clever. Anyway… I thought I’d try it last night. Witnessing nature is quite difficult when you live in the centre of Auckland City. But still, I found it peaceful.
Haiku #1
The supermarket’s
ventilation system:
A seat for the gull.
Haiku #2
He preens his feathers,
white chest not sooty at all.
A clean scavenger.
Haiku #3
It could be the sea
outside our window tonight
Roaring traffic waves.
I. K. Paterson 
Lovely