yesterday’s snow
streams across asphalt —
blue skies deepen
—
I’ve been working on letting go of a rigid syllable structure for haiku and tanka. It has been difficult – it turns out that letting go of one structure simply means giving myself over to another, however it might be veiled.
bussokuseki 
When I read Tanka and Haiku I never count the syllables…
only when I write and I find it a restriction when writing the image.
It is difficult to write a haiku gem, but you master it very well.
groetjes, Francina
I appreciate you saying so. You make an excellent point about the reader…I have been more successful in letting them go recently, and hope that the expression of the moment benefits. Thank you again, blessings~
What came to me when I read your post is “what is a haiku for”? i.e the ‘so what’. Your haiku evokes a moving feast of pictures in my mind instantly and I then I notice my mind searching for meaning…..which can lead to reflection and insight. This is good. You are a beautiful writer. Enjoy what you do 🙂 – Cheers, Stephanie
Thank you, Stephanie, for the thoughtful response. It is a wonderful, essential, and provocative question – what is any piece of writing for? Whatever the answer is that question, it wonderful to fins shared meaning in shared work… Be well~
Actually, I have let go and listen to how it sounds instead. I rarely count syllables any longer. Yours here is excellent.
Thank you for visiting and for the compliment. How it sounds – how simple and simply beautiful. Be well~
It is quite possible to use a pattern to break a pattern. And once you do it anywhere, it can happen everywhere.
And we ask ourselves, “Why am I breaking this pattern?”, wishing perhaps we hadn’t, wondering where it might lead. It can, as you say, happen anywhere… Thanks for stopping by and reading. Be well~
Hey, it don’t mean a thang if it ain’t got that swang!8^)>
I like your exploration here. You’ve found good poetry.
Thank you so much, Alice, for the visit and the thoughtful reading. I wish you well on your path~
mysteries remain so until mind declairs otherwise
Indeed. And even the mind declares in error… Be well, Eddie.
Great feeling of late-day-cold-wind in this.
I often write “accentual” haiku/senryu, counting stressed syllables rather than syllables. Got the concept from “The Haiku Handbook”. It’s a structure, but looser. You can read more about it on my Haiku page if you like. Highly recommend the book.
Thanks, Johnny, I will take a look. And thank you for stopping by to read – be well this day~
A few minutes before receiving the email notification of your new post, I read this quote from Joseph Goldstein ~ ” We don’t have to let go, we simply have to not hold on.”
Wise words, Tom, thanks for stopping by and sharing them. Be well~
Structure facilitates. It’s hard to write free verse well.
Ironically, free verse is my preferred form for everything that is not a haiku or tanka…it is all an interesting exploration. Thank you, as always, for your reading and your presence. Be well~
You too 🙂