Haiku Snapshots

At the beginning of the trip, I read “Dreaming Spies” by Laurie King. In it, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel to Japan on a ship, and another character introduces them to Haiku. Using only 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 style, it uses words to create vivid verbal pictures. When I missed out on taking photos of some birds in the water, I decided to try to write a Haiku about them instead. If it’s done well, it can be an excellent substitute for a snapshot and would have been especially valuable in the days before the invention photography.

         Shallow, narrow bay,

         Black birds sway on flimsy stakes,

         Waving in our wake

Here are a few more:

         The anchor is set

         Work is done, safe in harbor

         Let the night come on

         Sipping scalding tea

         Boat rocks gently, Monday wakes,

         Sitting with my cats.

         Big unknown country

         We were warned to be afraid

         But folks are friendly