Favourite Haiku
at the sky I stare
amazed that beyond this blue
a whole universeHannah Stiven
It seems to me that there are two ways of approaching the writing of haiku. At times, we might skate along on the surface of things, acquiring a basic competence largely by a process of imitation. At other times, we are impelled into expression by a motivation that comes from a far deeper source within the self. This second path leads to haiku that reveal original, authentic perception: poems that we treasure, whether written by self or others. The distinction between the two paths is perhaps more clearly marked when we consider children's haiku.
In September 2000, I had the task of compiling shortlists for The Times haiku contest, and it was clear that, inevitably, many of the children's entries had been written at the prompting of teachers, often following limited and identifiable formulae. The eventual winner of the children's prize was a well-turned poem that would very likely have gained acceptance in a magazine such as Blithe Spirit. By contrast, my personal favourite among the entries was a haiku that obeyed no observable template (other than 5-7-5), but on reading it I had a real sense of contact with the person behind the poem. It expresses a genuine sense of wonder; an expansiveness that I often seek and rarely find. It doesn't conform to externally imposed criteria, it just speaks the truth as the poet saw it at the time, and that's enough. It didn't win a prize of any kind (I had no say in the final choices!) but I've felt ever since that I owe the author this appreciation. Hannah Stiven was eleven years old at the time of composition.
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