walking to school we see
flurries—
a sudden accumulation
at the window
I’ve been drawn to haiku again this week. It’s like standing by the door frame in the kitchen to be measured. Maybe if I go back to the same place, I’ll be able to see how much I’ve grown. This time I’ve been thinking about the challenge of writing haiku that are both surprising and meaningful. Sometimes I come up with interesting images and words, but even I’m not sure what they add up to. Other times, the meaning is too clear and too familiar. The trick is to set up fresh images that give the reader an experience of unfolding understanding. And, as always, there’s the question of audience: will these images, these words, these meanings speak to kids?
For more Poetry Friday go to Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference.
(c) 2013 Elizabeth Ehrenfest Steinglass, all rights reserved