My director at work gave us a challenge – come up with a haiku that’s related to the fact that we’re having to work from home. I played to win with one referencing a meeting that she had been on when a squirrel kept coming into my apartment behind me during the meeting. She had enjoyed the show quite a bit, so I started with the squirrel in mind.
The one I submitted to the competition was my second attempt. I wanted to make sure that I cleaved to the haiku standard of referencing the season in some way, as well as keeping the syllable count.
squirrels at the door
grown bolder with summer’s heat
I work at their home
My scheme only worked so far; had I known my director has a penchant for rhyming verse, I would have used that technique, nontraditional though it would be for haiku. I came in second place to a rhyming haiku that was also pretty funny. No squirrels though, minus points.
I used to very much prefer having my poetry rhyme, but as I grew older I came to appreciate the lack of rhyme as well. Though I still like a structure and a pattern. Haiku is nice for that, because the structure is provided. And, quite frankly, in America the syllable scheme is pretty much the only thing we pay attention to with haiku.
Maybe I’ll write a few more of these; they might be a good focus while hiking. I like trying to condense my intentions into such small spaces.