I remember learning about poetry in grade school. I loved it most when poems rhymed, so Haiku wasn’t a favorite. I loved writing it, but I never really connected to reading it. I was young, maybe ten years old at the time, and I loved the structure—counting syllables and arranging them in lines of 5, 7, and 5. It was orderly and gave me the necessary guidelines for writing my own pieces.
Today, I’m so grateful for my teachers and all those early poetry lessons, but I’m particularly grateful to have learned the art of writing haiku. Decades later, I’m finding haiku to be healing. I don’t know if it’s in the writing, in the reflection, or in the ritual, but together, they hold a power that connects me with myself and with God.
Here’s my process. Every morning (almost), I begin my day quietly—thinking about the day before, praying, meditating, and reading the Daily Word (a Unity publication). After which, I reflect on its message, then write a haiku. In doing so, the poem serves to deepen my understanding of the reading and to help me remember the message throughout the day. Sometimes they mirror the message of the reading, sometimes other thoughts fill me. But always they feel deeply personal and important for my spiritual journey.
I’ve been writing these for more than a year now and lately have been feeling called to collect them and share them. So here we are. My hope is that this will be a place for my growing collection, that they might be helpful to someone who finds their way here, and that they might serve as a reminder of God’s providence, grace, and absolute goodness.
True Story 