Lockdown Haiku, by Georgie Tennant

I adore the humble haiku.  In just 3 lines, comprising only 17 syllables (though the syllables are a debatable point for haiku purists), it conveys so much. Far from being a cop-out choice for poets in a hurry, the well-written haiku takes time and ruthless editing.  If you find yourself suffering from the onset of over-verbose-ness, a little haiku practice might be just the thing.

I became especially fond of the haiku during the Rethink Creative Lent Challenge a few years back.  At the start of Lent, a list of words is published; participants create something each day in response to one of the words (I say ‘create’ not ‘write’ as some participants are photographers or artists).  Determined to push myself to meet the challenge of producing a daily piece, the haiku became my go-to.  I loved crafting these mini-works of art each day, in response to words like believe, heard, led, watch.

Reading, on an ACW Facebook thread recently, that someone had attended a Zoom Writers’ Session on haiku, I amused myself by creating some "Lockdown Haiku," for posterity.  If you are a haiku purist, read no further and, instead, educate yourself better about the real haiku rules, which I will be shamelessly breaking, here (also – NanoHaiMo – who knew?!).  If, like me, you are simply here for amusement, and to obsessively syllable-count to catch me out, read on!

 

Lockdown Haiku

 

             I

 

Working from home, whilst

Home-schooling children is an

Impossible feat.

 

             II

 

Can’t do this today.

Please go away, everyone.

House is far too small.

 

   III

 

Sunrise: beauty, peace.

I breathe in, grateful. Sounds of

Children stirring – help!

 

             IV

 

Need to write today.

Year 4 Maths preventing this!

Home school not for me.

 

              V

 

Google Search: Ideas

For lockdown home-schooling. I

Wish I hadn’t looked.

 

             VI

 

Never been a fan

Of the phone.  But being seen

On screen – fresh horror!

 

             VII

 

Fragile peace shattered

By announcement of sore throat.

Here we go again!

 

             VIII

 

Endless catering.

Food bill astronomical.

Bring back school dinners!

 

             IX

 

No time to write; I’ll

Pen an angst-filled poem. I’m

Feeling better now.

 

             X

 

Dawn: optimistic.

Afternoon: patience wears thin.

Evening: pass the wine!

 

             XI

 

Lockdown emotions:

Stressed-out, mostly.  Envy, too,

Of empty-nesters.

 

             XII

 

Missing old rhythms.

I’ll never get used to this.

My soul in tumult.

 

  XIII

 

Hit a low today.

Covid steals everything.

Mental health in shreds.

 

            XIV

 

Back to work! I skip

From the house. Today they can

Cope alone.  Rejoice!

 

            XV

 

Devastating lows,

Hope-fuelled highs.  The mundane

Middle: God in all.

What would your lockdown haiku themes be? Do comment on the blog or the Facebook page!

Georgie Tennant is a secondary school English teacher in a Norfolk Comprehensive.  She is married, with two sons, aged 12 and 9 who keep her exceptionally busy. She writes for the ACW ‘Christian Writer’ magazine occasionally, and is a contributor to the ACW-Published ‘New Life: Reflections for Lent,’ and ‘Merry Christmas, Everyone,’ and, more recently, has contributed to a phonics series, out later this year. She writes the ‘Thought for the Week’ for the local newspaper from time to time and also muses about life and loss on her blog: www.somepoemsbygeorgie.blogspot.co.uk