Our highlighting of the haiku poetic form in the Friend (15 February) struck a chord with Ian McPherson. Ian lives in a part of the country perfect for a haiku lover - Cumbria - and Brigflatts is his meeting. 'I have long regarded haiku as quintessentially "Quaker" poetry', he says, 'embodying, as it does, simplicity, economy, integrity, a nature theme, deep insight into the human condition and, perhaps above all, the spontaneity by which, like ministry, it arises from the silence'.
Ian offers some writers to help a novice haiku poet - Sam Hamill (The Sound of Water), Kenneth Yasuda (Japanese Haiku) and William J Higginson (The Haiku Handbook - How to Write, Share and Teach Haiku).
Ian has a novel idea for us. 'I would like to propose a regular "Haiku (HaiQ?) Corner" in the Friend which would contain one or two original haiku submitted by readers. Not only would this provide haikuists with the opportunity to appear in print but might also serve to inspire others to try their hand. It is a wonderfully simple yet profound way of being creative with words and of sharing one's insight with others.' And he has started the ball rolling with one of his own –

Jackdaws protest -
The lone jogger disturbs their roost
As evening comes on.

This is in keeping with our search for a leaner, more disciplined poetry. Eye invites readers to try their hand at the very short poem and we will print the best ones.

Labels: haiku, poetry