I can Haiku, can you?

I’m not a poet—at least, not a very good one. I can never figure out what makes a good poem. Like, is it all about rhyming, or the way words string together, or the structure, or…? To me, writing short stories is way less complicated to figure out.

But today is Children’s Poetry Day and this afternoon we’re going to look at different poems in class. So, I thought I’d give the “Haiku” a try. What’s a Haiku? Good question!

A Haiku is a type of poetry that uses only three lines. The first line must contain 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. And the last line, another 5 syllables. Easy, right? Well…maybe not EASY…but not too confusing.

Here’s my test Haiku. Of course it’s about running. <grin>

On the running track

Lightning tries to keep up with me

But I’m way too fast

Ha! That wasn’t too hard at all. I might even hand this in. I wonder if Lightning will write a Haiku in retaliation?

Hey! What kind of poem will YOU write for Children’s Poetry Day?

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy