(a pic of an azalea [1])

I picked an azalea
And brought it home.
Now when I contemplate it,
In its crimson dye
I see the color
Of my lover's robe.
—Lady Izumi Shikibu

I used to ridicule Haikus and other short Japanese poems for being what I called "wanna-be zen." But as I'm digging in, I'm unlocking their hidden beauty.

click here to look inside this book I'm reading

Here's the trick to reading them. Take an index card and cover every line except the first. Read the first line outloud. Think it through and visualize what is being said. Repeat this for the other lines. And then re-read the poem quickly from top to bottom. Soon a strong dream-like scent should manifest, and in some cases, it will put a light sting into your heart.

Haiku syllabic form is 5-7-5. And Tanka's are 5-7-5-7-7

Here's a Tanka I just came up with:

In fall's cobalt dusk
A reminisce of you heats
My hands in caress.
Hand-in-hand we used to stroll
Down the middle of the road.

Writing this down kind of makes me shiver.

Let's see if I can write a Haiku

Microwave love notes.
Papercut your right pinky.
But let your heart bleed.

.
.
.
.

I've never been a fan of poetry. Or let me correct that. I've never been a fan of reading other people's poetry. Writing poetry is a different matter. Self-expression is what I'm into.

Hmm, but I'm starting to like these condensed form poems. In a way, "the medium is the message" once again; the short form forces compressed impact. Haikus and Tankas are short on story and narrative, but strong on straight emotive wiff.

And, I've been going this route on my mind blog with various one-liners:

• I'm looking for my peace-maker.
  
• you're going to poison your ontology
  
• why do I check my e-mail?
  
• I'm trying to get from A to B, but I just don't know where B is.
  
• free will is the ability to back intention with action.
  
• metallic paper cuts
  
• dream about washing machines
  
• virtual blood transfusion
  
• filipino sand castle
  
• 60 minutes of awry.
  
• Dreaming of ostrich eggs
  
• all your candy-colored lipstick smears
  

In these short-forms, I'm looking for sweet partnerships between words and concepts. A conceit laced over the right thoughts can drop a mini atom-bomb. datz why I like poetry.