String of Jasmine

A rhapsody of scent, unexpected. 

Welcoming; in an otherwise dull reception.

I turn around to spot a lady unassuming.

A string of jasmine flowers

Coifed on her long silky hair.

Ah! a refreshing aroma.

Jubilation; to see a lady

Clad in brightest of saree with

contrast of blouse; unmatched.

Muffled jingles from broken bells;

On her silver anklet. Assorted silver rings

Straining her slender toes.

The face; as innocent as it could be

Is the innocence just outward?

I know not; not that it matters.

Bright big red dot on the forehead;

And a tiny smear of vermilion;

Middle of her neatly parted  hair.

Glittering gold with rubies accentuated

Earrings , bangles and necklaces

The elegant lady was all decked

As if she were to attend a wedding.

Realized I was in hospital only when;

My name was called to consult the doctor.

My current obsession - Haikus

I discovered my interest for Haikus and Senryus few months ago. Been reading them for a while now; but it was only few months ago that I wanted to write Haikus too. What captivated me are the challenges. They seem so simple at glance but to paint a lucid picture in the mind of the reader in those few words and leave a lasting impression needs a great deal of effort. That in turn should encourage the reader to visualize more beauty and there it grows! Ive been practicing and learning for a while now. Haiku's essence and techniques are so refreshing; makes one appreciate how less can mean more.

So been on a haiku writing spree. Here is one of my Haiku

This is a typical haiku following basic rules and techniques. Haikus are about celebrating nature and seasons. Haikus traditionally consist of 17 "on" or syllables. In Japanese; haikus are written in one single vertical line; while in English its written as 3 lines - with phrases of 5-7-5 syllable. These days; however the syllable and having nature as subject is not strictly followed. The other essence of Haiku is "kiru" meaning cutting. This is represented by juxtaposing two ideas and a "kireji" - cutting word between them. The job of "kireji" is to cut the flow of thoughts and take you to a parallel thought; either suggesting a parallelism or provide a heightened sense of closure. Haiku in English is not equivalent to writing it in Japanese; there is no direct equivalent to "kireji". So generally; a punctuation mark or a break is used to let the juxtapose take effect and let the reader reflect on the relationship between two contrast ideas. Here; my idea is the colorful chirpy life versus the location - cemetery.

 The other aspect of Haiku is "kigo" - a word implying season as I mentioned earlier; or time of the day. Kigo are not always part of Haiku. Apart from juxtaposition technique; there are few other basic techniques of Haiku. One is What-When-Where; which I've used here. Few others are techniques called Zooming, Unfolding, Shasei to name a few.

One of my Shasei - sketching from life. Its to describe whats exactly going on in the scene to absorb the experience and the situation; that can touch you.

The other variant of Haiku is Senryu. Its nothing but Haiku about humans. While Haiku tends to be about nature;  Senryu is about human and its generally dark humor and does not need to have kireji or kigo.

Here is one of my Senryu following all the rules and techniques

I am trying to add my haiku verses with my pictures so that the pictures and words make a great combination. Found haikus to be challenging my creativity and vocabulary. So loving it! Its not easy and I've been reading and practicing a lot. One of the greatest Haiku master was Basho. If interested; just google for Basho's haiku and enjoy his haikus.

I've a Facebook page where I upload them regularly; please visit and encourage. - https://www.facebook.com/the.bindutg/