Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

That’s what I did.

Last Fall, my Facebook crashed with tiny blitzy poems, often called “Aha!” moments, written by poets on the go.

What are the “Aha!” moments?

They are eye-openers.

They are shocks of enlightenment ending up as haiku. They are also called “lightbulb” moments or “Zen” moments.

You may get it at dawn:

gray dawn
birdsong becomes
human touch

— Veronika Zephyr

Or you may get it past midnight:

just past midnight
we rode our bikes furious
our youth so fragile

— Cb Crane

On the road, things like that happen all the time, but I was shocked to realize that the resulting haiku could— why not? — get classified as “road haiku,” just like “love haiku” or “death haiku.”

Next thing I did?

Go back to Facebook and start a new page specifically devoted to the “road haiku.”

I called the page “Haiku On the Road” — to honor Jack Kerouac, the author of the novel “On the Road,” who used to drop some of the greatest haiku around:

birds singing
in the dark
- Rainy dawn

— Jack Kerouac

© by owner, provided at no charge for educational purposes

Then, I thought, why not call out all the road scribes and ask for their fresh road-inspired outpourings — and then, who knows? — maybe even publish them as a book?

. . . a book full of “Aha!” moments?

So that’s what I did. Here it is:

“Haiku On the Road: An International Anthology,” edited by Tad Wojnicki is coming out from Amazon today or tomorrow.

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author/editor of 7 books on Amazon. Join my “Write Like a Lover!” workshop — and pick up my Oolong Hangout — FREE!

Eager to brush up on your haiku writing techniques? Check my new ebook: “10 Tips to Jumpstart a Haiku” — FREE!

Photo by DICSON on Unsplash

Another trick that makes a haiku jump to life is “shifting meanings,” also referred to as “the technique of double entendre.”

A haiku of that type is said to be coming “with a twist.”

The scribes of yore back in Japan loved the trick of making off-color references. For example, they made “spring rain” stand for sexual emissions, while referring to the “Mound of Venus” as a “jade mountain.”

Masaoka Shiki wrote:

near the boatyard
a tiny licensed place —
cotton-plant flowers

— Masaoka Shiki

He meant a brothel.

A contemporary poet shifts meanings in a similar way:

a married man
flirting with danger
at the end of the bar

— Paul David Mena

Jessica Amlee’s book, 99 Funny Double Meaning Jokes for Adults With a Twist, offers a collection of double meanings that some haiku writers relish.

The double entendre is an effective technique, but avoid using it mostly to hide off-color content.

Here’s an example:

road writing
loose sheets dealt
a heavy blow

The meaning of “heavy blow” shifts between “a gust” and “blown off.” Either turn of phrase gives the haiku a kick.

antiques shop
Greek god smashed
on dusty shelf

One more haiku that includes a shift from practical to playful:

slowly
emptying you
of your words

— Traci Siler

A week ago I decided to write, produce, market — the whole shtick — 12 books in 12 months.

As if that wasn’t crazy enough, I decided to start off with my long-lost manuscript, “Write Like a Lover!”

But I found it.

Dusted it off.

I read the initial “dedication” page.

It was right.

Twenty-five years mattered none:

Why dig up old trash? You may ask.

There’s only one reason:

The job is already half-done. Shame to trash it. Besides, the moment I get it fixed, I jump ahead, right?

Hitting the road running!

Now look at my “Table of Contents:”

It looks shocking, I admit — the coffee stains, the wrinkles, the illegible margin scribbles . . .

What should I do?

Is each chapter worth saving? Is the concept solid? How about the outline? Remember, don’t throw the baby out with its bath.

So what’s worth keeping?

1. Hey, Lover! (Intro)

I think I’m clear in explaining my goal by addressing the Reader straight.

2. Like Lover, Like Writer

My thesis is: your actions are you.

3. How to Feel Like a Lover?

The workings of the senses.

4. How to Make Them Feel?

How to impact other people’s emotions using words.

5. Index(es)

Names. Subjects. Sources.

Now, look closer at the “Table of Contents”— can you decipher the date?

Over 25 years!

I’m going to redo each chapter showing my process for you to follow along and learn from as I get the whole damn thing fixed up.

Join me.

==============================================================

[Next excerpt: “Make Love Writing.”]

That’s my goal. What’s your goal?

Want to publish ebooks like Bamboo Cafe or Sucking Mangoes Naked? Turn a successful writepreneur? Check my Write Like a Lover! (available soon).

==============================================================

Just recently, J.R. Heimbigner came up with the idea.

But last weekend, Jamie Northrup - Minimalist Hustler got his crowd roiled up by announcing a “12 books in 12 months” challenge. Last time I checked, close to 1,000 people voiced their hurrah.

As I said yesterday, Jamie invited all of us to help ourselves to his templates, and even — what a guy! — to “steal” his tricks. How many folks have joined? I know only one …

Me.

So what have I accomplished, so far?

Day 1 (Yesterday) — Ideation

Jamie advises taking the entire Day 1 to jiggle ideas around. By the end of the day, the writer should have the book topic and the working title.

I was ready.

I had recently dug up my old typescript titled “Write Liker a Lover!” Can you believe it? I wrote it some 25 years ago. I decided to dust it off and use it in the challenge.

Day 2 (Today)— Outline
It’s the Table of Contents day. I gathered all the disjointed pages, clips, and snippets together, getting ready for the fixing ahead.

Day 3 to 14 — Writing

Starting from tomorrow, I am going to add text, subtract, proofread, and edit my chapters, including the introduction and conclusion.

Wish me luck.

Better, join us.

==============================================================

[Next excerpt: “Make Love Writing.”]

What’s your goal?

Want to publish ebooks like Bamboo Cafe or Sucking Mangoes Naked? Turn a successful writepreneur? Check my Write Like a Lover! (available soon).

It makes a haiku jump to life.

One of the most thrilling surprises is a switch between the senses. It happens when the sense you do expect is replaced by one you hadn’t.

Sense switching kicks any lifeless haiku to life.

In the following haiku, the reader expects a snug transition from a sight (corner café) to another likely sight. Instead, the sight is replaced by a sound (traffic noise):

corner café —
enjoying every sip
of traffic noise

In the next haiku, one expects the fresh orchard air to be filled with the scent of fruits. What’s the shock? Twitter.

wake up
breathe the fruit scents
noisy with birds

The unexpected switch from the sense of smell (fruits) to the sense of hearing (twitter) gives the Reader a delightful jolt.

laptop by the door
scents carry
the humming

windy corner
the cup and spoon
click

Some of the most jump-worthy surprises are caused by the synesthesia, like in the following haiku where a sound (the buzz of a bumblebee) appears to affect (darken) the whiteness of a lily.

bumblebee gone
lily still dark
with the buzz

Hello, I’m Tad Wojnicki

Both my novel, Lie Under the Fig Trees, as well as my international haiku anthology, Sucking Mangoes Naked, have been well-received. I help aspiring authors write and publish their work. Visit my Profile.

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

I wrote novels.

They grew from the dialogue I overheard at my cafe and jotted down on fliers, job resumes, and other trash. That way, the stress of writing perfect copy was off.

Then, I got a job.

Then, two jobs.

My output shrank.

One day I sat down at the coffee shop, a bunch of the Jewish Food Festival flyers in hand, ready to jot down a few scenes before my next gig. But I got stuck — I ran out of time to jot down even a measly bar or bed scene. Finally, I crushed the flyer and hit the road.

Screenshot of the Facebook page “Haiku On the Road” that I admin.

On the Road

That night at my laptop, I checked a few minimalist formats. Some take a minimum time, yet make you feel accomplished. I stumbled upon the “flash fiction” workshop offered by Pamelyn Casto.

Flash fiction?

Heck, I could start and finish one between jobs.

So, I did.

Soon, I started posting “flashes” online and offline.

But my word count?

Went down.

Then, down.

Until I picked a job in Asia, when my output became acute. In Asia, everything came smaller — rooms, clothes, dishes — subsequently, forcing me to embrace the shortest literary form in the world . . .

The haiku.

Haiku is perfect for a person on the run. Jack Kerouac, the author of the legendary novel On the Road, was a haiku lover. Sitting at my Bamboo Cafe in Hsinchu City, the Taiwan computer center, I started a new page on Facebook and named it Haiku On the Road, in honor of the Beat.

Screenshot of the “Bamboo Cafe” page on Amazon.com

Falling in Love

In the haiku form, I started recording whatever I was doing throughout the day, with an eye for seasonal changes.

I loved it.

Across the China Sea, a Japanese haijin, Hidenori Hiruta, fell for my haiku. Hidenori Hiruta published a few of my poems in his ezine and then asked my permission to translate them into Japanese. His work and my originals appeared in Bamboo Cafe, the book pictured above.

Screenshot of the “Sucking Mangoes Naked” page on Amazon.com

Sucking Mangoes Naked

The Mediterranean climate of Taiwan inspired my new projects, creating more opportunities for exposure.

A lot of haiku submitted to Haiku On the Road turned out pretty “juicy,” which spurred me to start the Erotic Haiku page on Facebook, followed by the Sucking Mangoes Naked page.

After getting an “OK” from some 40 international haijin, I published (at my expense) an anthology, titled Sucking Mangoes Naked: Erotic Haiku and Related Forms.

Hello, I’m Tad Wojnicki

Both my novel, Lie Under the Fig Trees, as well as my international haiku anthology, Sucking Mangoes Naked, have been critically well-received. Visit my Profile.

Photo by Micah & Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash

Right?

Far from the truth.

As a matter of fact, the idea of “jumping” is very haiku, and it is particularly evident in the handling of images.

As beginners, we keep links between our images clear. In fact, we favor easy ones, avoiding dangerous leaps and instead favoring close linkages.

But as our skills grow, we thrill at pushing risky links. We want the reader’s imagination to jump big.

The result?

Our “leap” linkages turn, at times, risky.

Here is one by a haiku guru:

A fledgling
crashes blossoms
Why kneel?

— Jack Kerouac

What’s the connection between the baby bird and the exclamation, “Why kneel?”

Hard to detect.

The gap between these two images is mind-boggling.

But the link is there.

The leaps between images don’t need to get nearly incomprehensible. They may stay commonplace:

crescent moon —
did she just
wink at me?

— Paul David Mena

Here are a few more effective leap-links:

clothesline —
the kimono slips
off the moon

icicles melting
stabbing the snow . . .
you never called

— Pamela A. Babusci

long kiss
the smell of burning
toast

— Bee Jay

All of these haiku deal with commonplace events, yet they require big mental leaps.

hot bagel
want a fried egg?
catch the sun

kicking
stones in anger
flow starts

(Throughout this book, all unaccredited work is mine.)

Photo by Sang Tran on Unsplash

Some images come in whispers, yelps, bird calls, and other sounds of nature, hitting our brains and creating an impact.

How do they do that?

They “sing.”

old pond
a frog jumps —
splash!

— Matsuo Basho

This haiku by Basho uses a word imitating the sound of water, which makes us jump to attention.

This haiku sings.

It’s magic.

There are many sounds we can’t name, so we try to compensate by saying how they are produced. Here I tried to explain the sound of a duck’s touchdown:

muggy midday
a duck plops
into the mud

A good ear will be happy to find the harmony between the hum of an insect and the hum of a Buddhist mantra.

yoga class
a wasp’s hum adds
to our Om

— Bipasha Majumder De

Still another type of a haiku shows how to create a “singing” haiku using common street noises:

curbside bbq
the drizzle drowns
the sizzle

To make a haiku jump, make it sing.

An excerpt from my skinny book for haiku lovers, 10 TIPS TO JUMPSTART A HAIKU.

I have a Ph.D., a college job record, a few books published, and yet — can you believe it?— I’m being rejected by schools from colleges all the way down to kindergarten!

I get no offers.

So, I decided, fuck it!

Do nothing.

Nothing, except for driving Yitzhak to school, hitting the Lake Balboa Park to catch some fresh air, and finally, hitting the Medium.

Today, someone posted:

“Time with family. Time with dear friends. Time to read, to think, to breathe.”

Joan Westenberg wrote it.

She argued all these things — “Time with family. Time with dear friends. Time to read, to think, to breathe” — were, in fact, the currency she paid herself in.

Paid herself?

Crazy, right?

I loved it.

I’ll start doing it right now, I decided.

I picked Yitzhak from school, hit the park, and proceeded to pay myself — and my boy, of course— with a bunch of fresh lakeside air.

Did I pay myself well?

Very well.

But wait!

That’s not all.

While I paid myself in fresh air, Medium was paying me— in live cash!

That’s two streams of income.

Giving up?

Not if I get paid.

Then, forget clashes.

Skip contrasts.

When painting a picture, for example, go for images that complement each other and display unity, rather than diversity.

Look how Claire Gallagher “melted” the yellow of a sunflower with the tube of cadmium into “one.”

sunflower
the tube of cadmium yellow
squeezed flat

— Claire Gallagher

Although the sunflower looks, smells, and feels different than a tube of paint, the poet refuses to get distracted by the differences, and concentrates on the color, which points to unity.

So, skip clashes.

Choose matches.

Emphasize oneness.

It helps to study Zen to achieve that illumination – to be able to dismiss borders between things to see the Holy Oneness.

nursery shelf
a couple of flowerpots
filled with sunshine

The sunshine permeates everything; it’s everywhere -- inside and outside of everything.

pumpkins, papayas
ripening on the beach?
sunblock scents

Try to melt pairs of disparate images into one perfect match:

dark-haired girl
sitting by a window
crying as it rains

— Mike Walker

Here is one more haiku getting two unlike objects  to match:

tidepool
the starfish and I
lock fingers

(Throughout my book, 10 Tips to Jumpstart a Haiku, all unaccredited work is mine.)

Ask a storyteller.

“Drop a gunman in between,” one Hollywood storyteller quipped.

Goal?

Make the sides clash!

Making two sides clash is the best fix for any blah-blah writing!

Including haiku.

So, to jumpstart a haiku, go ahead and juxtapose two opposite images, forcing them to CLASH.

What if they don’t?

If they don’t, your conflict goes pffft.

Blah.

Any fixes?

Check the images. Are they too close? Do they inadvertently complement each other? If that’s the case, redo it.

Look at these examples:

In the first, written by a Japanese haiku master, the two juxtaposed images “jump” beyond their immediate meaning to reveal a “prickly” truth:

everything
I touch with love pricks
like a thistle

— Kobayashi Issa

In the next haiku, feel a tiny shock caused by two images facing off — one of them representing a state of exhilaration, the other one the state of dread.

seaside arcade
the flashing lights
of an ambulance

— Paul David Mena

In the following haiku, the surprise derives from the fact that the whiteness may represent both youth and old age:

whiteness
of decrepit old age
apple blossoms

Also, a clash may break between two physical sensations — the sensation of heat and the sensation of cold:

high noon
street vendor scrapes
bottom ice

The clash between images gives the haiku a jumpstart.

(Throughout my book, 10 Tips to Jumpstart a Haiku, all unaccredited work is mine.)

I lift my cup. My lips meet the hot porcelain while the bitterness of the espresso twists my nose.

cold world — 
the warm touch
of the cup

Outside the glass wall, the cars screech by — it’s the lunch break. Each screech is tearing my flesh.

The first sip lovingly bites my tongue. I let it wash off, taking the heat.

The reflected sunlight blasts the walls.

My spoon is shooting zigzags into my cup.

my steaming cup — 
a passer-by’s
breath

Thank you for reading!

A babishly-simple haiku-writing tip!

Do you recall the last day you had a splitting headache? A headache that no painkiller could take care of? And the only thing that worked was running the hell out of the house and taking a walk?

Occasionally, a haiku needs one, too.

They call it ginko.

Or, a “joy walk.”

The Japanese tradition says to run outside regularly and record the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of everything around.

What can you hear? One poet is listening damn close:

borne on the wind
big broad oak leaves tumble toss
float drift hover hang

— Mike Jurkovic

An impressive variety of sounds made by a single dead leaf. What if you get closer?

spring wind
the ruffled hair
of a worm

Consider other impressions. What does the sting of a ladybug feel like?

out of nowhere
sudden sting on my arm
a zigzag ladybug

— Tejendra Sherchan

Coming back to your desk with a bunch of fresh haiku, you feel pretty upbeat.

after a late-night walk
fluffing my pillow
for the dog

— Paul David Mena

Use all your senses. Smell the place, listen to the place, feel the things around there. Taking a walk will jumpstart your haiku.

(Throughout this book, all unaccredited work is mine.)

***

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author of 7 books on Amazon.

Most writers want to publish their books FOR THEMSELVES.

Rather than, FOR ALL!

Gone that path?

Most of us have, and I tried to pull off that selfish shtick for a looong time myself, too, disregarding an obvious fact that —

The quickest way to do something is to do it for all, not just yourself. Make all show off. Make all bloom. Sounds nuts, but …

Here’s what you get:

▪️ A tribe of like-minded folks.

▪️ Accountability (a constant progress check)

▪️ Support — helpful hands

How do you start?

First, write a post:

Ask what they all need: A publishing outlet? A space to grow? Opportunity to show off? Plus, of course, a kick in the pants?

Hit the button.

While teaching at a university in Taiwan, I started a few Facebook groups, including Taipei Tanka, Erotic Haiku, Sucking Mangoes Naked, Haiku On the Road, The Philippines Haiku Daily, Buddha Expats, and a few others — all inviting haiku lovers from the world over to contribute without any big deal.

What’s the purpose?

Help all bloom!

In no time, I saw the submissions grow, unexpectedly surpassing the book size.

At that point, I paused.

There was just one other button to hit —

PUBLISH!

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author/editor of 7 books on Amazon.

Eager to brush up on your haiku writing techniques? Check my new ebook: “10 Tips to Jumpstart a Haiku” — FREE FOR ALL!

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

I wrote novels.

They grew from the dialogue I overheard at my cafe and jotted down on fliers, job resumes, and other trash. The stress of writing a perfect copy was off.

Then, I got a job.

Then, two jobs.

My output shrank.

One day I sat down at the coffee shop, a bunch of the Jewish Food Festival flyers in hand, ready to jot down a few scenes before my next job. I got stuck — the time was too short for even one scene. Finally, I just crumpled the flyer and hit the road.

Screenshot of the Facebook page “Haiku On the Road” that I admin.

On the Road

That night at my laptop, I checked a few minimalist formats. I stumbled upon the “flash fiction” workshop offered by Pamelyn Casto.

Flash fiction?

Heck, I could start and finish one between jobs.

So, I have. Soon, I started posting “flashes” online and offline.

But my overall output?

Went down.

Then, down.

And then, I got a job in Asia, and the downsizing of my output gre more acute. In Asia, everything came smaller — rooms, clothes, dishes — subsequently, forcing me to embrace the shortest literary form in the world…

The haiku.

Haiku is perfect for a person on the run. Jack Kerouac, the author of the legendary novel On the Road, was a haiku lover. Sitting at my Bamboo Cafe in Hsinchu City, Taiwan I started a new page on Facebook, and named it, Haiku On the Road, in honor of the Beat.

Screenshot of the “Bamboo Cafe” page on Amazon.com

Falling in Love

In the haiku form, I started recording whatever I was doing throughout the day, with an eye for seasonal changes. I loved it.

Across the China Sea, a Japanese haijin, Hidenori Hiruta, fell for my haiku. Hidenori Hiruta published a few of them in his ezine and then asked my permission to translate them into Japanese. His work and my originals appeared as Bamboo Cafe.

Screenshot of the “Sucking Mangoes Naked” page on Amazon.com

Sucking Mangoes Naked

The Mediterranean climate of Taiwan inspired new projects, creating more opportunities for exposure.

A lot of haiku submitted to Haiku On the Road turned out pretty “juicy,” which spurred me to start the Erotic Haiku page on Facebook, followed by the Sucking Mangoes Naked.

After getting an “OK” from some 40 international haijin, I published (at my expense) an anthology, titled Sucking Mangoes Naked: Erotic Haiku and Related Forms.

Hello, I’m Tad Wojnicki

Both my novel, Lie Under the Fig Trees, as well as my international haiku anthology, Sucking Mangoes Naked, have been critically well-received. Visit my Profile.

If you enjoy this topic, then help fuel my creative system with a cup of coffee, which I love as much as the topic. https://buymeacoffee.com/tadwojnick8

Coverfly just called that my project, “Sucking Mangoes Naked,” is the #1 Finalist — plus, it has earned a badge of the TOP “discoverable” projects in Coverfly.

What is Coverfly?

Coverfly connects Hollywood scribes with the movers and shakers. They say, “Submit to top writing programs for industry exposure, cash prizes, and more.”

I had to stitch lots of odd parts together.

You won’t believe it, but at times my screenplay faked a philosophical treatise, at other times a novel, and still at others a haiku anthology! That’s the result of jotting down notes on cafe napkins, doctor bills, or bank stats.

Do you keep a drawer full of snippets that don’t match? Sure you do. We all do.

Here is how to fix it:

Give your hero a strong drive.

Show’em lose, then win.

Go down, then up. Done.

I did it myself, and it worked.

Coverfly quotes my logline:

“A single doctor, also known as an amateur painter, hires a model hoping to win The Mango Art Show, but her Dad sets his studio afire to kill the deal.”

I collaborated on the script with Amil Abraham Thomas, my long-distance friend living in Mumbai, India.

Our script is a TV (one-hour) comedy and is just 73 pages long.

Everybody loves a quick flick.

What about you? Have you written a quickie yourself?

Let me hear about it!

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author of 7 books on Amazon. Join my “Write Like a Lover!” class — soon!

Pick up my Oolong Hangout

Eager to brush up on your haiku writing techniques? Check my new ebook: “10 Tips to Jumpstart a Haiku” — FREE!

J.R. Harbigner picked up my freshly-published Amazon book and gave it a shoutout. He made it look great. The title was correct, my name was spelled right — plus, the kinky vibe about it was right, too.

Woohoo!

I took a victory dance.

Additionally, a shadow fist-fight.

That’s it.

Maybe I should hype myself, alert my likely clients, and exercise my bragging rights all over social media, and then, why not, do it over a cup of joe at Starbucks?

Hey, maybe I should.

But…

… My monkey brain crashed in. “Stop that hype!” it yelled. “Wait till you hit the #1 Amazon bestseller list.”

So, no shit, I felt crushed.

As always.

And, as always, I skipped calling, texting, or otherwise hyping the vibe— and, instead, watched everybody else on Medium doing better than me, leaving me behind.

But today, something happened.

My eye caught Kristina God’s line: “I hype myself and how you should, too!”

Gotta try it, I decided.

I announced I wanted to launch an online course.

And guess what?

It was immediately acknowledged by Jamie Northrup, the author of “Passion to Passive Profits eBook,” as “Awesome!”

Hey, was that a boost?

Should I hype it?

My first thought? — It’s too small.

But Kristina God says, clearly, “NO SUCCESS IS TOO SMALL.”

I better listen.

From now on, I will shout about small wins every chance I get.

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author/editor of 7 books on Amazon. Try my “Write Like a Lover!” workshop— FREE!

Also, this post may contain sales or affiliate links, so I might get a little kickback if you purchase anything. Thank you in advance!

Honestly, I never thought it’s so simple.

Neither did you, I bet!

Incredibly, Matt, who wrote ”Meeting People in Real Life” admits he should have started his book launch club sooner than he did. The idea is, the sooner the better.

Most of us are late-bloomers.

What to do?

Keep stalling, or — rush to catch up!

Inspired by Matt, I dove into old files and unearthed a few “thank you” notes I got from my creative workshop participants and retrieved their emails. Then, I hit my book reviews on Amazon.

I created a spreadsheet.

Then, I checked the results — —

Nine great writers!

Joining my Club. anyone?

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author/editor of 7 books on Amazon. Join my “Write Like a Lover!” workshop (soon) — sharing tips and tricks.

Pick up my Oolong Hangout — FREE!

Occasionally, a haiku needs a walk, too.

They call it ginko.

Or, a “joy walk.”

An old tradition prescribes heading out of the door to take a fresh look and write what you see.

So if you feel stuck, grab a notebook and start scribbling. Or, silence your mobile phone and start tapping down your thoughts, recording the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of everything around.

What can you hear?

borne on the wind
big broad oak leaves tumble toss
float drift hover hang

-- Mike Jurkovic

An impressive variety of sounds made by a dead leaf. What if you get closer?

spring wind
the ruffled hair
of a new worm

What does the sting of a ladybug feel like?

out of nowhere
sudden sting on my arm
a zigzag ladybug

-- Tejendra Sherchan

Coming back to your desk with a bunch of fresh haiku, you feel pretty upbeat.

after a late-night walk
fluffing my pillow
for the dog

-- Paul David Mena

Use all your senses. Smell the place, listen to the place, feel the things around there.

NOTE: Throughout this book, all unaccredited work is mine.

========================================

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author of 7 books on Amazon. I offer tips and tricks to create work that attracts readers and cash.

Yosa Buson successfully used the photo lens technique even though he lived two centuries ago!

Here is one by Buson:

evening breeze
water laps at the leg
of a blue heron

-- Yosa Buson

Here is the same technique applied by two modern-day haijin:

winter beach
moonlight capped
in a clam shell

-- Kirsty Karkow

a virgin stretch
an oyster nibbles
at my pinky

Notice how the Reader’s focus downgrades from a wide view, down to the general, and finally, to a tiny detail.

In the following haiku the action of the photo lens is reversed — instead of narrowing the focus, the poet chose to widen it:

A world of dew
And within every dewdrop
A world of struggle

-- Bruce Ross

Try it. It’s fun.

NOTE: Throughout this book, all unaccredited work is mine.

========================================

Hi there! My name’s Tad Wojnicki

I’m the author of 7 books on Amazon. I offer tips and tricks to create work that attracts readers and cash.