Way back in 2015, during my commute to the bookstore, I normally listened to music or audiobooks. But for about a week I crafted haikus out loud. It was a painful but worthwhile creative exercise.
Prior to this, my only experience in writing poems was in rearranging Magnetic Poetry tiles when it became a popular gift in the '90s. But I had read many haikus and death poems, and I knew the basics. The form originated in Japanese literature in the 17th century, and over time, the structural rules solidified into what we know today -- three lines with syllables of five/seven/five.
The best haikus, in my amateurish opinion, paint vivid imagery while ending with a surprising truth. Most of my shoddy haikus, composed while driving, were mercifully forgotten by the time I got home, but I managed to write one of them down. It's not terrible.
Cemetery crows
Perched on cold granite tombstones
Heralds of the dead
Maybe as a goal for the new year, I'll try this exercise again - while exercising! If I manage to create anything decent, I'll share it.
What are your goals for 2022?