Mama Haiku
We don’t tend to have all that much spare time as mothers, so what better poetry genre to portray our lives than haiku? Capturing the moments in our lives that are funny, poignant, reflective and occasionally outrageous, the new genre of mama haikus somehow manages to convey the heart of our experience in seventeen short syllables.
Many mama blogs include examples of haikus that capture the beauty and challenges of parenting and motherhood. A few years ago for a Mothers Day celebration we invited guests to write an impromptu haiku on motherhood. Recently in celebration of my 40th birthday friends near and far were invited to share a haiku.
Fluttering in the breeze, hung on the branches of an apple tree were 87 haikus, each capturing a different part of who I am in this world and how they experience me. What an innovative and loving gift, one that I will cherish for years to come.
We at Mama Renew challenge each of you to write a haiku – for a friend, for yourself, for your child. Not the poetry type? Perfect, seventeen short syllables are all you need.
Need inspiration? Check out some of these haiku inspired by motherhood:
Great interview with Kari Roy, Author of Haiku Mama
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Moonlight paints small brown shoulders
breast milk lullaby:
warm ocean of sleep
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For my baby and myself:
little hands kneading
legs kicking as he nurses
we wrestle the night
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If you’re willing to accept any from a haiku daddy, how ’bout:
Teething Haiku
Saliva cascades
Ears ache; cheeks—both kinds—turn red
Like they did last month
Fever soaks the sheets
Ready to dial the doctor
Wait, he’s just teething
Gums give a warning
Molars party all night long
You make noise complaint
Toothy smile at last
Your first set almost complete
Then they all fall out
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I’d like to add number 88 for you, Sarah:
fit, fab, and forty
beautiful kids and hubby
blessings all around
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Babe asleep on breast
Sometimes it feels like a test
Go clean or nurture child
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