If you have found this page on my website then you might well know all about the format and the history of the Haiku already, and most certainly, this introduction only needs to be brief, because the main purpose of this page is to provide a calm space.

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The English form of Japanese Haiku, although adhering to the rule of not exceeding seventeen syllables, is more relaxed in its format of how those syllables are used and where. In some cases, not all seventeen syllables are used for the poem, and it contains less.

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The complexity of the English language allows for different translations, and the English language is also able to convey a certain meaning with fewer words, or syllables than other languages do, making it very suitable for the Haiku form of poetry.

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Haiku poetry has long had a tradition of encouraging profound thought, and sudden realisation, which can be very profound or allow emotion to be expressed more freely. The joy of composing Haiku poetry is to train your thoughts to be economic with words. It is like a puzzle to be worked out, but one that has aesthetic appeal in my case, as I use my photography to convey the meaning of the poem in tandem with the written poem itself.

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More often than not, the words will come to me as I gaze upon that image, as well as remembering the experience of taking that image at the time. I hope you enjoy the poems below, where the Haiku is inspired by encountering experiences of religious faith, but not exclusively. Enlightenment can come at any given time or in any place.