I love reading Haikus. They are short impactful poems that not only bring a visual to my mind but also make me feel relaxed. One stressful afternoon, I practiced some self-care by reading Cendrine Marrouat’s Walks: A Collection of Haiku. I read three volumes and they transported me to a peaceful place. In this post, I bring you a Haiku from each of the volumes along with the image it provoked. Not too many words for you to read so just enjoy. 🙂 Check out the synopsis of the collection first!
Haiku are unrhymed poems consisting of about 17 syllables spread over three lines. This poetry form started in Japan and has been very popular in many countries around the world for decades.
Haiku force you to be concise. They teach you impactfulness. As such, they are the embodiment of the “Show don’t tell” technique. A technique that allows readers to experience stories in a more personal and meaningful manner.
Walks: A Collection of Haiku is not just a celebration of Cendrine Marrouat’s love for haiku. It is also an invitation to enjoy the flitting moments that make life beautiful…
Themes in Walks
On Memories
Walks reminded me of memories through many of the Haikus. They all represent a memory, in the sense that they can be lived, but sometimes, they also take us back in the archives in our minds to times past.
The fog has rolled in
details of branches melt
for a split second.
On Love for Books
Books hold memories in their unique way. Not just memories of the story itself but also the memory of reading it, anything that while that book was on the currently-reading shelf. Notice that even in books, we are still talking about memories.
Musty pages,
missing cover; a feeling
of deja vu.
On Choices
This last Haiku meant something to me that I can’t put into words.
Roads less travelled
still come to an end
for the wind.
Overall, I loved this volume and it has encouraged me to read more Haikus. In my everyday life, living in the city, I don’t often think about nature and my walks don’t take me very far from home. Walks though allowed me to visit nature in a unique manner that I had not experienced before.
** Walks: A Collection of Haikus (Volumes 1-3) are now out in stores so get a copy and let me know if they have a similar soothing effect on you! **
Amazon Kindle
Many thanks to Cendrine for the complimentary copies of these volumes. 🙂
Cover image: Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash
Photo of fog by Artur Rutkowski on Unsplash
Photo of old book by Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash
Photo of leaves covering a railway track by Temo Morales on Unsplash
Thank you for the feature, Kriti!