The three-line hokku is a very useful format for expressing Nature. But now and then, there are experiences that we may wish to extend slightly.
The following experience, for example, can be written in a longer or shorter form, with the difference here being only one word:
(Summer)
Morning:
Standing intently
In the sun-dappled stream —
The blue heron.
Or it could be simply:
(Summer)
Standing intently
In the sun-dappled stream —
The blue heron.
The second version is a hokku, the first is not, though both have much the same spirit. The first just adds a specific time of day, which gives the verse a further layer or tone. We can writer either way of course, depending on individual preference and which version we think best conveys the sensory experience without becoming too “wordy.”
David
