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
HOKKU 