HAIBUN

Petra Hadžidaova
20 hours ago
2 min read

(1)

INTRODUCTION

Walking amid the blooming plum, sakura, and peach trees can cause some verses to be released. Travelers have been known to assemble a haiku or two and combine it with their writings. And so a new style came to be - haibun poetry.

HAIBUN (HAIKAI WRITINGS)

A haibun, otherwise known as haikai writings, is a section of prose, often describing a scene or telling a story, followed or interspersed with one or more haiku. As already mentioned, it is quite popular with travelers and often takes the form of a travelogue. It can also come in the shape of an autobiography or a short narrative sketch.

CHARACTERISTICS OF HAIBUN

The prose is typically concise and objective. The haiku, on the other hand, provides an emotional or sensory “turn” that deepens the prose. In other words, they do not merely sum up the already provided information but bring a new perspective or a shift. Subjects such as travel and nature are natural for a haibun. (2)

COLLECTIONS

Here is a list of some Haibun collections:

Landmarks: A Haibun Collection by Ray Rasmussen: 64 haibun covering nature, aging, and memory.
Scratches on the Moon by Alexis Rotella: A collection known for candid, personal narratives
Insomnia: A Middle-of-the-Night Haibun Collection by Lauren Bartleson: A collection focused on mental health and personal experience.
The Trouble with Mona Lisa by Peter Butler.
A Haiku, Haiga and Haibun Collection by William Zote (3)

LOCKED IN

There I am, sitting at the kitchen table, looking down at my plate with excitement. After a long day, a hearty dinner tastes like heaven to my buds. As I dig, my mind begins to wander. Some days I am reminiscing about the distant past, on others the events from earlier in the day, yet on certain occasions I let my mind run wild with imagination. As my mind is being pulled to God knows where, a presence on my right rips me from my trip down the rabbit hole. Looking to the right and down, my gaze locks up with a pair of deep brown eyes. A staring contest begins, as my mind is slowly beginning to catch up with the situation. After 2 minutes or so, I snap out of the staring gaze with a realization that he wants a treat, of course. And there goes another win into his little corner.

Lovingly, I share,

By loving you, I win too,

The answer is love.

CONCLUSION

Haibun, also known as haikai writings, is a Japanese poetry style combining prose with haiku. Normally, a section of prose, often describing a scene or telling a story, is followed or interspersed with one or more haiku. The prose is typically concise and objective. The haiku, on the other hand, provides an emotional or sensory “turn” that deepens the prose.