I was recently the giddy recipient of a fun little book of haikus. It came in this fabulous bag, which is gift-worthy in itself. But who knew the hip, young company that sells eyeglasses would also have created the delightful collection of haikus that brought such warmth to me on a cold winter morning?
(Many thanks to my friend, Dr. Dave Johnson, for knowing how much I’d love the book AND the bag!)
The first thing I read was the introduction to the book, which says, in part:
"A haiku is the perfect literary vehicle for bite-sized observations and contemplations. Limited to 17 syllables, there isn’t much room for tiptoeing around your idea - it begins and ends in three concise lines.
We’ve been writing haikus for a while now at Warby Parker. They’re inscribed on the walls of our headquarters, slipped into emails, and peppered into daily correspondence."
I mean, how perfect is that, that a company that helps you see better publishes a book of haikus?
The single most important reason to write a haiku is that they help you see!
From the profound to the ridiculous, bringing what you see to life in such a simple way is an act of taming the chaos. It quiets your mind, makes you laugh at yourself and the world, enriches a lovely moment, helps you express a confounding one, and so much more.
Haikus range from the highbrow to the inane, which is what I love about them.
Here’s a silly one from the book:
do winky faces
count as real syllables?
guess we’ll never know ;)
And here’s a lofty one, from a project I did for a high-end investment manager that understands timing like nobody’s business:
black ink white paper
pregnant calligraphy brush
the master says when
And for those moments when sarcasm is called for:
tight ends with tight buns
quarterbacks with cute behinds
butt really, who cares
And when you’re feeling existential and deep:
the hands on the clock
wave at us as time goes by
slipping through our fingers
There is no thought, mood or image that isn’t made better by capturing it in a haiku.
• It brings you into the moment.
• It inspires gratitude.
• It makes you laugh as often as it stops you in your tracks.
• It helps you find words when your thoughts are jumbled.
• It transforms your feelings.
• It nurtures your curiosity about the world and your place in it.
• It invites you to SEE.
Maybe you should get yourself a copy of Warby Parker’s book, “Baby Pigeons: a collection of haikus.”
You can order it right here:
and/or
Maybe you should spend a few weeks writing your own haikus with prompts, guidance, and lots of gleeful praise from yours truly.
You can sign up right here:
a haiku a day
will keep the doctor away
apples are good, too