The Time of Strangeness Haiku – Pandemic Inspired to Keep Someone Sane

In 2020, as the isolation of the worldwide pandemic spread, I explored ways to fill the empty space in my life by creating something positive that might also enrich the lives of others. Over the years, I've enjoyed sharing my photographs from all seven continents with friends, perhaps sometimes to their chagrin! Photography, and the simple structure of traditional Japanese Haiku, sparked my Pandemic Haiku flame; I attempted writing one, then continued to feed the fire and a new passion was born. During the "Time of Strangeness," I posted over 100 Haiku with my photographs on social media, where the positive comments encouraged me to continue.

My fascination with the simple 5-7-5 syllabic structure of Haiku developed while teaching young children to read, most of whom enjoyed the puzzle-solving search for meaningful words with the correct number of syllables. Haiku usually contain a surprising twist in the third line; one that particularly intrigued the children was about a flying kite that when it fell to the ground was found to have no soul. I strived to include the unexpected in the third line of my Haiku.