Anne Hart writes about books and niche news.

Expressive writing can become a novel or play

One way to relax when you're elderly or at any age is by listening to, writing, or illustrating Haiku poetry. Writing Haiku is one good way to de-stress and relax as a healthy trend. Like nature poems? Let's call it Psyche-U-Haiku, where you write in 5 - 7 - 5 = 17 syllables and in 3 - 5 - 3 = 11 syllables:

This sample Haiku page is called "Magical Thinking." Many decades ago, I dared earn a master's degree in writing fiction and poetry, including a thick book of poems for a master's thesis. It helped me obtain more flexibility in professional writing for the media and communication exercises in keeping the rhythm and syllables in order.

You also may wish to check out another author's site, "Writing haiku does more than improve writing."

Writing Haiku felt as if it were an act of juggling, keeping the objects in the air. But instead of creating the tension of juggling, the release of words flowed with ambient background music that glided at fewer than 60 beats a minute, a relaxing mode. Writing Haiku became more like photography of the imagination and imagery of nature for the eyes--one carpet or canvas of nature in its primal forms, like visualizing a rollaway moon. Take a look at the site, "How to write a haiku poem."

Writing visually in measured syllables for rhythm and imagery

As a way to coax the right hemisphere of the brain to use words usually coming from the left hemisphere as in journalistic writing for the mainstream media, writing poetry, even dialogue in Haiku seems to be conducive to want to set it to music or stepping as in Tai-Chi stepping or gliding with the instrumental music in the background. See the sites, "What is Haiku Therapy," "What is Haiku Therapy," and " Haiku Therapy."

For practice, you may want to write some Haiku to "loosen up" your word fluency as you write visually, as if in pictures. It's therapeutic for some people because if the flow or visual words becomes like applying paint to canvas, where words flow like photos of flowers, trees, and all the creatures of nature in the forests.

Here is my psyche-u-Haiku

The first six Haiku poems are in the rhythm of 5-7-5 syllables, totaling 17 syllables per poem. The second set of six Haiku poems are in the rhythm of 3-5-3 syllables, totaling 11 syllables.

If you'd like to sing my Haiku poems to your original music. Feel free to compose. Of course, these poems are copyright by me, Anne Hart. But you're welcome to at no cost to me set these lyrics to your own music and play it anywhere, as long as you acknowledge credit for these lyrics to me, Anne Hart.

Then again, if you don't compose or play music, or translate lyrics, enjoy reading the poems. Music is a healing tool as is rhythm, and the creation of these Haiku poems is a form of meditation, at least for me as an author. On the other hand, it makes use of my master's degree in creative writing emphasizing poetry, plays, and fiction, that I finally have made use of after all these long decades. At last, a therapeutic, healing application of creative writing here...so enjoy as ambient music plays in the background.

Haiku poems copyright by Anne Hart

Psyche-Haiku In 5 - 7 - 5 = 17 syllables

Magical Thinking

1. I will choose someone
Who will not be there for me…
Reasons of the past.

2. Give me connection.
Not until you get a break--
Our confirmation.

3. Magical thinking
I am as I am treated--
Strategies arise.

4. Work will become stuck.
I shall not be reassured--
Malnourished body.

5. The will may be strong.
An expression of the self--
Redeem the other.

6. Odiferous goals.
Distress of disconnection--
Search reassurance.

Haiku In 3 - 5 - 3 = 11 syllables

Tapestries on the Walls of Banks

1.Tapestries
I wove with bamboo
Wilt in banks.

2. Sob-shocked drums
Blazing artisans
Belly dance.

3. Dog lifts pup
Gnawed from newborn's cord
Web of blood.

4. Chocolate
Joy but waits its turn,
Bittersweet.

5. The sage grows
A gray skin of stones,
Forgiveness.

6. Rainforest,
Shy sneaker's trance dance
Boomerangs.