Health Haiku/Tanka

Today is day 6 of the WEGO Health ~ The Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge 2012. I will be writing a post everyday this month and each will in some way focus on what life is like with fibromyalgia (as well as other health issues including migraines, hypothyroidism, and polycystic ovarian syndrome).

Let’s switch up the writing style a bit for today’s posts! As you probably know, a haiku is a “miniature Japanese poem consisting of 17 syllables – five syllables in first line, seven in second, and five in the last. No rhyme or meter scheme is employed when writing haiku. The aim of the haiku is to create something greater than the sum of the parts.” Traditionally, haiku poems were written about nature and aim to capture the essence of the aspect of nature that is being described.

So let’s go with this but, of course, make it about our health focus (or condition). Our bodies are natural, complex, and difficult to explain. But they are also fascinating, intricate, and beautiful. Our health (or the health of the loved one we write about) is just as delicate. We are fragile but we are also strong. Think of today’s prompt as a quick meditation.

If you’re feel ambitious: Make your haiku into a tanka. A tanka is a haiku (5-7-5) with two extra lines (7-7). The last two lines, called the shimo-no-ku, can be used to wrap up your poem a bit more succinctly.

so very tired
life cannot be normal now
fibro changes things
i find myself so angry
no spoons left in my drawer now