About “Paris Haiku”

Paris is poetry.  Paris is a poem.  I’m probably not the first person to write these sentiments.  But, I might be the first to write: “Paris is a haiku!”  Around every cobbled corner is an “Aha!” moment waiting to be captured. Open your “haiku eyes” (*) and come along with me on a journey through Paris and French culture, in haiku. There will be new haiku posts every few weeks.  At times, there might be mini-lessons on how to improve our haiku, and reviews of haiku books, too.  We may also learn about senryu, haibun, and haiga on the way.  Follow me here; and don’t forget to “Like” my “Paris Haiku” Facebook page, too!

Becoming a Haiku Poet

I love haiku.  You love haiku, too.  That’s why you’re reading this.  We’ve loved haiku since we learned about this form of “micro-poetry” from an English teacher eager to introduce us to poetry.  It was seventh grade for me, in Minnesota, in the 70’s.

I’ve written many haiku through the years, but never saved any. They always seemed as ephemeral as the fleeting moments they captured. Then the moment was gone and the little poem that marked it was discarded with the napkin or envelope it was written on.  Life was very busy.

I have more time now.  I am returning to this tiny poetry form to see if I can develop as a haiku poet in a sustained way.  My “Books & Journals” page lists the haiku books in my library that I’ve collected to help me learn more and improve, and has a link to a haiku journals resource page, too.  I’ve had a few haiku published recently, so I think I’m on the right track!

My haiku reflect where I live, work, and play on the planet, of course, which happens to be near Paris, France, for now (since 2000).  I will attempt to capture my first-hand impressions of this fair (and sometimes frustrating) city and land in this blog.

Some haiku will be more successful than others, but I promise all will be inspired from sincere “aha!” moments and actual experiences I’ve had over the years exploring France and the City of Light & Delight.  Some haiku will be immediate responses to something that happened today.  Others will be “distilled essences” that reflect more than a decade of layered or built-up, real-life experiences.

Whether you are a first-time visitor to Paris, a life-long “Francophile,” or a long-term expatriate, like me, I hope you’ll find something here that speaks to your own experiences.

Come along on a haiku journey through Paris!

(*) With a nod of thanks to Patricia Donegan and her book, “Haiku: Asian Arts & Crafts for Creative Kids” (Tuttle Publishing, 2003), page 5.

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Copyright note:  “All the haiku and photos are copyrighted works and, unless otherwise attributed, the property of Anna Eklund-Cheong (haiku) or Eric Hian-Cheong (photos), and may not be used or reproduced in any form without written permission from the author or photographer, respectively.”

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Contact:  To contact the author, send an email to:  parishaiku@gmail.com  

See more Paris photos by the photographer here:   http://www.erichcphoto.com/portfolio/paris

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About the Author

Anna Eklund-Cheong, an American expatriate living in France since 2000, blogs on Paris culture and leads tours through the city for local clubs and organizations on 18^th century beginnings of the long Franco-American friendship.  She enjoys volunteering, travel, reading, writing, editing, blogging, leading tours, and strolling along the Seine with her family.  She has a BA in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Minnesota, and a TEFL certificate.  Her haiku have been published in “The Heron’s Nest,” “Acorn,” the “Paris Panorama” newsletter, and “Romantic Paris Magazine.”  (See more details on the “Publications” page.)