Anna Yin's Poetry Alive

Interestingly, many poets think, ah, haiku, 5/7/5, for kids, for elementary schools. Well, there are many misconceptions. I am glad that more and more people have recognized that Haiku is not just writing, it is a way of sharing, learning, respecting and living.

It is the natural and simple way to get close to Nature and to oneself and to be a part of the whole.

Lately, the founder of Ontario Poetry Society, Bunny Iskov, asked me to review a book. It took me some time to reflect on the high call from haiku.

While you read my review of George Swede’s book “Helices”, here are haiku I wrote at Lambton College’s campus on Oct 13/14 for Haiku workshops where we discussed  the essence of haiku, the totality of experiences in our daily lives and how the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

Thanksgiving haiku

cards from friends
today’s rain
in a soft melody

all day thinking of you
the numbers I dial
ring a moon river tune

feast of thanksgiving
on your fingertips
the roast turkey’s scent

midnight goodbye
thank-you message
so much unsaid

And read my List Poem for fun: Thank You!

More about the Haiku workshops and projects.

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A short summary of the event by  Paula Nevins on Sept 22 

St. Joan of Arc’s grade 12 English students were treated to a morning of poetry on September 15, 2016. The morning began with a Poetry Alive workshop with Mississauga’s First Poet Laureate, Anna Yin. Students learned about Anna’s winding path to becoming a poet and also got to flex their own poetic muscles with a bit of their own writing. Next, Ms. Yin was joined by two more poet laureates: Marty Gervais of Waterloo, and John B. Lee of Brantford and Norfolk County. The three poets amused and entertained students with personal stories of how their poems came into existence, and reading samplings of their published poems. The session was capped off by the three poets engaging in a “theme battle” wherein students got to pick a theme and the poets each got to respond with a resonant poem from their “arsenal.” Students were left with a memorable impression of the vivid presence of inspiration and poetry all around them, as long as they have the eyes with which to see it and the tools to capture the essence in words.

Paula Nevins
St. Joan of Arc C.S.S.
Department Head of English, ESL & Library