May 18, 2015Three HaikuRichard J. Fleming

“I was introduced to haiku when I studied Zen Literature under Lucien Stryk at Northern Illinois University. Over the years, my admiration never wavered for the ability of masters, such as Bashō, Buson, and Issa, to say so much in so few words. However, I never attempted to write any haiku. That changed recently, when a random phrase inspired an examination of various interpretations of ‘Western’ haiku. There ensued an intense six-month period in which I endeavored to write, whether sacred or profane, a haiku every day. It wasn’t easy. There were very few survivors.”