Haiku is:

1. Intuitive response to the Natural world.

2. Expanded awareness of our One-ness with Nature.

3. Simplicity without strivings or antagonisms.

4. An expansion from the specific to the general, or, a contraction from the general to the specific.

5. Sees us in our endless becomings. In Nature, nothing is static. Samsara.

6. A moment of increased awareness. Intuitive in regard to our Oneness-in-Nature.

7. Simplicity - simply stated.

8. Takes all things religiously (not denominationally). Not religiously philosophical.

9. Avoids grimness, violence - being essentially life enhancing.

10. Refinement of language, avoids the vulgar and the shocking (for the sake of shocking).

11. A nudge of enlightenment.

12. Intuition.

13. Poetry of the enlightened spirit.

14. Deals with the Naturalness of Man.

15. Eternity in a moment.

16. Deals with Nature's purity As NATURE.

17. Sincerity in all things. Helps us to transcend through our alikeness with ALL Nature.

18. Can contain implications of humor, contradictions and paradoxes.

19. Shows us "ideally" our One-ness with ALL.

20. The whole Truth, honed to purity. A flash of insight unresolved by intellectual comment. NATURAL.

----------------------------------------------------------


Senryū is:

1. Intuitive response to our humanness in Nature.

2. Expanded awareness of our humanness in Nature.

3. Simplicity of our strivings and antagonisms.

4. Sums us up. (Specifically and/or generally.)

5. Static, in that it Sums-up as an intellectual response, rising from intuition.

6. A moment of increased awareness. Intuitive in regard to our foibles as Humans.

7. A simple complication - simply stated.

8. Takes things irreligiously - and can include religious denominations and beliefs.

9. Neither embraces nor ignores violence. We are as we are.

10. Often Vulgar and full of common language usage. Not vulgar for the sake of vulgarity.

11. A poke in the ribs (Adam's rib).

12. Wit and humor.

13. Poetry of the common people and their doings.

14. Deals with Man's imperfections. Quirks, etc.

15. A moment in Eternity.

16. Deals with Man's paradoxical Human Nature.

17. Helps us keep sane through our human alikeness comically revealed. Helps us laugh at ourselves.

18. Should contain contradictions, paradoxes, humor and wit.

19. Shows us the opposition of our intentions, our actions.

20. The "Whole Truth" unvarnished, rough, in a flash of insight. HUMAN.


(DRAGONFLY: A QUARTERLY OF HAIKU - July `76, Vol. 4, no. 3)