Haikus, to me, are perfect examples of what poetry is all about: brief, imagistic, electric language. I'm a connoisseur of haikus really, and as such I have TONS of haikus written by the Old Masters laying around that I've decided I'm going to start sharing with the wonderful Steemit community on a regular basis.

Time to spread the love, because these haiku masters are worth it. They are some of the finest craftsmen/artists human civilization has ever produced. We absolutely should honor them and respect their wisdom today!

First, here's a brief refresher for anyone that's interested. Haikus are EXTREMELY brief poetic forms first created in ancient Japan. In modern English, their structure typically takes on a 5-7-5 form, so 5 syllables in the 1st line, 7 in the 2nd, and 5 in the final line, like so:

1-2-3-4-5
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
1-2-3-4-5

Of course, you have to remember that in translating ancient some Japanese pieces to English, this English formatting style may not be possible in a strict sense. Some translated pieces might have a 1-5-4 syllable-line structure, for example.

Also, all classic haikus will have a "Kigo" in it, or "Seasonal word." This is basically any word that reveals what season that particular haiku is describing; thus, for example, in a haiku about summer, the "Kigo" could be a cicada, because cicadas are summer bugs.

So, with that little introduction done, let's now check out 5 masterpieces from the old Japanese masters!

1) Poet: Nishiyama Soin (1605-1682)

"yo no naka ya / chōchō tomo are / kaku mo are"

life
is like a butterfly
whatever it is

2) Poet: Nishiyama Soin (1605-1682)

"tai wa hana / wa minu sato mo ari / kyō no tsuki"

villages may lack
sea bream or flowers
but they all have tonight's moon

3) Poet: Ogawa Shushiki (1669-1725)

"mishi yume no / samete mo iro no / kakitsubata"

even after waking
from the dream
i'll see the colors of irises

4) Poet: Arakida Moritake (1472-1549)

"rakka eda ni / kaeru to mireba / kochō kana"

a fallen blossom
returning to the bough, I thought--
but no, a butterfly

5) Poet: Matsunaga Teitoku (1571-1653)

"mina hito no / hirune no tane ya / natsu no tsuki"

for all alike
the causes of noontime napping
is the summer moon

Thanks for reading guys! Ever tried writing a haiku before? Post one in the comments below! I'll be back with more great haikus soon, keep checking in and make sure to follow me!

-WMP