A Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that has become popular in the U.S. In English Haikus are generally three line poems that have five syllables in the first verse, seven in the second and five in the third—we generally stuck to this form although since it's poetry, we allowed for some poetic license. In January and February as we negotiated our way around what seemed like non-stop snow, members of the Writers Club, inspired by cool scenes of the winter photography of Crystal Odame and the summer hot artwork of Romare Bearden, wrote some Haikus of many sorts and there are more on the Manga wall in Teen Central.

Cold snow invites warmth

Underneath white and black trees

Past an empty benchCrystal

   Rodger

        Snow on the trees

        The fences blow in the

              wind

        Standing still all alone

              Dallas

White covers all

I hate being in this place

My life dies here

CelesteCrystal

               The red orange leaves

               Fallen, covered in white snow

               The seasons change

               Crystal

His face does not tell

He may be sad, happy or swellRomare Bearden - Tomorrow I may be far away

His stare is steady

Thandiwe

Mardi Gras begins

People dancing all around

The joyfulness spreads

CrystalRomare Bearden - Dancing at the Savoy

                                   I Fell down

                                   You were not aroundCrystal

                                   I cried

                                   Celeste