Compassion

A haiku poem — prompt ‘compassion’

Illustration by Cynthia Marinakos.

Step outside yourself
Feel another’s suffering
Practice compassion

About haiku
A haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. It’s made up of 3 unrhymed lines with 17 syllables, 5–7–5.

Haiku is my secret to avoiding writer’s block. Also it’s a fun challenge — it forces us to be creative and concise to convey the essence of a specific moment in only a few words. This efficiency with words can help us share messages more powerfully in other types of writing.

Common themes written in haiku are nature and human nature, though other themes can also be explored.