Today is officially National Haiku Poetry Day–with haiku readings taking place all across the country. Unfortunately, there are no special events scheduled for my part of the country, so I’m throwing my own party here with Danish haiku poet Annie Juhl. Annie, an avid kayaker, brings a unique perspective to the world of haiku–not the least of which because of her ability to write stunning haiku in English (as well as in her native tongue). Although not widely published (why not?!), Annie is a regular participant on Michael Dylan Welch’s NaHaiWriMo (National Haiku Writing Month) Facebook page, where her responses to daily haiku prompts are fresh, imaginative and thought-provoking. Here’s what she has to say about her love affair with haiku, as well as some examples of her poetry in English and Danish:
“I started my haiku journey in 2010. I first heard about haiku on a radio program featuring a European parliament member who wrote it. After I Googled haiku, I was hooked. I thought that writing it would be a piece of cake, but I soon learned that was not the case. I joined different groups on Facebook, and, since haiku is not very big in Denmark, I had to learn to write them in English. I have been posting daily on NaHaiWriMo since February 2011, and have learned a lot there. In January 2012, I started a blog called Water Dragon where I post my daily haiku.”
–Annie Juhl
soaring skylark højtflyvende lærke
if only I could paint hvis bare jeg kunne male
your song din sang
bridge queue– bro kø ~
every single second hvert eneste sekund
of the sunset af solnedgangen
shorter steps kortere skridt
the grey-bearded labrador den gårskægede labrador
and his man og han mand
my hand min hånd
the way it disappears måden hvorpå den forsvinder
in yours i din
from Ecuador fra Ecuador
to my coffee grinder til min kaffekværn
how many hands hvor mange hænder
[Sponsored by Couplets–the brainchild of Joanne Merriam of Upper Rubber Boot Books–this exchange is just one of many going on during this month-long celebration.]
Haiku-doodle 
Thank you Margaret 😉
You’re most welcome, Annie!
As in each post at NaHaiWriMo but especially here in a page all your own, I’m saying ‘WOW’ to each haiku you’ve chosen to showcase. I love how you craft your lines. I love the worlds they open up for me, lines so powerful that I find myself in them in an instant: vivid and textured. Thank you, Annie, for sharing your poetry, your wonderful voice! Thank you for adding another dimension to my own world.
And, mi hermana, thank you for picking such marvelous poets for this showcase!!! What a collection to keep! It’s really been such an honor for me to be included among them.
Thank you, my friend.
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