Haiku to you!

Happy New Year, all!

I feel like I slid at top speed into 2013 and buzzed by several bases, so here we are into the second week of January already.

I swear, it wasn't procrastination....

Here's the obligatory question: New Year's Resolutions, anyone? For myself, I have only a couple, one of which has something to do about not being late... how am I doing with that? LOL!

Anyway, here's a resolution I am much more excited about: haiku!

This little verse form takes many shapes, but a common English form is 17 syllables in three lines of five, seven, five. Wikipedia has a great discussion of haiku:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_in_English

I'm challenging myself to write one a day - impossible, you say? Probably, but it's good to have a goal.

The value of this challenge is that I'll be writing, or trying to write, something every day. And because the best haiku is concise, meaningful and rhythmic, emphasizing sound and visual imagery, it will push me to be imaginative and efficient in my writing.  I can't think of a better exercise to push my writing forward.

I admit to an ulterior motive: I will be illustrating each haiku in a small nature journal. So this exercise will also require me to draw a little something each day. Great multi-tasking!

So, I challenge each of you to haiku (drawing optional)! Here's one to start us off, inspired by holiday memories and faded bouquets:

Not all remainders,

Detritus of revelry,

Are bones left on plates