Alice’s haiku box

 Today’s blogging prompt continues the idea of me introducing myself to you with the question, “How did I get started in my niche?” Well, actually, I don’t really know. It just sort of happened over time. 

Years ago, when I was just getting started in my flip floppy (mostly floppy) journalism career, I realized that I had to figure out some way to save on buying gifts. My floppy journalism career was not going to provide me with the income to buy special gifts for people. So what was I going to do about that? Well, I could make the gifts. 

Hmmm. I started crocheting like a fiend. And then I learned how to sew and to do embroidery. And I drew and I painted. At first, my gifts were of the kind that you could describe as “well, it’s the thought that counts.” But, over the years, I actually started to improve at my crafts. People got excited about the gifts, which made me feel good. When I got into blogging, I realized that I could share my creations with more people and I could talk about how I made the creations. Which made me feel happy. To me, it felt like another way to give a gift. 

So, today’s project is a haiku box. I had a plain wooden box that I wanted to decorate, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I started by painting it white, to make it easier to draw on. And then, I drew and painted. 

As I was designing my box, I thought about how we are always told to “think outside the box.” That’s actually hard to do because, without the box, we have no structure and, without structure, it’s hard to organize thoughts.

Then I thought, how about if I create my own box? Instead of trying to think inside someone else’s box or get lost trying to think outside of the box, I could think inside of my box.

I could think in seventeen syllables. I could say whatever I like but the ideas, my impressions, my stories have to fit the framework of seventeen syllables. I realized that, yes, I can do that. I’m going to write haikus on pieces of paper and place that paper inside the box. So that’s how Alice’s haiku box came about.

Alice’s Haiku box is for my haikus and yours, too. Here is a start, special for today (Groundhog Day): 

Bitter cold weather

snow clings to naked tree branches

happy groundhog day

If you share a haiku in the comments section, I will write it on a piece of paper and place it in the box.

I really like the idea of sharing Alice’s Haiku Box. There’s plenty of space for haikus. And when it’s filled, I’m going to think of something fun to do with them! Sooooo… do share!