I can write; haiku?

nodding pansies pose
brightly dressed with smiling faces-
summer wind smacks cheeks


Haiku

English-language haiku consist of "three content categories":

• Nature haiku / Human haiku (senryu) / Human plus nature haiku (hybrids).
  

(see: E. St Jacques for more examples)

in construction:

• three lines with 17 or fewer "on" (not syllables) in total.
• tend to be about nature
• include a kigo, or season word
• serious
• written in the present tense
• relates a moment of discovery/surprise (the "aha!" moment):
• includes a kireji (cutting word*)

*Kireji (切れ字, cutting word) is the term for words used in Japanese traditional poetry. It is regarded as a requirement in traditional haiku.

I have been introduced to another haiku family:

Human Haiku or Senryū

A Japanese form of short poetry with the same structure as haiku.

• include only references to some aspect of human nature (physical or psychological)
  
• or to human artifacts
• possesses no references to the natural world
• has no season words
• subject: foibles
• darkly humorous
• often cynical
  

Senryū Karai (柄井川柳, 1718-1790) (see Haiku)
A typical example from the collection:

泥棒を dorobō wo

捕えてみれば toraete mireba

我が子なり wagako nari

The robber,

when I catch,

my own son

Is that not fantastic? I enjoy the discussion regarding how this Japanese tradition can be translated into English. I doubt it can - but it, like language, can evolve and encourage us to play with words and images. It is cognitive gymnastics in a pure, abstract, intellectual form.

• Simply Haiku journal has a regular senryū column edited by Alan Pizzarelli.
• World Haiku Review has also regularly published senryū.

Also, check out PoetryDances for some examples.