Tag Archives: Tabios

Vividly short poetry, like haiku only very different… 1 word, 2 words, 3 words
and visa versa.
Creating imagery or conclusions with only six words in all…
History.
• Invented by poet Eileen Tabios, who is also publisher, Meritage Press.
• Officially inaugurated on the Web on June 12th, 2003 (Philippine Independence Day).
• The form spread through the Web to poets all over the world.
• Eileen Tabios initially called the form “the Pinoy Haiku”.
• Vince Gotera proposed the name “hay(na)ku”, and this name has stuck. This corresponds to a Tagalog phrase that means roughly “Oh!” or (in Spanish) “Madre mía”.
• The last syllable is pronounced “ai” (silent aitch, like Cockneys would say it).
Variations:
○ In the ‘reverse’ haynaku, the longest line is placed first and the shortest last. The total is still 6 words: 3 in the first line, 2 in the second line, and 1 in the third line.
○ Multiple hay(na)ku can be chained to form a longer poem.
Example Poem
Haynaku # 1
Understanding
does not
solve the problem.
Taking thoughtful action
most usually
does.
© Lawrencealot – May 21, 2012