On the Trail With Dayle: Trail Haikus for Me and You

"Wild paths shared with friends
Footsteps echo through tall pines.
Peacefulness abides." - Jeanne R. (friend from Maine noted below)

I have not been a consistent haiku enthusiast, which is to say haikus have come into and out of my poetic consciousness at various points over the past six decades. Most recently, I became re-acquainted with the connection between haikus and trails during a July visit to Glacier National Park. Walking the shaded boardwalk at Trail of Cedars with friends from Maine, we came upon three weathered signs with nature haikus like this one.  

“Sounds of the forest
Flickers sing, water babbles.
Forest calls me in.” Glacier National Park, Trail of Cedars  

This trail experience stuck with me, and I have been digging deeper into haikus over the past three months—reading haikus, doing some online haiku research, and most recently writing haikus while preparing this column. I have also asked friends, family, and the wider GVLT community to share haikus with me. The result has been both surprising and satisfying—while continuously reinforcing the connections between poetry, trails, and open lands. Consider this lovely example shared by the spouse of a GVLT employee.

“Hiking with toddlers
Slow down, breathe, smell the flowers.
Carry them back home.” - Kayte K.

In the process, I learned about a new-to-me Gallatin Valley organization, the Gallatin Nature Society. Christy Howard, the society’s Curiosity Cultivator (great title!), submitted a couple of haikus along with the idea that GVLT might be interested in a collaboration. She suggests Hike Haikus, where, during a nature walk, folks could stop every now and then to write a poem. I am all in for that kind of hike!

“Autumn equinox
Changing of the color guard.
Nature’s own reset.” - Christy H.

So, what is a haiku? The Haiku Foundation defines the contemporary form as "... a three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. In the Japanese tradition, however, there is more to haiku than the five-seven-five sound pattern. Traditional Japanese haiku include a 'season word,' and they often try to convey a connection between Nature and human nature. They typically use simple language and present images with little or no commentary." There is no right or wrong way to format the seventeen syllables of a haiku. The written format can vary with the language of the author, how traditional the setting is, and personal grammatical preferences. I have chosen one common contemporary format and standardized all the haikus in this article to follow that.

“A forecast of rain
Chit chat centers on weather.
Change is in the air.” - K.H. (my sister) 

As part of my haiku exploration, I have been reading A Haiku Journey: Basho’s Narrow Road to a Far Province (translated by Dorothy Britton). I found it on my father’s bookshelf as we cleaned out his home. This passage spoke to me poignantly, especially because my father loved words—and passed this love to all his children. “A haiku makes demands. So much is left unsaid that its three brief lines need more than a casual reading. One should try to immerse oneself in the poem and let the images propel one’s thoughts to deeper meanings.” My brother shared these images from our summer hike in the Beartooth Mountains (which had also inspired my recent GVLT newsletter column Where have all the wildflowers gone?).  

“Castilleja paints
The summer Beartooths rusty.
Making seeds for fall.” - P.H. (my brother)

I’ve been pondering why haikus are touching me so profoundly now. Mostly, I find them quite soothing amid the distressing news from across the globe. They are also a calming antidote for the chaotic onslaught of social media messages. The haikus sent to me by friends and family offer small seeds of sanity, images that propel my thoughts toward greater serenity. Every time I stop to write a haiku (in my paper journal with an actual pen), I find more joy in the world and in memories from more tranquil times.

“Fall sunset magic
Surrounded by ranges and peaks.
Peace out on Peets Hill.” - Dayle H.

Would you like to share a haiku with GVLT? You can send one (or more) by email to Katie Sproles at katies@gvlt.org and/or to me at DayleHayesMT@gmail.com. I’d love to hear how you connect with our trails and open spaces. I always welcome your thoughts on topics for future columns.

“Ski, bike, run, or walk
Bring your pup and pick up poop.
We drink that water.” Serena and Katie (for Sourdough Canyon)