Diving for Pearls Column
June 2019
by Ingrid Bruck
The Wonder Code: three baskets of fresh produce....haiku fit in-between
I spent a day canning on my kitchen. In down-time between tasks, I read Scott Mason’s book, The Wonder Code: Discover the Way of Haiku. The book provides a new path to understanding haiku. It was deceptively simple to read, best taken in short bits because I often wanted time to stop and ponder before I read more.
The book consists of five essays on the essential ingredients of haiku: 1- Think Small, 2- Come To Your Senses, 3-Feel the Moment, 4- Prepare For Surprise and 5- Only Connect. Each essential haiku ingredient is exemplified by a selection of haiku that demonstrate the principal (EX: small/senses/now-ness/ surprise/connection). Representative modern haiku follow each essay. The book includes a "gallery" of haiku taken from Heron's Nest archives. There is also a collection of Mason's haiku, they demonstrate how he walks the talk. Modern haiku references at the end of the book are excellent.
According to Mason, wonder derives from nature and fine haiku expresses this wonder. He is a follower of the wonder code, one who lives The Way of Haiku. Mason writes of British scholar R. H. Blyth who coined the term, The Way of Haiku: “<writing daily haiku> is also a way of living.” Mason says this describes his personal haiku practice, it’s one that I share. He contrasts haiku from eastern and western traditions, says he prefers haiku with an eastern world view, as does The Heron’s Nest. "Thinking Small" in the eastern sense is celebrated in this book. He says a good haiku combines "fragment" and “phrase” to culminate in a “Eureka" moment. Mason describes these haiku dynamics as follows: "<fragment & phrase> act as kindling, while the gap between them serves as oxygen; this mix, will combust as sensed experience in the predisposed reader's mind." His explanation helped clarify why I am drawn to reverence when I read haiku.
Haijin Scott Mason works on The Heron's Nest editorial team. I found his book illuminating. After reading the book, I felt like I’d spent the day with my new-best friend!
Links to find out more about The Wonder Code and Scott Mason:
The Wonder Code: https://www.theheronsnest.com/order.html
Haiku: Poetry of Focus with Scott Mason: https://vimeo.com/165512364
Here are some links to my favorite haiku and senryu journals:
Contemporary Haibun Online: https://contemporaryhaibunonline.com/pages_all/aboutthisjournal.html
Failed Haiku: https://failedhaiku.com
Haibun Today: http://haibuntoday.com/pages/about.html
Kokako Haiku Journal: https://breathhaiku.wordpress.com/tag/kokako-haiku-journal/
Modern Haiku: http://www.modernhaiku.org
NaHaiWriMo: http://www.nahaiwrimo.com & https://www.facebook.com/NaHaiWriMo
Prune Juice: https://www.facebook.com/PruneJuiceJournal/
The Heron’s Nest: http://www.theheronsnest.com
Under the Basho: https://www.underthebasho.com
https://www.betweentheseshoresbooks.com/archives
Date Published: June 1, 2019