Alternative Medicine For You

By AltMed1-Peggy 　http://altmedforyou.com/?p=357

Today is Haiku Theme Day for bloggers who are participating in the 2012 Blogathon. 

My first thought was “haiku on an alternative medicine blog?  Seriously?” I can’t recall ever seeing the art of haiku blended with the concepts of alternative medicine… but since both are about the beauty and wonder of nature, perhaps this is not as unlikely a pairing as it first seems. 

The form of haiku, when written in English, is simple enough: a first line of five syllables, a second line of seven, and a third line of five, for a total of seventeen. And the object, purpose, or goal of haiku is to capture and distill into those seventeen syllables the purest possible essence of a moment, an experience, a phenomenon, or a thought.

As a former poetry editor who judged haiku contests in times long past but has not dabbled in the poetic arts for many years, this theme day posed a unique challenge.

I look forward to seeing your comments. Thank you for stopping by today and be sure to visit again tomorrow when this blog returns to more traditional ways of exploring the world of alternative medicine. 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

(on herbal therapies)

fragile flowers soothe

jangled nerves and angry skin

gentle healing herbs …

 first to be planted

as settlers conquered the west

herbs for medicines …

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

(on acupuncture)

               tiny needles rouse 

                    powerful healing genie

                                life-force energy…

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

 (on nature’s vitamins)

bright colors wrapping

tempting fragrance and flavor

fruit-borne vitamins …

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

(on medical practice)

    open western eyes

to ancient eastern healing 

health must integrate …

*  *  *

healing universe

grows when alternative is

mainstream medicine …

© 2012, all rights reserved (haiku and layout)

(Images courtesy of Microsoft Office.com)