I love poetry, but the thought of writing it intimidates me.

So I was a little surprised by my desire to write a poem today. I immediately decided to write something simple: a haiku. It’s the shortest form of poetry that I can think of.

Writing this Japanese poetry involves several guidelines (which are sometimes followed, sometimes not). For my haiku, I decided to use the guidelines of 17 syllables (5-7-5), two juxtaposed ideas, a seasonal reference, and an awareness of the senses.

This haiku captures my experience of sitting in a coffee shop, writing a poem.

Rainy summer day:

the smell of coffee inspires

as cold becomes warm.