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MOTHER EARTH
--- a villanelle
By Mohammed Fakhruddin

Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
On thy axis and revolve round the sun?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within!
Treasure-trove of nature forms thy domain,
Man has found diamonds in the classic urn,
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
In search of wealth, ruthless man digs deep in,
Digs out gold, oil, gas, petrol turn by turn;
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.
Man builds skyscrapers rupturing thy skin,
Linking river to river is no fun;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
Watertight compartments of land chum in,
Man-made issues spurt as volcanoes burn
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes strike in.
Civilizations rise and fall turn by turn;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

 

                MOHAMMED FAKHRUDDIN

--- World Renowned Poet

MOHAMMED FAKHRUDDIN is a journalist, poet, film scriptwriter and film director lives in Bangalore, India. He has authored /edited / published so far 25 books on poetry and poetics in English language. A recipient of honorary Doctorate in Literature (D.Lit. ) in English, from the World Congress of Poets, in 1983, Mr. Fakhruddin has been conducting monthly Poetry Workshops, and All India Poetry Festivals every year, in Bangalore, India, since 1995. He established "Poets International" an exclusively poetry journal in 1983 and launched "Haiku Poetry Movement" in India systematically through his monthly journal "Poets International", since 1995. He coined "ZEN POETRY" that is being written in less than 17 syllables. He is the Founder-President of "The Haiku Society of India", established in 1998. Mr. Fakhruddin is the recipient of "INTERNATIONAL MAN OF THE YEAR" Award for 1995/96, from International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. Recipient of : "THE KUMAMOTO INTERNATIONAL KUSAMAKURA HAIKU COMPETITION 2000", from Japan.

     Recipient of "Merit Award of World Poetry Festival, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2005" for his great effort and contribution to promote the communication of poetry worldwide, especially between Taiwan and India.

     "The World Medal of Freedom", a global distinction 2005, was conferred up on him by The American Biographical Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

     International Penguin Publishing House, New Delhi, India, has been chosen for the "Rising Personalities of India Award" and Gold Medal in recognition of his exceptional caliber and outstanding performance in his chosen area of activity. He has been included in the prestigious IPPH's book titled "The Honoured Rising Personalities of India".

     Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin has been honoured with a permanent membership in the prestigious International Writers & Artists Association (affiliated to UNESCO), Toledo, OH, USA., in 2006.
...
     Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, the editor of "Poets International" in India, is also fond of and specializes in writing haiku.

     He publishes many haiku on "Poets International" not only of his own creation, but also that written by the poets from various countries, thus becoming an attractive boom. In order to promote the creation of haiku, Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin organized a Haiku Society of India in 1998, as president making himself every endeavor to the haiku movement in India. In addition, he sponsored World Haiku Contest in 2001.

Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin published his "Haiku Self-Exploration" in 2000, which includes 160 haikus covering numerous fields of expressions from the beginning of "Self-exploration/Leads one to the inner space-/Insight through vision" as preface, through the reflection of mind to embrace whole universe from Weltinnerraum (as said by R. M. Rilke), and ended by "Poetry I write/To forget myself a while/And sing with snow-white", indicating the joy indulging oneself in the poetic art.
...
     Certainly, in "Haiku Self-Exploration" there are also the creations involved in the promise to the poetry, such as "Life is compromise/Nourish it with poetry/Day breaks with sunrise" and " Poetry is a rose/That grows certainly not in/Everyone's garden"; and further extended to the appreciation of arts, such as "Painter of nature/Paints, repaints, landscapes/For His sheer rapture" and "Music is divine/Aesthetic tastes are better/Than woman or wine"; in addition, the poet Mohammed Fakhruddin directs to the nature of human being, such as "The main key of life/On the Earth or in Heaven/Is nothing but sex" and "The sky stoops to Earth/And make a mirth at sunrise/Birds fly in surprise". Although haiku poet Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin does not insistently use seasonal terms in his every haiku , but he obeys the rule of 5-7-5 syllables. The poet frequently utilizing alliteration and rhyme displays his cares and particular in the manipulation of language. I am regrets that my Chinese translation is unable to represent all the original fantastic expression.

     Indeed, it is uneasy to write an excellent haiku, but anyway it is a good measure for everyone to help himself growth and reflection by recording his self-exploration in a form of haiku whenever he has any apprehension in the experiences of ordinary life.
...
     Dec 7, 2002 saw a consortium of poets and poetry lovers converging under a single roof to witness the event - The India Poetry Festival - organised by the Haiku king, Dr Mohammed Fakhruddin.
...
m     The text of the poem, penned by Dr Fakhruddin himself, had a lovely rhyme scheme laced with a powerful message. It's about a beggar-maid being exploited by the animal instinct in man, only to discover she is afflicted by HIV! An unconventional theme, but creating the required impact!
...
     Dr. Fakhruddin for whom poetry is impregnated in his entire being has to his credit over 3,000 Haiku and a miscellaneous collection of poems that includes sonnets, limericks, etc. He has donned multifarious roles right from directing feature films to teaching nuances of poetry writing through his workshops that are attended by people from different strat a of society. By means of his monthly journal of short verse, "Poets International", he has forged strong onds with poets from different geographical regions. He was confered with the ' International an of the Year ' award from the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. He says, "Poems always proffer aesthetic and divine pleasure sans the pleasure derived out of the sensual or the material".
...
     In the end, Dr. Fakhruddin's Haiku reverberated in the mind:
...
Guiding them is Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, editor, Poets International, a 24-year-old monthly journal of short verse that invites contributions from the world over.

     As Dr. Fakhruddin says that the workshop hones one's expression of feelings. All one needs to possess is the urge to express and a hold of the language. He can be taught to write poetry. The craft of writing, as he calls it, becomes easy to be taught if one is well tuned with words. The workshop acquaints one with structure and how to build it into a poem and slowly an inbuilt rhythm develops. But doesn't structure limit one? He does not agree but insists that a structural form has universal appeal. Particularly interested in the haiku, he has penned several of these. He believes that once one learns to write a haiku, other structural forms of poetry become easy. Finally, having mastered these free verse becomes strong and rhythmic. However, he insists that one should use refined 'words' as poetry is a "refined language of expression" as are most of our epics.

     No piece can be a masterpiece unless reworked and polished. Even free verse is often rewritten, Dr. Fakhruddin says. Adding a few tips, he advises the student of poetry to hold on to the notes as they come to mind and allow these to sink in. He wishes the Bangalore University would seriously think about having a poet in residence to guide upcoming poets on how to write poetry. Even a critical analysis of poems should help, he feels. Dr. Fakhruddin has authored 16 books on poetry and related subjects. The group meets on second Saturdays every month and takes on a writing/reading project in poetry. A picture is pasted on the board and the members asked to let imagination run riot. An island with blue waters lapping around invites different interpretations as varied as a capitalistic America and the illusion of maya. The forms vary from free verse to haiku, increasingly the most popular form. But every poetic interpretation is different, as different as the poets who have assembled. An engineer, a housewife, a doctor, an Englishman settled in the city, retired officer…Every poet reads out his poem for Fakhruddin believes that reading of the poem is as important as writing and insists that each read out a poem, clearly and loudly.

     Going by the members, most with no prior poetic accomplishments, the workshops have helped. One of the members S.S. Prasad notes how the workshop may not have taught him to pen a haiku, but has helped him 'discover' one. "The workshop is not the ending point, that if you attend it, you will become a poet, but it is the starting point, it shows you some directions that you can follow if you want to. The workshop cannot make one a poet, but can help him in making himself one," he puts it aptly. For him the best aspect has been the contacts he has made with people, many of them good poets.

     *The Sonnets and The Rubaiyat of Mohammed Fakhruddin” is his latest volume of collection of 42 Sonnets and 198 Rubaiyat, much acclaimed both by critics as well as readers all over the world. 

     He has recently launched his own film in Kannada “Kaviya Kogile” .
...
     Bangalore-based poet Mohammed Fakhruddin is one of them. He is a novelist, editor, critic, journalist and has directed two Kannada movies Giri Mallige and Bangalore Raatriyalli. And, he has been conducting stimulating poetry workshops at one of the local Cultural Centres every second Saturday.

Coutesy: Chen Fake --- S. Fakih: Zoominfo Business People

 

Indian poetry and List of Indian poets | BLOGandEARN

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INDIA POETRY FESTIVAL 2007 - ** Budan.blog.hr ** Alternativa, zen ...

Libri.de - Mohammed Fakhruddin: Haiku Self - Exploration

http://de.shvoong.com/books/poetry/1721132-sonnets-rubaiyat-mohammed-fakhruddin/

The Sonnets And The Rubaiyat Of Mohammed Fakhruddin Summary

A week full of poetry - Deccan Herald - Internet Edition

contemporaryvibes.com

[PDF]

舞與詩的對話

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HaikuOz - the Australian Haiku Society

PRESS CLIPPINGS: 

“Rituals of all religions divide all,
Spirit of all religions unites all;
What could lead kindly from darkness to light?
Spiritualism enlightens one and all.”

A master-weaver of short verse- Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin of Bangalore is the founder-editor of Poets International- an international monthly journal of short verse, published since 1983.

In December, 2005, ‘Poets International’ hosted 10th Poetry Festival at Bangalore inviting delegates across the globe to participate in the world seminar on short verse which dealt with the poetic experience in short verse in various forms, based on different meters, that was being written world wide by living poets viz. haiku, tanka and villanelle.

Though poetry festivals are being conducted often in the form of Mushiaras,  Kavi Sammelans and Kavi Ghoshtis but poetry festival of English language is a rare to be witnessed. Poets International was the first to start ‘the poetry festival movement’ on Indian soil in 1995 and its is being conducted every year since then without any interruption or break

The main purpose of conducting the poetry festivals is to create awareness and self-confidence among the creative writers to continue writing poetry with a purpose inculcating in its simplicity, brevity, clarity diction and universality.
In addition to poetry reading sessions, during the festival, poetry performances, seminars on various subjects pertaining to poetry and poetics did really enlighten the participant poets to exchange views reviews pertaining to the changing times and trends; the blends in the modern poetry are remarkable innovation of the contemporary poets. The universality of thought and purpose cements the relationship of mankind.

Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin’s short verse - “Mother Earth” has become a model for the upcoming generation of poets of short verse who are to be trained and baptized in the humane nuances of the universality. We can’t resist the ‘quote’ from the ‘Poets International’ for the inspirational quest of our readers:

Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin is a renowned poet and the Editor of monthly literary magazine, caters to international sentimentalism of cosmic-conscience, and resides at:  #51 GROUND FLOOR, Khazi Street, Basavanagudi, Bangalore-560004. INDIA. (poetsintl@hotmail.com)

MOTHER EARTH
-- a villanelle

Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
On thy axis and revolve round the sun?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within!

Treasure-trove of nature forms thy domain,
Man has found diamonds in the classic urn,
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?

In search of wealth, ruthless man digs deep in,
Digs out gold, oil, gas, petrol turn by turn;
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

Man builds skyscrapers rupturing thy skin,
Linking river to river is no fun;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?

Watertight compartments of land chum in,
Man-made issues spurt as volcanoes burn
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes strike in.
Civilizations rise and fall turn by turn;
Mother earth, mother earth, what makes thee spin?
Oceans, mountains, lakes, rivers stay within.

--- Courtesy: CONTEMPORAY VIBES

April-June 2006

(Chandigarh, India)

PRESS CLIPPINGS:

                                      SELF-EXPLORATION
                            in the Form of Haiku
                             By Lee Kuei-shien (Taipei, Taiwan)

Japanese haiku influences the imagist in western poetry. After the passing of the tide of imagist the merits of imagistic poems are not descending and the haiku becomes a special form favored by a
number of poets around the world.

Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, the editor of "Poets International" in India, is also fond of and specializes in writing haiku.

He publishes many haiku on "Poets International" not only of his own creation, but also that written by
the poets from various countries, thus becoming an attractive boom.
In order to promote the creation of haiku, Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin organized a Haiku Society of India in 1998, as president making himself every endeavor to the haiku movement in India. In addition, he sponsored World Haiku Contest in 2001.

Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin published his "Haiku Self-Exploration" in 2000, which includes 160 haikus covering numerous fields of expressions from the beginning of "Self-exploration/Leads one to the inner space-/Insight through vision" as preface, through the reflection of mind to embrace whole universe from Weltinnerraum (as said by R. M. Rilke), and ended by "Poetry I write/To forget myself a while/And sing with snow-white", indicating the joy indulging oneself in the poetic art. As Chinese old saying that snow-white song in warm spring may be appreciated by few people but the essence of poetry has its intrinsic meanings and values in existence.

In "Haiku Self-Exploration", there are description about natural scenes, such as "Sunrays plant kisses/On dew drops set on green grass/Breeze greets them wishes" and "Bees buzz, flowers yawn/Sunnays pierce thro'life line/Dewdrops fly with dawn"; in praise of the beauty of innocents girls, such as "Bright and graceful glance/Bewitching smile on lips make/Stars twinkle in trance" and "Blushing is a sign/Rarely to be found today/As sweet as old wine"; something like encouraging mottos, such as "Respect Human Rights/Egoism kills humanism/World State stops all fights" and "Day in and Day out/The time skips within a wink/Complete life is out"; also counterattack upon the alienation of society, such as "Nature is not free/So are birds and so are thoughts/All slaves, so are we " and " Bow my head in shame/When I see children begging/Know not whom to blame"; and, of course, the criticism on political corruption, such as "Worst of all powers/Is money power which buys/The God for favor" and " Politics pays well/Only to lucky those who/Knows which cat to bell".

Certainly, in "Haiku Self-Exploration" there are also the creations involved in the promise to the poetry, such as "Life is compromise/Nourish it with poetry/Day breaks with sunrise" and " Poetry is a rose/That grows certainly not in/Everyone's garden"; and further extended to the appreciation of arts, such as "Painter of nature/Paints, repaints, landscapes/For His sheer rapture" and "Music is divine/Aesthetic tastes are better/Than woman or wine"; in addition, the poet Mohammed Fakhruddin directs to the nature of human being, such as "The main key of life/On the Earth or in Heaven/Is nothing but sex" and "The sky stoops to Earth/And make a mirth at sunrise/Birds fly in surprise".
Although haiku poet Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin does not insistently use seasonal terms in his every haiku , but he obeys the rule of 5-7-5 syllables. The poet frequently utilizing alliteration and rhyme displays his cares and particular in the manipulation of language. I am regrets that my Chinese translation is unable to represent all the original fantastic expression.

Indeed, it is uneasy to write an excellent haiku, but anyway it is a good measure for everyone to help himself growth and reflection by recording his self-exploration in a form of haiku whenever he has any apprehension in the experiences of ordinary life.

Note: The Chinese text was published in "Taiwan News" weekly magazine. No. 88, July 3, 2003.

Haiku is a rose,
That grows, certainly not in
Everyone's garden.
     - Dr Fakhruddin

World is beautiful;
For the blind:
Darkness.
     - Dr Fakhruddin

Tanka poems have a 5-line form, in which the first three lines have the same number of syllables as that of Haiku, and the last two lines have seven syllables in each one, i.e., 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 in all.
For example,

If one questions me
On the Japanese spirit,
I answer it is
Like the wild cherry blossoms
Shining in the morning sun.

Sitigotyo poems are the 4-line quatrains with 12 syllables in each line. Every line is further divided into two parts with 7-5 syllables. The quatrains follow the rhyme pattern of ABBA or ABAB
or AABB.
For example,

Who knows that it will shortly be toppled over?
The massive wooden pillar, now unshakable!
Don't make light of us, white ants: so formidable;
Our strength, united, exceeds that of a wrestler.

Incidentally, both the above Tanka and Sitigotyo are composed by renowned Japanese scientist and bi-lingual poet Dr Kazuyosi Ikeda, a noble prize nominee, for whom this year's anthology 'Poets International 2002' is dedicated.According to Dr Ikeda, the above Tanka portrays the Japanese spirit, brimming with love and peace. The quatrain contains an interesting analogy that manifests itself as one reads. The 'ants' are compared with the country's citizens, and the 'pillar' to the Government that can be knocked off in no time by the stupendous power of people! Dr Ikeda, a poet of international repute, introduced Sitigotyo form of poetry for the first time in English Literature.

Before the seminar ended, there was also a paper elucidating the similarities between Haiku and Thirukural poetry, which was presented on the occasion. An air of quietude descended upon the audience as the afternoon session's first item set the tone for the rest to follow. It was a poetry performance by a youngster. The perfect tone modulation interspersed with the rhythmic melody of guitar created pure magic. The text of the poem, penned by Dr Fakhruddin himself, had a lovely rhyme scheme laced with a powerful message. It's about a beggar-maid being exploited by the animal instinct in man, only to discover she is afflicted by HIV! An unconventional theme, but creating the required impact!

Dr. Fakhruddin for whom poetry is impregnated in his entire being has to his credit over 3,000 Haiku and a miscellaneous collection of poems that includes sonnets, limericks, etc. He has donned multifarious roles right from directing feature films to teaching nuances of poetry writing through his workshops that are attended by people from different strat a of society. By means of his monthly journal of short verse, "Poets International", he has forged strong onds with poets from different geographical regions. He was confered with the ' International an of the Year ' award from the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. He says, "Poems always proffer aesthetic and divine pleasure sans the pleasure derived out of the sensual or the material".

Besides our own poets from all over the nation, there was a band of distinguished Taiwanese poets too - Lee Kuei-shein, Chiang Chi-der, Lee Min-yung, Duh Wen-jing, Shen Hua-mo, Hsu Hui chih, Chen Kun-lun, Tseng Kuei-hi, Lu Han-shui, and Cheng Chiung-min. Some Taiwanese poems were aurally soothing, though the text appeared alien! However, a few of them were translated into English. Taiwanese poetry is steeped in profound depth and wisdom, encompassing a certain amount of philosophy. Take the example of 'Needle', written by Lu Han-shui wherein the poet talks about his grandmother who believed in living her life for others, radiating peace and happiness among the people around. In the concluding stanza the poet says:

Of course, there were scores of splendiferous poems too, whipped out by many of our own poets. The vehemence of some strongly tugged the poignant feelings of heart, like the poem, 'Prisoner of War'. The poet had magnificently conceptualized the mental tumults and traumas of a boy whose father had been taken away as a prisoner of war. Another poet, septuagenarian, recited a lovely sonnet with excellent diction, without a jot of quiver, which indeed belied her age! She is the composer of more than 600 sonnets which are more like psalms (sacred songs), rhapsodizing the divinity of Christ.

There was a Hindi Gazal too, having 'time - the precious commodity' as its central theme. It depicted the futile effort of humans to retrieve all the lost moments. This reminded of the lines by a famous writer who said, "If I were to lay my hands on time, I would give it a sound thrashing!" Yet another poet recited a poem in which one could listen to a celebration of words, erupting in blitzkrieg, but all in perfect rhythm.
To put it succinctly, each one of the poems was exquisite in its own right. Selecting the best was like picking up a single bunch among umpteen equally enchanting bunches of exotic flowers!

The best part of many poems was the language that was neither stilted nor abstract so even a laity could comprehend the essence, without plumbing into the depths of its intricacies.
Truly, this day was indeed a welcome change, bestowing inexplicable peace and rejuvenating like fresh monsoon showers after a long dry spell. It was a veritable platform for poets, both young and old, to showcase the copious creative energy in the form of unrestrained outpouring of eloquent verses.

See cloud and wish you could burst into poetry? Or the pathos of a child left uncared on the footpath? Or even a solitary chair facing the wall …if words come rushing in with images, if that unimpressed yearning threatens to spill out, there could be someone who could help you. Quietly, diligently and earnestly, a group of poets and would be poets have been meeting regularly in the city every month and exchanging notes and meters. They have been picking a few useful hints on how to wax eloquent on the daffodil and the cloud. Guiding them is Dr. Mohammed Fakhruddin, editor, Poets International, a 20-year-old monthly journal of short verse that invites contributions from the world over.

As Dr. Fakhruddin says that the workshop hones one's expression of feelings. All one needs to possess is the urge to express and a hold of the language. He can be taught to write poetry. The craft of writing, as he calls it, becomes easy to be taught if one is well tuned with words. The workshop acquaints one with structure and how to build it into a poem and slowly an inbuilt rhythm develops. But doesn't structure limit one? He does not agree but insists that a structural form has universal appeal. Particularly interested in the haiku, he has penned several of these. He believes that once one learns to write a haiku, other structural forms of poetry become easy. Finally, having mastered these free verse becomes strong and rhythmic. However, he insists that one should use refined 'words' as poetry is a "refined language of expression" as are most of our epics.

No piece can be a masterpiece unless reworked and polished. Even free verse is often rewritten, Dr. Fakhruddin says. Adding a few tips, he advises the student of poetry to hold on to the notes as they come to mind and allow these to sink in. He wishes the Bangalore University would seriously think about having a poet in residence to guide upcoming poets on how to write poetry. Even a critical analysis of poems should help, he feels. Dr. Fakhruddin has authored 16 books on poetry and related subjects.
The group meets on second Saturdays every month and takes on a writing/reading project in poetry. A picture is pasted on the board and the members asked to let imagination run riot. An island with blue waters lapping around invites different interpretations as varied as a capitalistic America and the illusion of maya. The forms vary from free verse to haiku, increasingly the most popular form. But every poetic interpretation is different, as different as the poets who have assembled. An engineer, a housewife, a doctor, an Englishman settled in the city, retired officer…Every poet reads out his poem for Fakhruddin believes that reading of the poem is as important as writing and insists that each read out a poem, clearly and loudly.

Going by the members, most with no prior poetic accomplishments, the workshops have helped. One of the members S.S. Prasad notes how the workshop may not have taught him to pen a haiku, but has helped him 'discover' one. "The workshop is not the ending point, that if you attend it, you will become a poet, but it is the starting point, it shows you some directions that you can follow if you want to. The workshop cannot make one a poet, but can help him in making himself one," he puts it aptly. For him the best aspect has been the contacts he has made with people, many of them good poets. Many members have also profited from the workshop in that it has helped them come out of their inhibitions and discover their inner poet. Truly, a meeting place for creative expression.

(For more information, contact 6632818 or email:poetsintl@hotmail.com )

Verses in their multi-coloured glory, powerful yet subtle in expression -- all for the one who seeks to understand. One is oblivious to the flurry of activity around one as Dr. M. Fakhruddin walks you through a pleasant journey, engulfed with the aroma of heavens, as if feeding one with manna in the wilderness.

A poet of international repute, Dr. M. Fakhruddin almost stumbled on to the world of poetry after his college days, It seemed to surface as he went through a mental metamorphoses during this period. As he puts it, "it was an inner urge which led me to write poetry," though he never had even toyed with the idea. This was in 1966 and in two years, he published his first volume of poems, Rapture. It was recommended by Government to all schools and public libraries. Ever since, his name has been synonymous with poetry.

However, he did not restrict himself to poetry; although it was still his passion. He took to journalism and film-making and has directed feature films in Kannada, Bangalooru Raatriyalli and Giri Mallige.

His exciting venture of publishing a monthly journal of short verse, Poets International, which began in 1983, has been a boon to budding poets. The journal includes original poems and poems in translation from all over the world. It includes interviews, comparative studies and critical and scholarly studies related to English literature.

Dr. M. Fakhruddin, who has done extensive research in Haiku poetry, has recently published Haiku, Self-Exploration. Haiku, which is a traditional Japanese verse form, has gained popularity in India. This form of poetry, which originated in Japan in A.D.,700 and later developed as on off-shoot of Zen philosophy, is now a trendsetter for 21st Century poetry. Thanks to Dr. M. Fakhruddin the "Haiku Movement" was launched by Poets International. He says writing Haiku poetry is a craft which sharpens the imagination of the poet and opens up many avenues for self-exploration and self-realization.

Haiku is the shortest verse form, which is a powerful means of expression that disciplines the mind and helps one enter a state of meditation. The form is composed of 5-7-5 syllables and is not expected to be complete. The expression of thoughts and feelings through images, symbolism and metaphor which, Haiku gives scope for, is fascinating. "What is below the surface is important in Haiku - the words float on the surface, the emotions below," says Dr. M. Fakhruddin.