Poetry and Plant Food
I'm dabbling with haiku poetry. A haiku poem is one of the most traditional types of Japanese poetry. It consists of 3 lines, composed of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. The lines do not usually rhyme. Traditional themes include nature, animals, and the seasons, although a haiku can be about anything. Sometimes, the last line is nonsensical or a surprise. For example,
Structure in Haiku
Seems to constrain us, yet it
Promotes artistry
Hooray, 5, 7, and 5 syllables!
Although some haiku poets ignore the strict guidelines, I find it compelling to attempt something creative within the framework. It reminds me of my experience writing the book The Printed Word for Microsoft Press back in the 1980s.
Microsoft had just released Word for the Mac, and my Dad and I were chosen to write an in-depth how to book for Microsoft Press. This early version of Word was anything but WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). To create multiple columns on a page, you had to create everything in one long column on the screen, then see how it wrapped around when you printed it. You couldn’t preview the result on the screen. Through trial and error, I discovered how to embed images and text that spanned more than one column, something the programmers of the software didn’t even know was possible.
This discovery made the program much more powerful as a formatting tool. Notice the text in the adjacent picture. Some of the text spans columns 2 & 3 and neatly wraps around the picture in the lower right corner of the page.
It was a case of embracing the limitations of that early software and finding ways to express creativity within those constraints.
I thrive on this kind of challenge. That’s why haikus are so delicious. The challenge is to create a delightful bit of whimsy or a poem that inspires further thought within the constraints of 3 lines and 17 syllables.
One of my passions is spreading the message about the benefits of healthy plant-based eating. That’s why I wrote the book Handbook to Higher Health Consciousness: How to Transition to Plant-Based Eating to Heal Yourself and the Planet. It goes into great detail about why people choose to eat plant-based, how to obtain balanced nutrition, how to make the transition to more healthy eating and sustain it in a satisfying way, how to cook without recipes, 165 plant-based recipes, loads of resources to enhance your journey, and 170 reference citations relating to evidence-based nutrition, animal welfare and environmental issues. I believe that Americans will be flocking to plant-based eating in the next few years as the health and environmental benefits become more widely known. This book can help people make the transition and sustain it while maintaining their food comfort level.
Another way that I can raise people’s awareness is by writing haiku poems about plant-based eating and the issues around it. Haikus are very compact. They don’t contain a lot of information, yet they can reinforce large ideas and lead us to insight and deeper meaning. It’s another way to shine a light on an important topic that may resonate with some people in a fanciful way. It will be fun to include these poems in my blogs, newsletter, and other posts to see how people react. I hope you enjoy this first offering.
Plant food enters me.
I taste. My body digests.
I am well nourished.
Food choice. Since my wife and I chose to go vegan in 2012, we have eaten primarily plant-based foods. We were on the fence about eggs at first, but a little research cleared that up. Since then, we have not intentionally eaten any animal products.
Taste. Your taste buds are replaced about every two weeks, so if you explore new flavors such as vegetables instead of animal products, your taste will change to embrace the natural flavor of the vegetables. Your perception will follow your taste buds if you give it a chance.
Digestion. The human body digests plant-based foods readily. Animal products promote inflammation and constipation. Plant-foods digest easily and pass on through your system.
Nourishment. The brilliance of a plant-based diet is that it is soooooo nutritious. It’s the only way to get fiber into your system, and plants are packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants. Say goodbye to the myth that you need animal products for protein or calcium. Not! Every plant has some protein, and plants are a cleaner source of protein, calcium, and other nutrients compared to animal products that come with unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol. Yes, indeed. I’m well nourished choosing my food from the plant kingdom!
To Your Health,