Haiku are:
Very short: just three lines usually fewer than twenty syllables long.
Descriptive: most haiku focus sharply on a detail of nature or everyday life.
Personal: most haiku express a reaction to or reflection on what is described.
Divided into two parts: as they read haiku aloud, students should find that each includes a turning point, often marked by a dash or colon, where the poet shifts from description to reflection, or shifts from close-up to a broader perspective.
Haiku are best as three lines, short - long - short
better not attempt to make it 5-7-5 sylables, it does not fit other languages than Japanese.
[Information courtesy of Gabi Greve, used with permission]
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html
