Terri L. French - Three Questions

Terri L. French is a poet/writer, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Barista living in Huntsville, Alabama. She and her husband have a blended family of four children and three cats. Terri finds her haiku in the crooks, crannies, and corners of her everyday world experiences. She is a member of the Southeast Region of the Haiku Society of America, the Alabama Writer's Conclave and the Coffee Tree Writer's Group. Terri's poems have appeared in Lilliput Review, The Heron's Nest, haikuworld, and Sketchbook.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

I come from a journalistic background and think like an editor. I am not one for circuitous language, so haiku works for me.

Also, I spent many years sitting in a church pew looking for God, with not much success. I find I feel closer to my maker in nature and have found more truth in haiku than in most sermons.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I write prose and I'm just beginning to pair prose and haiku into haibun. I also work with my husband to pair some of our photos with haiku to create haiga. In the future I would like to learn sumi-e to accompany my haiku.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three? (Please provide original publication credits.)

I'm sure I have yet to write my top three, but here are three that I like.


a spot of blood
on the unfinished quilt--
harvest moon

(Sketchbook, Sept/Oct, 2009)



the child
blowing on the pinwheel
the wind blowing on her

(The Heron's Nest, June 2009)



catching tadpoles
this summer he wades
d
e
e
p
e
r

(from my book, A Ladybug on My Words)

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Terri answered. You must be a published poet to participate.