International Haiku Day: See The Poems Plainfield Patch Readers Wrote

PLAINFIELD, IL — Not only did Easter fall on April 17 this year, but so did International Haiku Poetry Day. In honor of the day commemorating the rhythmic poems, we asked Plainfield Patch readers to write a poem about Illinois.

An initiative by The Haiku Foundation, the day celebrates the ancient Japanese art form that consists of three lines with the syllable structure "five-seven-five."

According to National Day, Japanese haiku tend to revolve around nature, the passing of seasons, and ephemeral beauty. Whether Plainfield Patch readers were familiar with the history of the short poems, many wrote about Chicago's cold April weather and reminisced about warmer states.

Read on for a selection of submitted haiku.

Four seasons are here
Windy city on the lake
Illinois is home

— Ellen Z. Fitz

Illinois seasons
There's Winter and Construction
Let's move to Texas

— Megan McHale Fagan

Pre-Spring has begun
Illinois weather is no fun
Cold wet and no sun

— Jordan Dralle

Illinois is cold
I sure miss California
But both make you broke

— Nicole Bonsonto