The podcast series Two Parkies in a Pod offers advice and tips on how to cope with chronic illness, and the specific challenges of Parkinson’s: https://www.2parkiesinapod.com/
The Haiku Foundation year-long (2024-2025) series ‘Haiku for Parkinson’s’ features #haiku as a tool that may help calm, reframe problem(s), and generally improve the quality of life for those living with disease and the psychosocial entanglements it involves:
What do I find helpful in my own journey of the disease? My family and friends; the ‘Betreutes Laufen‘ walking for Parkinson’s group in Augsburg, the Ping Pong Parkinson (PPP) group in Augsburg and the dedicated PPPCourse in Koenigsbrunn (see also the nationwide PPP Association https://www.pingpongparkinson.de/); being part of the international online community, writing and reading haiku; felting, gardening…
In this special video episode by Two Parkies in a Pod, Dave and Kuhan chat to the world-leading Parkinson’s expert, Bas Bloem, about living well with the condition. Informative and fun!
If you ever had any doubts about the value of exercise for Parkinson’s, you must watch this episode. Bas Bloem points out that the only treatment proven to help with symptom reduction and delay the progression of this disease is exercise, not drugs! This prompts Kuhan to ask: If you don’t miss a dose of your drugs, why would you miss a dose of exercise?
Happy to see the feature “Haiku for Parkinson’s,” on the blog of The Haiku Foundation, flourishing!
Blog posts offered recently: “On the importance of connection in haiku” by Philomene Kocher; Through the lens of Positive Psychology” by Scott Mason; An update on the free course introducing Haiku to those living with Parkinson’s, their family and friends, taught by Sonam Chhoki. Poems by the participants painted a picture of where they are on their haiku journey.
Informative, comforting, healing reading. I copy it from the THF site below.
If you or a loved one live with Parkinson’s Disease, visit the site and see!
May 12: Haiku for Parkinson’s: Inviting Connection—Philomene Kocher
July 7: Haiku For Parkinson’s: July 2024 Course Update—Sonam Chhoki
This is the blog post:
Haiku for Parkinson’s is a feature of The Haiku Foundation (THF): introducing haiku to those of us living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), as well as introducing PD to those ‘living with haiku.’ You will find previous posts from this series here.
As part of this feature, renowned poet and editor Sonam Chhoki is teaching a free course introducing haiku as a tool in the Parkinson’s toolbox, helping face and negotiate the challenges of the disease and improve quality of life. In this post, Sonam, and the course participants, update us on the progress of their haiku journey.
Sonam writes:
Arguing against the pejorative associations of “parochial” with narrowness, insularity and sectarianism, the Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh (1904 – 67) said, “The parochial mentality … is never in any doubt about the social and artistic validity of his parish.” For Kavanagh, the “parish” or the “parochial” was not a boundary but an opening. An aperture through which the world could be experienced. It was based on the idea that we learn by scrutiny at close-hand. For the poet, it is the depth of experience rather than the width, that counts. He concluded, “Parochialism is universal; it deals with the fundamentals.”
Inspired by Kavanagh’s insight, I would say that the poets in this update are “parochial” in the most wide-ranging sense. Each poet deals with the “fundamentals” of what it is to live with Parkinson’s either personally or through a close family member. Here are their unique and precious experiences and insights, through the lens of haiku.
1. Why haiku? How did your interest in haiku start?
Simon Duncan: As a means of matching emotion and landscape while on mountain walks and later summarising a day’s cross-country skiing as I was losing my ability.
Tania Haberland: That’s what was offered as a service for people going through Parkinson’s personally /in family. But in reality, I love haiku, wrote my first one at 8 at school.
Margaret Ponting: I have always been interested in writing poetry. I wrote longer prose during an extended lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic. I joined a writing group at this time and was impressed how haiku writing was therapeutic for Parkinson’s sufferers. My brother and sister encourage me to write and are enthusiastic in their support.
Haiku appeals to me because I have family connections to Japan and the history and cultural aspects are intriguing. I feel closer to my Japanese daughter-in-law and grandsons as it gives us something to share, discussing the history and philosophical aspects. I like the way haiku has evolved with a variety of styles and topics and how a few simple words can create an emotional impact on the reader.
Jen Pacini: I started writing poetry after receiving my Parkinson’s diagnosis is 2018. Playing around with different kinds of poetry has been a wonderful creative outlet ever since. In 2021, Stella Pierides offered a haiku class through a Parkinson’s site. At first my interest in haiku was to help refine my poetry. Along the way, I fell in love with the style and the way haiku’s simplicity of form conveys meaning in complex ways and on multiple levels. Reading haiku makes me smile
2. Which of your own recent haiku are your favourites? Please share some of your poems.
Simon Duncan:
Cold sun, coarse gritstone Thin moves As my bouldering mat shrinks
Botox cackles Drag Queens strut Emptiness
A window opens Ladybirds cascade Hard red confetti
Cold canal-side fishing “Hello, have you caught anything?” Deep silence
this morning’s delivery truckload of firewood and a tiny green frog
king parrots gorging on rose hips a palette of green and orange
giant red gums mirrored in the river as we reflect
mismatched, shiny, bright we put the pieces together a mosaic of love
threading daisy chains of memories sepia photos
a present arrives a silk scarf from my sister
the night leaves a pale parting gift translucent crescent
along the river bank djiti-djiti, willy wagtail cries for her drowned mother
Jen Pacini:
at the back of the drawer a letter, folded in three the life she never shared
sunrise yoga the taste of sweet candy
midday heat the hum precedes the hive
summer solstice there’s no going back
3. What do you enjoy about haiku writing?
Simon Duncan: Concise emotional imagery.
Tania Haberland: The focus and stillness haiku creates and the way it declutters my mind, also the challenge is fun.
Margaret Ponting: I enjoy the immediacy of haiku writing and the mindfulness aspect. It makes me more aware of my magnificent natural environment and I feel enriched through expressing my feelings. I appreciate sharing my thoughts with loved ones through this medium and enjoy reading haiku contributions from other people.
Jen Pacini: I enjoy it when I surprise myself after reading a haiku I’ve constructed.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of haiku writing?
Simon Duncan: Writing about Q3 activities is important to me but others know little about – e.g.- climbing.
Tania Haberland: Editing out what is not necessary..
Margaret Ponting: Initially, I thought there were few rules, but found haiku to be very complex, much like all aspects of Japanese culture. I sometimes find it difficult to pare back my writing. I have been encouraged by the support given to me through this program and appreciate the feedback. Looking back, I think I have grown in confidence and am trying to challenge myself more..
Jen Pacini: I find keeping the meaning of the haiku from becoming too identified with my own story or adding too many details challenging at times. Sonam Chhoki, is very helpful, providing useful feedback that helps me continue to learn the craft.
5. Do you make notes or do you write directly?
Simon Duncan: Write directly.
Tania Haberland: Directly and then keep changing..
Margaret Ponting: I write directly and that is another thing I like about haiku. It doesn’t take too much time. I usually refer back and add or change the structure or flip the lines to create a different effect.
Jen Pacini: I play around with ideas, lines, wording in a notebook. Then set it aside. Later, I return to the process with fresh eyes to create a digital version. Sometimes I merge and edit two original haiku drafts to create a fresh haiku.
This one-to-one course by email is free and available for a year. The main purpose is to work with the participants at a pace suitable to their particular circumstances and needs. We welcome people from all backgrounds and levels of knowledge, and respect their wish to participate anonymously..
Notes:
Patrick Kavanagh: ‘The Parish and the Universe’, in Collected Pruse, MacGibbon & Kee, London, 1967.
Biography
Sonam Chhoki finds the Japanese short form poetry resonates with her Tibetan Buddhist upbringing. She is inspired by her father, Sonam Gyamtsho, the architect of Bhutan’s non-monastic modern education, and by her mother, Chhoden Jangmu, who taught her: “Being a girl doesn’t mean you can’t do anything.” She is the principal editor, and editor of haibun for the online journal of Japanese short forms, cattails. Her chapbook of haibun, The Lure of the Threshold was published in May 2021. Mapping Absences, a collaboration of haibun, tan bun and tanka prose with Mike Montreuil was published in 2019. Another collaboration with Geetanjali Rajan: Unexpected Gift was published in November 2021. An ebook of a second collaboration with Geethanjali Rajan, “Fragments of Conversation” is in the process of being published.
The Haiku Foundation is offering a new, free, email course “Introduction to Haiku” for people impacted by Parkinson’s Disease, including friends and family.
The course is being taught by Sonam Chhoki, editor of the online journal cattails. For more information about the course see here
The second installment of Haiku for Parkinson’s is the interview of a British poet, now living in New Zealand, Tim Roberts.
Tim describes his haiku practice and the ways it helps him with his Parkinson’s symptoms. It has not been an easy ride. He says:
I had to stop work shortly after being diagnosed. I was adrift. I didn’t have any real hobbies and lost my identity. I felt rudderless and scared. I didn’t know who I was anymore – perhaps that means I never had. I had confused who I was with what I did. Now, having developed such a rooted haiku practice, I have a solid sense of who I am and an exciting sense of purpose. I love poetry and I like to use it to connect to others. I see it as my vocation – and a part of my spiritual practice. Now, thanks to the challenges of PD, I am much more me than the person who was a leadership coach, or any of my previous personas, the university teacher and the detective.
Take a look here for Tim’s informative, inspiring, and from-the-heart account of his journey with Parkinson’s Disease.
My haibun “Full Disclosure” appears in Drifting Sands issue 24, 2023, p. 91. This fictional account of an encounter between two people in a highly embarrassing situation, and their ways of coping with it, can be accessed by clicking here.
Alternatively, “Full Disclosure” may be enjoyed below.
Full Disclosure
It’s getting dark early. The yellow light seeping from the lamp on the mantelpiece dissolves before reaching the corners of the room. He is sitting opposite me, tall and dark-haired, an air of confident irony hanging from his lips. Leaning forward, and looking straight into my eyes, he asks: “Are you incontinent?” I shift in my chair and, clearing my throat, I reply. He jots down something in his notebook. “Do you wear these things that women . . .” his voice trails off. “Eh, you see . . .” I cough and cough. While he records my answer, I manage to find my bearings. I know he does this all day, every day, it’s his job. He visits people with disabilities to assess the level of care they need. Can you cook, can you dress unaided. Can you leave the house on your own. All the practical details that together amount to an identity that is meant to be you. He is staring at the darkness spreading outside. It must be getting to him. Rumor has it that after work, he leaps into his red Boxster and drives on the autobahn for hours at high speed.
The new project of The Haiku Foundation, Haiku for Parkinson’s was launched on the 17th of December 2023! I very much look forward to seeing it develop along the various themes and issues arising from Parkinson’s. The Introduction to the feature can be read by clicking here
I have copied it on this site too, see below.
Haiku for Parkinson’s is a feature of The Haiku Foundation, introducing haiku as a tool in the Parkinson’s toolbox, helping negotiate the challenges of the disease and improve quality of life. And, introducing Parkinson’s Disease (PD) to people living with haiku.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s Disease has mainly been attributed to the deterioration and eventual death of brain cells producing dopamine, important for organizing movement. This has been addressed by dopamine replacement therapy. Over the last few years, the role of dopamine and its involvement in the production of other brain chemicals has come to be understood better, leading to improved treatment of the many symptoms increasingly recognized to be part of the disease – over 40 and counting. Besides shaking, stiffness, difficulties with swallowing, problems with walking, balance, and coordination, there are also many ‘non-motor’ symptoms, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, apathy, insomnia, visual hallucinations. Moreover, several of the body’s autonomic functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, breathing, and digestion become compromised.
thud! a bird flies into a closed window
— Catherine Mair
While this is a formidable list, and at present there is no cure, several programs have been developed amounting to what is often referred to as the Parkinson’s toolbox. Creative therapies are becoming available, offering considerable benefits, including lifting mood, increasing energy and motivation, as well as adding to the paradoxical phenomenon of increased creativity reported by (some) people living with the disease (see Parkinson’s Europe, Parkinson’s Creativity).
Haiku for Parkinson’s (H4P)
Haiku poetry is being used by some people living with PD to support life with this condition. Its qualities include:
Brevity: Haiku can be written or read in a single sitting, enabling feelings of completeness and accomplishment.
Concentration: Concentrating on the moment and our embodied being, haiku anchors us in the world, providing a counterweight to ‘Parkinson’s moments’ – when one feels stuck or caught in acts such as buttoning a shirt or trying to turn over in bed.
Exercise of the mind: Crafting a haiku, in the effort of finding the images and rendering them in words that best convey the experience, exercises brain and mind.
dreaming of birdsong I wake to a wolf shaking me— tremors again!
— Tim Roberts
Connectedness: Writing and reading haiku involves attending to the relationship or interaction between writer and reader, and nature – restoring our connection to the world and so becoming a healing force.
Identity: haiku helps enable exploration of the self by overcoming the embarrassment and stigma of the disease, and coming to terms with the constant challenges faced …
Parkinson’s losing the power to be myself
— Catherine Mair
while making the various symptoms and the uncertain future manageable.
the last page missing from the library book— late autumn evening
— Stella Pierides
In the coming posts, we will hear more about the qualities, and practice, of haiku in supporting people living with PD. And we will be venturing into the realm of haiku’s partner, haibun: the marriage of haiku with prose.
Coming up next: British poet Tim Roberts, living in New Zealand, will be telling us about his haiku practice and how it helps him manage the condition.
References and Bios
“Thud!” and “Parkinson’s” in Catherine Mair, keeping my head above water, 2015. This chapbook is available from The Haiku Foundation Digital Library.
Catherine Mair was born on a winter’s night in the family’s farmhouse in 1938. She has been published widely locally and internationally. In later years she has gravitated to the Japanese forms of Haiku, Tanka, etc. She has grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the family has grown.
Tim Roberts was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 49 and has found freedom and joy in writing haiku and other Japanese-style short-form poems. He enjoys foraging for experiences and inspiration with his dog and lives a life that, he hopes, makes poetry inevitable. His book Busted! (Red Moon Press, 2023) is haiku and micro-poetry about his experience as a British police officer. Tim lives in New Zealand and is in awe of the scenery, wildlife, and southern stars. His favorite Maori phrase is ‘Kia kaha’, which means ‘stay strong’.
“the last page missing” in Stella Pierides, Frogpond 41.2 Spring/Summer 2018, p. 27
Parkinson’s Toolbox in Stella Pierides, Parkinson’s Toolbox: The Case for Haiku, 2022. Available from The Haiku Foundation Digital Library
Stella Pierides, who lives with Parkinson’s herself, is a writer and poet. Her books include Of This World (2017) and In the Garden of Absence (2012), both HSA Merit Book Award recipients. Her article “Parkinson’s Toolbox: The Case for Haiku” appeared in Juxtapositions: A Journal of Research and Scholarship in Haiku, issue 8, 2022.
Haiku for Parkinson’s is a feature of The Haiku Foundation, introducing haiku as a tool in the Parkinson’s toolbox, helping negotiate the challenges of the disease and improve quality of life. And, introducing Parkinson’s Disease (PD) to people living with haiku.
The first post will appear on Sunday 12/17/2023 and every few weeks thereafter.
Literature, Art, and Life through the Lens of Haiku
