Let’s give a warm welcome to Carol Ann Starr, our newest guest haiku’er.

Carol Ann is a woman in need of some peace and quiet. She is a single mother of two teenagers who works as a nurse. Luckily, she has haiku. Writing haiku has brought a sense of calm into her life.

Here’s what she had to say about the act of haiku:

I enjoy the process of writing haiku as it allows me to slow my otherwise hectic pace.

Now that haiku is a part of my life, I find that I am much more aware of sights, sounds and small details, whether they are a flower, a bird, a smile, or something as mundane as working on my computer.

Because of the short length of haiku, I can write one most any time of the day and can incorporate a wide variety of subject matters.

I tend to follow the rule of 5-7-5 syllables closely, but do not adhere to nature themed poems exclusively.

I write haiku for the enjoyment of it but also use it as a learning tool to further expand my knowledge.

While I appreciate the traditional haiku of the Japanese Masters, I enjoy writing contemporary haiku with my subjects ranging from nature’s beauty to works of art to the common activities of daily life.

I wrote this series of haiku, which I call “Virus,” at a recent, frustrating time in my life. My computer contracted a virus at the same time my daughter was diagnosed with mononucleosis.

Check back all week long to see how Carol Ann coped with two viruses at the same time!