Turtle and Frogs

Turtle and Frogs
In shallows,
a turtle among
frenzied frogs.
14 April 2018
My idea of how to write a “proper” haiku in English. English is a more concise language than Japanese, so you should be allowed fewer syllables. The season is implicit. The nature reference is elliptical; to understand it, you need to know a little about what frogs I mean and how they behave. And of course, as with any proper haiku, every word is significant in suggesting further meaning. Line breaks must add something, so it is intended to be read with a slight pause at the end of each line.