what’s a haiku?

a haiku - as it’s known in western culture, and in it’s simplest definition - is a short, three line poem consisting of a five-seven-five syllable count. the form originated in japan, but has since spread across many languages and cultures. there is more information on the different styles and traditions of haiku on the haiku wikipedia page. also, “what’s a haiku?”. seriously, you need to get out more.

That paragraph, written as a haiku, would be:

haiku: short poem
three lines in five / seven / five
wikipedia

how do i submit a haiku?

using the submit page.

why doesn’t my haiku post right away?

all haikus go through moderator approval, just to make sure that they’re actually haikus. once we figure out how to write code that can count syllables and judge artistic merit, then we can fire the moderators.

we also tend to stagger publication in order to provide a more even stream of content - but that’s not as humorous, so we won’t mention it.

does my haiku need to be about a breakup?

well… yeah.
that said, we place no restrictions on the nature of the breakup, how long the relationship lasted, what feelings are expressed or how many people where involved in the whole thing. also, we don’t place any restrictions on the subject matter of haikus that aren’t submitted to this site.

why did you change my haiku?! how dare you infringe on my artistic expression of heartache!

yeah… well… 5 / 7 / 5. it’s the law. we will either edit or ignore any haiku submitted that doesn’t follow the 5 / 7 / 5 format. yes, there are plenty of “nuku” styles that abandon tradition, but we here at haikubreakup like our tea, green and ceremonied; and our samurais, honorable or seppukued. So mind your syllables if you wish to avoid our mighty red fude.