This haiku is inspired by my adventures in Thailand in 2010. The sunsets in the south of Thailand are amazing, the vibrancy and variation of colors thrum deep in the soul. This particular picture was taken in a place called Railay, which is my number one recommendation for a place to visited in the south of the land of smiles.

The haiku follows the model of the Mizu No Oto - Haiku Contest, where a picture is used to prompt a haiku. In this case I have taken my prompt from the image used as a thumbnail and the memory it inspired.

The Mizu No Oto - Haiku Contest (linked above) contains a fantastic tutorial on the traditional aesthetics and technique of haiku, I recommend checking it out for a master class in that form of poetry.

In this haiku I have tried to adhere to the 2nd iteration of the toriawase stylistic model - toriawase with nibutsu shōgeki to the third ku.

To read more about the aesthetics of true haiku, and the difference between haiku and senryu, please check out my recent post Haiku Vs Senryu - The Aesthetics of Form.

The image used in this post is my own, taken when travelling in Thailand. If you have enjoyed this Haiku, please check out my other work on my homepage @raj808.