If you’re in search of serenity, you can find a piece of it with a haiku hike through downtown Tucson.
Twenty haiku poems are now on display through June 1, printed on acrylic signage and placed in planters along Congress and Stone Avenue.
The pieces were submitted as part of the fifth annual Haiku Hike literary competition, put on by Downtown Tucson Partnership and the University of Arizona Poetry Center.
This year’s theme: serenity.
“To me, serenity is about the acceptance of things outside of our control, and the faith that our challenges will strengthen and prepare us for a better life,” said Kathleen Eriksen, president and CEO of Downtown Tucson Partnership.
A haiku is a Japanese poem of 17 syllables in three lines of five, seven and five. Haiku depicts a concise sentiment with rich imagery revolving around seasonal topics.
This year’s contest drew 2,069 submissions, 1,385 of which came from Tucson. Twenty-nine states and 27 countries were represented in the entries, which were judged by Tucson’s Poet Laureate, TC Tolbert.
For more information, visit downtowntucson.org/haikuhike.
Built in the 1920s, the Valley National Bank building sits in the heart of downtown Tucson. With its unique architecture, the bank has been through lots of changes and is currently the Chase Bank building. Video by Pascal Albright/ Arizona Daily Star
