triveni spotlight: 9th September 2025
- Anju Kishore
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
triveni spotlight A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY hosts: Anju Kishore and Mohua Maulik GUEST EDITOR: Anju Kishore
9th September 2025
triveni spotlight September 2025
winter apples
past their prime—
the aroma of pie
Janice Doppler
“All you can do is follow the Daoist concept of wu-wei — actionless action, acting without trying to act.”
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Zoka
This month, the Spotlight is on Janice Doppler’s path-breaking compilation One Thread, Zoka in Contemporary Haiku published in 2024.
So what is zoka?
In her introduction, Janice says quoting Steven D. Carter, “the one thread” that runs through the work of the masters is a “commitment to zoka, the creative” — the dynamic spirit that transforms the natural world and the inner workings of the cosmos. Kala Ramesh in her foreword to the book says zoka is the creative force of nature and calls it “Prakriti”, an ever-changing aspect of reality as per ancient Hindu belief systems. She quotes Hiroyuki Murakami about working on zoka. “… this state can only be achieved when the haiku poet looks deeply toward nature that never stops changing and, in a sense, toward the universe, to the extent that he or she becomes assimilated with the subject.”
The book is a collection of haiku written by poets from around the world who have presented their views and their own previously published poems that best embody zoka as they understand it. City-bred poets as most of us are, we seek both muse and solace in our brick-and-mortar lives, and in the little nature it provides. Attention to zoka therefore, is a practice that becomes necessary to cultivate, a skill important to be honed. From this stimulating anthology, I have attempted to choose haiku that blur the line between humanity and nature in a way that binds all of creation with one thread — zoka. Also included is a quote from the write-up of each featured poet.
Anju Kishore
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I was sitting on my daughter's old-fashioned porch looking out at nothing buy grasses and trees and felt one of the happiest times of my life--just sitting, no agenda.
This haiku cane to me as I'd disappeared ( so to speak) into the day.
the ciccada in me
breathes in summer
breathes out
maybe not its final form but it was that simply and that joyful. It seems that experiencing whatever comes--"wu-wei" as Janice explains it below is what was happening.
Nice to read your comments here Janice!
My essay in One Thread focused on a day I went bird watching intending to experience whatever happened, and perhaps, compose some haiku. Contrary to my intention, I was in a place where special sightings sometimes happen and I wanted to see something special. Tension filled my body as I watched, waited.
Within my understanding of zoka, it is important to experience whatever comes so I whispered “wu wei - observe with wu wei.” I let go of wanting something special and slipped into acceptance of the flow of what was there. I became aware of beautiful colors all around me - fall foliage, drifting cloud shadows, and wind tumbled leaves that fluttered like butterflies.
I understand “wu…