spiral journal this bit of the galaxy
This mixed media collage is 11×14, made with acrylic paint, paper and glue on cradled wood. © Annette Makino 2025
It was almost midnight on February 18, 2023. My back was injured from repeatedly picking up our elderly dog Misha. I was lying in bed with one of the large spiral-bound notebooks I use for journaling. Feeling sore and tired, I didn’t have anything profound to say, so I just wrote about the moment: journaling about my wee life despite my stunning insignificance in the grand scheme of things. The first draft read:
spiral notebook
these random jottings in this bit
of galaxy
This felt very awkward, but it had potential. I cut “these” but it was still clunky. Next I tried:
spiral notebook
recording my small part
of the galaxy
I crossed out “small” but it still seemed too long and too obvious. I gave up for the time being.
The next day, I came back to it with fresh eyes. Changing “notebook” into “journal” covered the journaling aspect without having to detail it. And instead of hitting readers over the head with my point, the new, condensed version gave them a little something to work out. I changed “part” for “bit” because it sounded smaller.
The haiku was now so short that I thought it worked better as a one-liner, or “monoku.” In English-language haiku, this is a popular variation from the typical three lines. The poem now read:
spiral journal my bit of the galaxy
Three weeks later, I submitted it to the esteemed journal Modern Haiku, and happily, editor Paul Miller accepted it for the summer 2023 edition.
Last month, while perusing my haiku collection to find good subjects for haiga (art combined with haiku), this one spoke to me. But I’d noticed that many of my poems are in the first person. For pieces that will go into my annual calendar, I worry that too many “I” poems could seem too self-involved; I would rather include the reader. So for the haiga version, I changed “my” to “this.”
Now I wonder if my meaning is less clear in this version, but I guess that’s OK; each reader can interpret it as they wish. There are plenty of haiku that I find mysterious but interesting, as long as they aren’t completely obscure.
The art came together quickly using acrylic paint, paper I had painted black and archival white and silver gel pens for the gazillion stars. In my informal focus group last month, this simple but powerful image (without the words) was the top choice for the cover of my 2026 calendar. It’s also the featured art for November.
Oy vey, that was a lot of verbiage about a seven-word haiku! You can see how much effort can go into this shortest form of poetry. It reminds me of the 1657 quote from Blaise Pascal, often misattributed to Mark Twain: “I would have written a shorter letter, but did not have the time.”
I guess I buried my lead: the 2026 Makino Studios calendar of art and haiku is back from the printer and available online! These will make their way into local stores over the next couple of months. I’m really happy with this collection of twelve new mixed media collages and I hope you enjoy it.
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Makino Studios News
NEW! 2026 calendar: Featuring peaceful landscapes and animals, my 2026 mini-calendars of art and haiku are still just $12 each, same as the first one in 2013. These little calendars of my mixed media collages make great gifts for friends and family.
NEW! Holiday notecard sets: I’ve designed two new notecard sets for the holidays: one featuring the galaxy art above and reading “PEACE”, and another with a happy dog reading “joy to the world.” I also offer several other notecard sets for everyday and holidays. A box of eight cards with kraft envelopes is $20.
NEW! Custom cat print: By customer request, I’m offering custom prints of a tuxedo cat catching falling leaves, printed to order in several size options. You can browse all my prints here. Let me know if you have a favorite piece not shown that you’d like to order as a print.
Haiku North America: I’m really looking forward to this bi-annual gathering of haiku poets in San Francisco Sept. 24-28. I will read a few of my poems as part of one session and my books, calendars, notecard sets and art will be available for sale at the conference.
Journey to Japan: I’m heading to Japan Oct. 13-30! The trip will include a six-day walking tour in northern Honshu, following in the footsteps of famed haiku poet Basho and his disciple Sora, who spent five months in 1689 walking there; the trip resulted in Basho’s seminal book of haibun and haiku, Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Makino Studios orders will be on break: Makino Studios orders will not be shipped during my two trips. I am sorry for the inconvenience.