Part of the Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009 (VECC) event is the interactive Haiku poetry competition. People interested in the country with an a creative edge can put their contributions up for the world to see.

It is a continuation of one of Lithuania's proudest traditions: poetry. The country prides itself on its poets and visitors will find that many of the statues and street names in the country are in homage to these masters of the language.

For those who don't know, Haiku poetry originates in Japan. The English adaptation of the style requires a three line poem with five, seven and five syllables per line respectively. Other interpretations have the simple rule of a maximum of 17 syllables. Of course poetry is a fluid art form and people have their own interpretations of it.

Here are some of the best poems from the contributions for VECC. Enjoy!

Vilnius alive
a child is born
history meets future

by Geert Snaet

one and same
a Lithuanian sky
shiver fever

by Irene Pittatore

Vilnius will always be there’
And I want to be in it
Nothing will change.

by Neda Malūnavičiūtė

Užupis morning
Locked in sight
Won‘t give it back.

by Renata V.

I will walk a narrow street
Back and forth.
The pain is over...

by Lukas Bakūnas

More haiku poems can be found at www.culturelive.lt by scrolling to the bottom and clicking on the haiku image (see top right of this blog entry), then selecting English language. You can also contribute your own poems there, or in the comments section of this blog.