Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 87 It’s time for our second year of the MS Haiku Contest! Haiku is a form of poetry that consists of a verse of 17 syllables split up into three lines as follows: Line One: 5 Syllables Line Two: 7 Syllables Line Three: 5 Syllables You can get creative with punctuation and capitalization, and your poem doesn’t have to rhyme; however, it does have to be an original creation! Here is an example: The sun shines brightly The sun shines bright ly (5) Its rays dance upon my skin Its rays dance up on my skin (7) And warmth surrounds me And warmth surr ounds me (5) Here’s our challenge to you: Tell us about what life with MS is like for you in the form of a haiku! Your haiku must fall into one of the following four categories related to living with MS: Positive thinking and humor: We’re all familiar with the idea that attitude is everything. How do you put a positive spin on living with MS and its challenges? How do you use laughter as your best medicine in your journey through life with MS? Self-Image: Who are you? How would you describe your reality to someone else? You have MS, but you are still you. Tell us about who you are and how you see yourself. MS-free zone: Rosalind C. Kalb, PhD, who developed the concept of the MS-free zone, explains it as “…anything that allows a person to find respite – however momentary – from the intrusion of MS in his or her life.” What or who serves as your personal MS-free zone? What does it feel like when you are in that MS-free space? Hopes, dreams, and goals: What do you wish for your future? Who do you want to be and what do you want to accomplish? Feel free to share any hopes, dreams, and goals you have for yourself here. Ask friends and family to help, and feel free to send in more than one entry. Bonus points to those who submit a haiku for each category! Remember to make sure all entries follow the 5-7-5 syllable rule. Contest winners will see their name and haiku featured in our next issue, and a random drawing of the winning entries will be chosen to receive a $25 gift card! Submit your MS haiku to: EmpowerSource Support Group News, 6520 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. All entries must be postmarked no later than July 25. Happy writing!