I’ve gotten really into Japanese and Japanese derived verse forms...mostly in patternings of 5 and 7 syllables. It seems to give me a lot of useful structure without interfering with my image flow like some of the rhyming forms do.
Indeed, the Haiku and the Tanka are wonderful forms, setting firm forms, and yet letting you make the poem unique and yours.
Some think the 5,7,5 syllable count enough, while other think the 3,5,3 form sounds more oriental (What ever that’s supposed to mean?) Both are challenging, especially with the last line to have some reference to nature.
Joining a 5,7,5 form (Haiku) with two 7,7 count lines (Tanka) and continuing on in that form gives one a unique structure to tell a story with a bit of work. I think more people should try the two forms, they are surprisingly flexible and fun.