Syllabics are just about impossible to hear in English. But they are certainly a measure, and they require more discipline in the line than does free verse -- getting the syllable count to match an effective line-break is hard. I'd vote for keeping them in the metrical section -- though I don't understand why one would write one other than as a sort of puzzle.
BTW, I agree with Julie about haiku in English. Traditional haiku are highly allusive, referring to texts and traditions of which most of us in the West have little knowledge. Western haiku generally retain only the syllable count and (sometimes) the seasonal reference, making depth of insight, image, or feeling nearly impossible in 17 syllables.
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