Our theme this month is Halloween icons. The tombstone is the ultimate Halloween icon. Grave markers give us information and no matter shape and size, they are last honors of the person the dead once were. Let’s be honest, some a little creepier than others.
creaky tombstones
under the pale moon
graveyard shuffling
Our theme this month is Halloween icons and what could be scarier than the scarecrow?
Our theme this month is Summerween.
glistening skin
sun-kissed death
poolside murder
This is the time of year we call Summerween. Ghosts are visiting empty pools. Witches are gathering their brewing tools, and insects…well, they’re doing whatever icky thing insects do. Yes, it’s sticky outside and if heat doesn’t kill us, or Covid, the nighttime creeps on the prowl surely will. Our theme this month is Summerween.
dirty leaf-filled pool
even ghosts like to swim
summerween
Our theme this month is campfire creatures.
musty pine cabin
a beast roams the campgrounds
summer’s first moon
Our theme this month is campfire creatures.
shadows in the night
don’t stray from the path
phantom camper
Our theme this month is campfire creatures. I came across the piece below from @JoseRealArt and was inspired to create a haiku:
nylon shadows
ancient curses never sleep
wendigo
For more artwork by JoseRealArt, please go here: https://www.deviantart.com/joserealart
Our theme is graveyard life.
ruffled feathers
a nice chat between old friends
crypt conversations
New month, new theme: Graveyard Life
pretty young girls
fresh flowers on the tombs
graveyard chatter
Recently, Halloween Haiku celebrated its 3rd anniversary. It’s been a quiet and subdued year, partly due to the pandemic, partly due to the fact that I’ve been unemployed since January. The job hunt takes up most of my energy, focus, and time these days. I had even toyed with the idea of shutting down, but decided to simplify instead. I post haiku every week. We’re not the biggest or the most exciting web blog, but who doesn’t need a little quiet contemplation every now and then?
I tried many times to hold events and do contests, but the truth is, I simply don’t have a big enough following to justify the costs. Given my current situation, I’m not going to try and rectify that anytime soon. We’ll see what the Halloween 2021 season brings.
Haiku is hard. I’m not even sure how good I am at it. It’s more than coming up with three lines. It’s about conveying emotion, feelings, and memories. Trying to conjure up connections through seventeen syllable poem and imagery is not a simple task either. True haiku is about nature. Senryu is less about nature and more about people. It’s often times witty or humorous. Most of my poems falls under the category of zappai, a seventeen syllable poem that does not match the format or characteristics of either haiku or senryu. I like writing halloween haiku, horror haiku, or dark haiku. I like writing in third person, say, from the witch’s point-of-view:
burning straw
escape the witch hunters
a magical broom
Maybe it’s no Matsuo Basho, but it’s not a haiku failure either. It’s just different. If you’re interested, you can learn more about zappai and other haiku styles here.
I want to thank my supporters, readers, and anyone who stops by to take a look at my little blog. I appreciate your time and energy. Here’s to another great year of Halloween Haiku.🎃
