HAIKU DIALOGUE – door to door – door prize
With a nod to ‘Haiku Windows’, a past feature from when I first began this column, & also an idea suggested a long time ago by poet Laurie Greer, for the next several weeks we will explore some concepts relating to doors. Be inspired by these prompts – I can’t wait to read where they take you – & please note that there is no requirement to include the words of the prompt in the poems… enjoy! kj
next week’s theme: doorway
The doorway is the entryway, the threshold one crosses to access another building, room, or state of mind… take another look at the photo that inspired the banner at the top of the post for inspiration (artist unknown)…
I look forward to reading your submissions.
The deadline is midnight Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday May 29, 2021.
Please use the Haiku Dialogue submission form below to enter one or two original unpublished haiku inspired by the week’s theme, and then press Submit to send your entry. (The Submit button will not be available until the Name, Email, and Place of Residence fields are filled in.) With your poem, please include any special formatting requirements & your name as you would like it to appear in the column. A few haiku will be selected for commentary each week. Please note that by submitting, you agree that your work may appear in the column – neither acknowledgment nor acceptance emails will be sent. All communication about the poems that are posted in the column will be added as blog comments.
below is the commentary for door prize:
raffle
how broad his smile
cress hedgehogDeborah Karl-Brandt
Bonn, Germany
It is unclear whether it is the hedgehog with the broad smile or whether it is the raffle winner, or perhaps it is someone else – the person selling the tickets? – a ‘gap’ left to be figured out. In any case, this reader also had a broad smile after googling ‘cress hedgehog’…
free draw
at a builder’s convention
I win the doorKaren Harvey
North Wales
Many poems this week are about the re-gifting of door prizes & the inappropriateness of many of them, often with a humorous slant. In this poem, ‘door’ could be a shortened form referring to a ‘door prize’, or it could be an actual door…
entering my
front door –
solitude the prizeLafcadio
USA
Here is a different take on the door prize – a positive outlook that introverts will understand, & it may be something that more people will be able to appreciate after the past year…
maternity ward –
two pink bows
behind the doorVincenzo Adamo
Sicily Italy
This is another delightful poem that takes the prompt in a new direction. The colour & the number of bows may have been a surprise, but many people would consider having even one healthy baby to be like winning the lottery…
& here are the rest of my selections:
door prize winner –the emcee asksif I donate to the needyAdjei Agyei-BaahGhana/New Zealandbluebell wood –being herea winning ticketAlan PeatBiddulph, Staffordshire, United Kingdomfront door widepreparation to move infresh airAlbert SchepersWindsor, Ontario, Canadapicked-over buffetthree tickets drawn beforethe door prize is claimedAlex FyffeUnited Statesthe threshold appearsand ends a long forest trek…sleeping beautyAlfred BoothColombes, Francedoor prize –so many dreamsdo not happenAna DrobotRomaniaan offerfor the best fireworks –parish partyAngiola IngleseItaliawindow moonshe wants that one last storybefore sleepAnitha VarmaKerala, Indiarandom drawhis numbersring a bellAnna YinOntario, Canadalast journey –papa’s travel voucherarrives just in timeArvinder KaurChandigarh, Indiadarknesssplitting open to lightfirst cryBidyut prabhaIndiadoor prizethe swallow feather fallsfrom the birdhouseBill FayFox Island, WA, USAtrick or treatshe spends morethan the door prizeBona M. SantosLos Angeles, CAno 29 hopes foranother gold cupfresh paint on the doorBrian OharegreenDevon Englanddoor prizethe fine artof regiftingBryan RickertBelleville, Illinois USAword searchthe winning ticket postednext doorCarol JonesWaleslucky staronce again my husbandwins the door prizeCynthia AndersonYucca Valley, Californiasurprise partya guest re-giftsthe door prizeDeborah P KolodjiTemple City, CaliforniaWaiting in linein front of the mallhealth at a discountDejan IvanovicLazarevac, Serbiadoor prizeanother chancenot to winDidimay D. DimacaliUSAsunshine –the raffle seller’s smileat the doorDorothy BurrowsUnited Kingdomend of the party –children’s bright eyeswith gift bagsElisa AlloSwitzerlandnext door prizenumber twenty-threesomewhere my ticketGermina MeliusSaint Luciagratta e vinci…la clemenzadella mia clessidrascratch and win…clemencyof my hourglassGiuliana RavagliaBologna, Italiaspring shower –my door adornedwith starsGordana VlašićCroatiaprize open—creak of rusted hingesGuy StephensonLetterkenny, Irelanda tablefull of strawberry sponges– PTA door raffleIngrid BaluchiNorth Macedoniadoor prizeon Open Wine Cellars DaycheersIvica MlinarCroatiasorority rusha door prizefor the unchosenJackie ChouPico Rivera, CA USAcraft bazaarlast year’s door prizerecycledJenn Ryan-JaureguiTucson, AZ. USACovid raffle –i gift my door prizeto the janitorJoe SebastianChennai, Indialeaving earlyI place my raffle ticketon the barJohn S GreenBellingham, WAarriving latewe both reach for the prizefightJohn HawkheadUKlast strawwe argue overwho gets the door prizeKeith EvettsThames Ditton, UKgallery openingthe chance to watch artistsdraw prizesLaurie GreerWashington, DChigh rise window box –gardening toolsre-raffledLorraine CareyIrelandhigh school reunionthe door prizethree sizes too smallLorraine PaddenSan Diego, Californiabachelors and spinsters balleveryone goes homewith a prizeLouise HopewellAustralialost door prizein my coat’s pocketssea salt grainsLuisa SantoroRome, Italythe door prizeugly dull statuea door stopLyntha NelsonColorado, USArescue raffle –where the prizedidn’t matterMadhuri PillaiAustralialonely nighta gift voucher on the doorlifts in the windManoj SharmaKathmandudoor prizefor the coffee drinker –tea cosyMargaret MahonyAustraliadoor prizeregiftinga hugMargaret WalkerLincoln, NE, USAchurch festivalmy mother wins door prizea man’s haircutMargie GustafsonLombard, ILat the entranceto the pharaoh’s tomb…a golden scarab beetleMark GilbertUKevery time she buysa door prize ticket…her last timeMeera RehmUKhigh school raffletaking home the prizeI didn’t winMike GallagherIrelanddoor prize…in the hillside cabina dried bouquetMilan RajkumarImphal, Indiadoor prizemy ticket is stainedwith ice creamMinal SaroshAhmedabad, Indiadoor prize –on the star mapthe name of the loveMinko TanevBulgariaprizesbehind door –bachelor partyMirela BrăileanRomaniacloudburst –monkey and meshare the same treeNeera KashyapIndiaa buzz of beeson the petaled thresholddoor prizeOrense NicodParis, Francedoor prize already regiftedP. H. FischerVancouver, Canadaa sunflowermy son’s faceon winning the door prizePadma RajeswariMumbai, Indialongest night4 am aurorainsomnia’s doorprizePam JoyDyea, Alaskafront row ticketsa concert I’llnever attendPat DavisPembroke, NH USApausing for a kissI still believeI won the lotteryPeggy Hale BilbroHuntsville, ALMary Kay partyI win a book inscribedto Harry JonesPris CampbellUSAbasket fullof sweet pastriessearching glucometerRam ChandranIndiadoor prize another toasterRehn KovacicMesa, AZlucky wheelthe pointer finally rests at‘try again’Richa SharmaIndiaspring carnivalmy chance to wina red bikeRoberta Beach JacobsonIndianola, IA, USAdivorce doneher birth namethe door prizeRoberta BearyCounty Mayo Irelandhis new trophy wifewins the door prize –a complete makeoverSari GrandstaffSaugerties, New Yorkdoor prizethe victory dance takes meon a nice journeySlobodan PupovacZagreb, Croatiathe door prizesoon forgottenwildflowersStephen A. PetersBellingham, Wa. USAdoor prize ticketalwaysone number offSusan FarnerUnited Statessurprise door prizeat the charity auctionI win my own bookSusan RogersLos Angeles, CAschool reunion –in lieu of a door prizesanitary masksTeiichi SuzukiJapansalvage shopthe door prize actuallya doorTom BierovicDeLand, FL, USAawards dinnerhis only prizefrom the raffleTracy DavidsonWarwickshire, UKwinning ticketand a rose for my little girldancing partyTsanka ShishkovaBulgariaraffle ticketsin my purse, mother’slucky broochVandana ParasharIndiathe prize out our door supermoonVictor OrtizBellingham, WAanother door prizeI count in the atticcoffee makersWiesław KarlińskiNamysłów, Poland
Lori Zajkowski is the Post Manager for Haiku Dialogue. A novice haiku poet, she lives in New York City.
Managing Editor Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, and her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019). Find her at: kjmunro1560.wordpress.com.
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This Post Has 17 Comments
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Lovely collection, so much fun to read all the poems. Thanks for including mine.
So many “winners” here…with humor and realities of re-gifting prizes no one really wants. Except for those few who really wanted to win a particular door prize. Roberta Jacobson’s red bike comes to mind. All I ever wanted as a kid was a red bike (those were normally boys’ bikes, girls got blue ones) so understand her longing. Thanks to my husband, I finally have one, an e-bike on which I fell and broke my wrist shortly after receiving it…and NO, I was not using electricity at the time; I just fell off the sidewalk and over-corrected landing on top of my hand, which I used to break my fall. Also found Roberta Beary’s return to a maiden name so appropriate as well. To this day, I use my maiden name for my writing.
Well done to all of you.
Lovely collection, enjoyed reading all the poems. Thanks for including mine.
Congratulations to all the poets! Many thanks to K.j. for including my poem and to Lori for the column’s administration. Another eclectic mix of thought-provoking responses. One I particularly enjoyed this week was…
the door prize
soon forgotten
wildflowers
Stephen A. Peters
Bellingham, Wa. USA
This poem intrigues me as it has several possible meanings. For me, it suggests that the best possible prize is having an opportunity to enjoy the natural world. Fab!
I look forward to next week’s responses.
Hi Dorthy,
I agree with you. This one gives me the same sensation of the real prize is the outdoors:
.
the prize out our door supermoon
.
Victor Ortiz
Bellingham, WA
.
And, hey, they are both from the same city—where I live—a beautiful place.
I love this one too!
I enjoyed reading everyone’s contributions. Congratulations all
Anitha
Thanks so much for the nice comment, Mark. So glad that you liked work.
Anitha Varma.
Many thanks Lori and kj for including my haiku. My favourite this week has been Anitha Varma’s
window moon
she wants that one last story
before sleep
which has nice assonance and consonance. I also can see another line break after ‘one’.
Just wished to add that I enjoyed your poem too. Thanks, Mark Gilbert.
Regards, Anitha.
death’s door
blessed second chances
I have won
Thank you kj for including my haiku. Great reading ! Delighted to be among these poets.
An interesting selection, I enjoyed reading. Thank you for selecting my haiku.
So pleased to have a haiku included in The Haiku Foundation’s-Haiku Dialogue selection. Thank you, Kj and Lori Zajkowski. Congratulations to all my friends in haiku!
school reunion –
in lieu of a door prize
sanitary masks
/
Teiichi Suzuki
Japan
/
Life goes on during the pandemic.
A selection with many interesting and original lines. Thanks for including mine.
Thank you Kathy for including my haiku here! I feel like I won a door prize. So many haiku I really love here just cannot pick favorites. I love how my haiku was preceded by this excellent one by Roberta Beary. They seem to go together:
divorce done
her birth name
the door prize
Roberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland