HAIKU DIALOGUE – door to door – doorman
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: doorknob
The handle of a door is often round & turns to open or close the door – it can be used to hang things from (like a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign) – &, when used to refer to a person, this word is not a compliment…
I look forward to reading your submissions.
The deadline is midnight Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday May 08, 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Please use the Haiku Dialogue submission form below to enter one or two original unpublished haiku inspired by the week’s theme, and then press Submit to send your entry.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 doorman:
unemployment line
the furloughed doorman
holds open spaceLamart Cooper
Virginia
So many of the poems this week reference the pandemic in varied ways – here a doorman may have been affected, temporarily we hope – in any case, line 3 can be read in different ways with ‘holds open’ & ‘open space’…
high rise doorman knowing all the stories
Laurie Greer
Washington DC
In this poem, a key detail is provided by the inclusion of the words ‘high rise’. The play is with ‘stories’ or ‘storeys’ – of course, the doorman knows the layout of the building, but the doorman may also know more about the inhabitants than they realize…
memorial fund –
i learn my doorman’s
last nameRoberta Beary
County Mayo, Ireland
One of the most important aspects of a haiku is the gap that a poet leaves for the reader to figure out. With a few well-chosen words, this poet sets up the gap with line 1, so that by the end of the poem the reader can feel its full impact…
windy day the ghost doorman arrives
Seretta Martin
United States
Again, the gap is evident in the poem, so the reader can picture the movement of the door in the wind without any of that scene actually stated in words…
opening and closing
opening and closing
the doorman’s smileTom Bierovic
DeLand, FL, USA
A large number of poems this week combined the doorman with a smile. The repetition of ‘opening and closing’ is effective because of the nature of the work, & can refer to both the door & the smile…
& here are the rest of my selections:
muttering thunder
a doorman’s smile
behind the maskAgus Maulana Sunjaya
Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
Hecate’s yew
beside the garden gate
allows the moon to enterAlan Harvey
Tacoma, WA
anniversary night
the doorman’s
automatic handsAlex Fyffe
United States
entrance 19 –
COVID 19 passes
by the doormanAljoša Vuković
Šibenik, Croatia
i meditate to check … my thoughts
Amrutha Prabhu
Bengaluru, India
doorman…
in my native language
first helloAna Drobot
Romania
day hospital…
returning to the hotel
I feel at homeAngiola Inglese
Italia
graveyard gargoyle –
the doorman waiting
to receive youAnna Cates
Wilmington, Ohio
after you…
the old tenant escalates
to unknown new doormanAnna Yin
Ontario, Canada
snowflakes falling
from his walrus moustache…
the doorman’s bowArvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
welcome mat
gathers dust
… the doorman snoozesBaisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India
old doorman
secrets coming and going
in his sleepBarrie Levine
Wenham MA United States
sudden flurry –
the doorman appears,
disappearsBeki Reese
United States
winter rain
at the theatre door the homeless man
adjusts his capBen Oliver
Stroud, England
in the twilight
will I ever be ready
when the Gatekeeper callsBona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
his Sunday best
the Deacon holds the door
for every widowBryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois USA
missing doorman
just scan and sanitise
to enterCarol Reynolds
Australia
get it yourself
I’m not the doorman
teenaged kidsCharles Harmon
Los Angeles, California USA
doorman –
groping for welcome words
in a strange languageCristina Povero
Italy
doorman
letting the cat in
then outCynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
snoring
while standing –
doormanDan Campbell
Virginia
masked doorman
relieved of his duty
to smileDana Rapisardi
United States
rainy day –
just the smile
of the doormanDaniela Lacramioara Capota
Romania
late night –
the familiar face
of the doormanDaniela Misso
Umbria Italy
doorman’s respite
pandemic
lockdownDidimay D. Dimacali
Norwalk, California USA
night shift
the old doorman
reads the starsflorin c. ciobica
Romania
a doorman
the cat becomes
with every knockGermina Melius
Saint Lucia
portinaia…
sulla soglia del condominio
pettegolezzi e fioriconcierge…
on the threshold of the condominium
gossip and flowersGiuliana Ravaglia
Bologna, Italia
doorman
with disinfectant –
smell of applesGordana Vlašić
Croatia
the uniformed arm
from lobby to cab
the city opensGreer Woodward
Waimea, HI
second job
waking the dozing
doormanHelen Ogden
Pacific Grove, CA USA
flute sound…
a doorman unlocks
spring morningIvan Gaćina
Zadar, Croatia
closed bank –
a circus poster
on its glass doorJianqing Zheng
Itta Bena, Mississippi
graveyard gate
a crow waits for me to croak
the passwordJohn Hawkhead
UK
doorman absent –
scratches on the door…Jorge Alberto Giallorenzi
Chivilcoy. Bs.As. Argentina
my 6 year old
proud class doorman tour guide
hides the snacksKath Abela Wilson
United States
smiling eyes
greet me
opening doorsKathleen Mazurowski
Chicago, IL
family dinner…
she turns into a doorman
waiting for her sonKavitha Sreeraj
Hyderabad, India
afternoon gust
the doorman lets in a guest
& a sycamore leafKeiko Izawa
Japan
spring thunder
opening the door
to hear the rainKeith Evetts
Thames Ditton, UK
doorman
opens for me
empty eyesKiti Saarinen
Finland
nodding at
the doorman
a door opensLafcadio
USA
the doorman
in King Akbar’s attire
a day in museumLakshmi Iyer
India
small town…
the hotel doormen
aka bouncersLiz Ann Winkler
White Rock, BC, Canada
pale moon –
I echo the sly look
of the doormanLuisa Santoro
Rome, Italy
dandelions
the cheap motel
with a doorpersonM. R. Defibaugh
Virginia
Templo Fushimi Inari Taisha –
the fixed eyes of the kitsune(kitsune: Japanese foxes, also shapeshifters in folklore)
M. Julia Guzmán
Córdoba, Argentina
new variants…
a familiar gatekeeper’s
strange questioningManoj Sharma
Kathmandu
collecting material
for the book…
doormanMargaret Mahony
Australia
lockdown
only a pigeon
at the hotel doorMarilyn Ashbaugh
United States
sand in the luggage
I wave the last farewell
to the hotel doormanMarina Bellini
Italy
the doorman’s discretion kissing the threshold
Mark Gilbert
UK
delivery again…
the condo doorman knows
all my food choicesMaya Daneva
The Netherlands
covid masking
the doorman’s eyes
smile with mineMeera Rehm
UK
waiting for his wife
to open the front door –
doormanMilan Rajkumar
Imphal, India
museum doorman
the boy halts to admire
his moustacheMinal Sarosh
Ahmedabad, India
hotel in space
distant galaxies
open doorsMinko Tanev
Bulgaria
the admiring gaze
of a homeless man –
the doorman’s suitMirela Brăilean
Romania
our doorman –
the only one
who knows my nameMona Iordan
Bucharest, Romania
late meeting
passing unnoticed
by the doormanNadejda Kostadinova
Bulgaria
doorman job…
will they address me Ms Door
if hiredNatalia Kuznetsova
Russia
night porter
everytime who opens the door
look at the starsNazarena Rampini
Italy
new doorman
he practices a bow
to himselfNeena Singh
Chandigarh, India
VIPs
and common people
broad-shouldered bouncerOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
the doorman
tips his top hat
plum petalP. H. Fischer
Vancouver, Canada
escorting each guest
with an umbrella
the drenched doormanPadma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
the doorman
he comes alive
with every arrival and departurePadmini Krishnan
Singapore
a doorman’s fur hat –
carrying in thoughts
of palm treesPaul Cordeiro
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
in full uniform
the commander
at the high-rise doorPaul Geiger
Sebastopol CA
stopped by the doorman rain waiting to fall
Pippa Phillips
United States
Upper East Side
the doorman prays
for a safe dayPris Campbell
USA
the doorman
hides a smirk…
the hole in my shawlPriti Aisola
Hyderabad, India
leaving office…
i take the doorman’s smile
to homeR. Suresh Babu
India
distant memories
doorman reveals she
no longer lives hereRehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ
caught between
catching the glass door
or chase the doorman’s capRon Scully
Manchester NH
passing the doorman
her spine stretches
an extra inchSandra St-Laurent
Yukon, Canada
warming up
to frozen smiles
doormanSherry Grant
New Zealand
open mouthed
a shishi dog holds the door
for lightningsimonj
UK
door security
somebody forgot to tell
the virus passing byStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, Wa. USA
detectives seek
information
the doormanSusan Farner
United States
welcoming spring
the doorman opens the door
for the butterflySusan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA
abandoned hotel
doorman’s greeting
from afarTeiichi Suzuki
Japan
hotel entrance
the doorman’s smile
escapes his maskTeji Sethi
India
the doorman
faking sincerity
epauletsTim Cremin
Massachusetts
all employees know
the April Fool’s joke –
from the doormanTomislav Maretić
Zagreb, Hrvatska
hailstones
doorman lets
a stray inTomislav Sjekloća
Cetinje, Montenegro
winter welcome
not rich enough
for the doorman’s smileTracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK
haiku quest
Basho gives directions
to the pondValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
night shift
I get an extra coffee
for the doormanVandana Parashar
India
at our door man of war
Victor Ortiz
Bellingham, WA
hotel by the hour
the porter hangs up a plaque:
I will be right backVincenzo Adamo
Sicily Italy
hesitant entry
doorman’s uniform
my plain clothesVishnu Kapoor
Chennai, India
first time in a hotel
my two-year-old son
salutes the doormanWiesław Karliński
Namysłów, Poland
doorman
the many secrets
I keepWillie Bongcaron
Philippines
a doorman
first showing of my covid passportZdenka Mlinar
Hrvatska
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.
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy.
Please note that all poems & images appearing in Haiku Dialogue may not be used elsewhere without express permission – copyright is retained by the creators. Please see our Copyright Policies.
This Post Has 30 Comments
Comments are closed.
Thank you kj for including my haiku this week. I very much enjoyed all of the haiku you chose.
Thank you for including my poem in the selection ! Feeling so honoured!
Congratulations to all poets and poetesses, so many wonderful images raising from the guardian-of-the-door.
One that I particularly liked for its simplicity was Susan Roger’s haiku as it reminded me of all the time a doorman must be on a watch for something to happen, to anticipate everybody’s needs and movements and there, in such a vigilant state, he/she might feel the urge to open the door even for a wandering butterfly to come in, as it is almost a reflex to be responsible for a smooth sailing through the doors of life. I also imagined it as a kind gesture, welcoming the poetry in 😉 As poets, aren’t we all doormen welcoming our own butterflies during ginko walks?
welcoming spring
the doorman opens the door
for the butterfly
Susan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA
Thank you so very much Sandra for your encouraging words. I like your idea that we are all doormen on our respective gingko walks welcoming the fluttering wings of spring.
I also enjoyed the stretch in your haiku!
Blessings to you!!
Such lovely collection, ones I strongly connected are:
high rise doorman knowing all the stories
Laurie Greer
Washington DC
night shift
I get an extra coffee
for the doorman
Vandana Parashar
India
passing the doorman
her spine stretches
an extra inch
Sandra St-Laurent
Yukon, Canada
Thanks for including mine, honoured.
Padma
Thank you Padma!
Many thanks, Padma!
Thank you, kjmunro, for choosing my haiku. I had so much fun to read many fine poems here.
Khaterine Munro y Loris Zajkowski impeccable selection of haiku! Thank you
Congratulations to all the poets in the column! I enjoyed reading the entire selection. I particularly liked these two verses because of their strong cinematic images…
snowflakes falling
from his walrus moustache…
the doorman’s bow
Arvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
afternoon gust
the doorman lets in a guest
& a sycamore leaf
Keiko Izawa
Japan
I look forward to reading next week’s selection!
Thank you Dorothy! So glad you like it!!
An excellent selection of haiku and senryu! Thank you for your continued work, KJ and to you Lori for your selections. I missed this week, but have already sent in my poems for next week.!
Thank you, kjmunro, for choosing my haiku for this week’s selection. Among the many fine poems, the following one stands out for me:
afternoon gust
the doorman lets in a guest
& a sycamore leaf
Keiko Izawa
Japan
Thank you, Lori, too, and congratulations to all the poets.
Well said!
I love this image too! Lovely and surprising uninvited guest 😉
Delicate yet powerful image. I agree with your comment!
Thank you Sandra!!
Thank you Mona. I really appreciate your comment!!
Thank you, kjmunro, for including my poem with so many other wonderful entries. I would like to briefly comment on two.
.
collecting material
for the book…
doorman
Margaret Mahony
Australia
.
I love the ambiguity of this poem, how it can be read in several ways. In the most straightforward reading, the speaker is getting ideas for a book from a doorman while staying at a hotel. But reading the doorman as an aspiring writer working the job to pay bills while he gathers experiences and stories for his calling changes it completely, commenting on how artistic types often spend long years doing jobs just so they can survive and gain experiences until their ship comes in. But in my favorite reading of the poem, the author is commenting on how everyone seems to joke “I could write a book!” An experienced doorman seems like the type to make that offhanded remark, the “Oh the stories I could tell” kind of guy. Walking by, you ask what he’s been up to, and he responds with a wry grin, “Oh, just collecting material for the book!” And he probably could write a book, too, but, like most people, he probably won’t.
.
hailstones
doorman lets
a stray in
Tomislav Sjekloća
Cetinje, Montenegro
.
This poem also plays with ambiguity to an extent–does the doorman accidentally let in a stray hailstone, or does he intentionally let in a stray animal? But I think this poem has one correct answer, that the doorman’s sympathy for a stray cat or dog has led him to bring the poor animal in out of the bad weather. It shows the doorman as a kindly figure who wants to aid the downtrodden when he can, perhaps feeling more of an affinity with the directness of animals than with some of the people trying to come in through his door.
What a delightful collection this week. Thoughtful, playful, and a few even sad. Congratulations to the poets. Maybe next week my Internet won’t conk out so that I can submit. Oh well, nice to enjoy these. Thanks KJ for reading and selecting haiku for this column each week. What an amazing job you do.
Thank you for including my verse and for the additional comments. As always, I enjoy reading the interesting and varied response from poets from all parts of the globe. Great job!
Thanks Kathy for such a varied and interesting selection. I’m amazed at so many different takes on ‘doorman’! ‘Doorknob’ will be another challenge…
In case of cultural differences, ‘to croak’ used in my haiku can mean ‘to die’ in the UK as well as making a rasping sound – I’m not sure if that translates around the world?
John – I also wanted to comment that your poem reminded me of the featured image for this column – it doesn’t show on this page, but elsewhere on The Haiku Foundation website where Haiku Dialogue is mentioned – it is a photo I took in northern Canada (Fort McPherson, NWT), of 2 ravens having a conversation in a graveyard… kj
Thank you, Kathy. And a special appreciation to all the cat related haiku. Such a creative response. I look forward to what all these creative minds can do with the next prompt.
doorman job…
will they address me Ms Door
if hired
/
Natalia Kuznetsova
Russia
/
This haiku poses a thought-provoking question. What do you call a female
doorman?
It’s almost a perfect Pacman reference, isn’t it? I think the allusion “Ms. Doorman” would strengthen the theme of how society has traditionally labeled women only in connection to male counterparts (the way Pacman became Ms. Pacman, instead of Pacwoman).
Thank you kj for including my haiku. So many creative approaches again this week. I also loved Tom Bierovic’s expertly done
opening and closing
opening and closing
the doorman’s smile
and Angiola Inglese’s haiku below, in which the doorman is one of the many things in the gap between lines 1 and 2:
day hospital…
returning to the hotel
I feel at home
Thank you Lori and Kathy for accepting my haiku. Such a pleasure to enjoy all poets.
Thanks, Lori Zajkowski, and Katherine Munro for including me in this week’s selection!
Another fantastic haiku collection for me to relax … thank you so much, Ms. Munro, for choosing also mine and congratulations to such a nice and smart family of poets… Ciao a tutti!
Kathy, thank-you for selecting my haiku this week. Thank-you also to Lori and all the others at the Haiku Foundation for their efforts to promote haiku. Congrats to all the poets.
Equally happy each time when I’m selected with a haiku here! A lot of great haiku, again. It’s a pleasure to read them all. Congratulations to all dear poets.
Many thanks, Lori Zajkowski, and Katherine Munro!
Good day Ms Munro,
Thank you for selecting my Haiku poems.