HAIKU DIALOGUE – door to door – doorway & Introduction to Paradigm Shift
door to door & Introduction to Paradigm Shift with Guest Editor Craig Kittner
Thanks again everyone for the kind comments over the last two months – & I take full responsibility for all the poems I overlooked – poems that were deserving of inclusion here, but for whatever reason were not included…
I now slip behind the scenes once again as we all welcome guest editor Craig Kittner back to this space with the launch of ‘Paradigm Shift’ – happy writing! kj
“Learn about pines from the pine,” Bashō advised.
Why do you think he said that?
Animism is a birthright of haiku.
However, western culture, despite all its scientific knowledge, tends to put human experience on some rarefied plane, separate and above all the other beings and forces of the universe. An ego-laden, anthropocentric attitude that would write off learning from the pine as anthropomorphism and personification.
How does this impact your writing?
Can you shift your perspective away from the human and dress yourself in the consciousness of another form?
next week’s theme: the travels of rain
When a raindrop hits the ocean, does it cease to exist as rain? From evaporation, to clouds, to puddles, lakes, and rivers; what is this thing called rain, and where is it headed?
The deadline is midnight Eastern Daylight Time, Saturday June 05, 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Please use the Haiku Dialogue submission form below to enter one or two original unpublished haiku inspired by the week’s theme, and then press Submit to send your entry.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 kj’s commentary for doorway:
averting eyes
at the doorway –
therapist’s officeBarrie Levine
Wenham MA USA
What a believable scenario of professional conduct & discretion – two people cross paths, but neither wants to acknowledge the other, or maybe even admit that they are there themselves – the poet notices & captures a haiku moment…
empty nest the silence from our doorway
Bona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
This poem can be interpreted at least two ways – once the baby birds have flown, the nest is quiet, as is the house without children…
bricked up old doorway
echoes of horse hooves
on cobblesMark Gilbert
UK
Here the historical references paint a picture, & with the alliteration of ‘bricked’, ‘echoes’, & ‘cobbles’, & the lovely ‘horse hooves’, not to mention the rhythm & the actual sounds described in the poem – all combine for a well-crafted scene…
canvassing coolness in the doorway
P. H. Fischer
Vancouver
The poet manages in very few words to convey more than one possibility in this poem – is it the actual temperature (an air-conditioned home on a hot day? or cold air entering the house?) or is the political climate being described here?
office doorway
pasting on
my interview smileSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, New York
In this poem the reader finds an example of the doorway representing that liminal, in-between space – a wonderful place to find haiku. The selection of the words ‘pasting’ & ‘interview’ to describe this particular smile changes the tone of the poem – again, word choice can make such a difference!
& here are the rest of the selections:
a crack on the wall –
the ins and outs
of my nature friendsAdjei Agyei-Baah
Ghana/New Zealand
winter gust
up to the doorway
father’s shadowAgus Maulana Sunjaya
Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
pausing
in the doorway
the Milky WayAlan Peat
Biddulph, United Kingdom
in the doorway
a homeless man argues
with himselfAlbert Schepers
Windsor, ON
poor house –
freshly painted
doorwayAljoša Vuković
Šibenik, Croatia
hugs and few stories
a doorway to
her soft silent sleepAmrutha Prabhu
Bengaluru, India
doorway…
your first words
for meAna Drobot
Romania
petals in the wind –
enter once again
in your thoughtsAngiola Inglese
Italia
through the rabbit hole
I become a young lady
overnightAnitha Varma
Kerala, India
empty doorway
still stepping over
my dog’s shadowAnn K. Schwader
Westminster, CO
greeting
at the doorway
our shadows partingAnna Yin
Ontario, Canada
her hennaed feet
across the threshold…
the music of ankletsArvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
sliver of light
under the doorway…
bookworms never sleepBaisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India
Buddha’s eyes
closed to open
the mind’s eyeBidyut prabha
Bhubaneswar, India
at the seashore
my grandchildren’s sand-prints
cross my thresholdBill Fay
Fox Island, WA, USA
classroom door
I put on
my teacher faceBryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois USA
haiku
my doorway
to the worldCarol Reynolds
Australia
Like teenagers
Blushing as we meet
In the doorwayCatherine Brennan
Ireland
standing between
future and past
Janus GeminusCharles Harmon
Los Angeles, California USA
discovering
my imagination
ekphrasisClaire Vogel Camargo
United States
ex daughter-in-law –
grandma blocks
the doorwayCynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
dust gathering
on the chin-up bar
in the doorwaydan campbell
Virginia
my old school –
I’m too tall
for the doorwayDaniela Lăcrămioara Capotă
Romania
a jasmine
on my threshold…
night scentDaniela Misso
Italia
bookshelf –
a doorway which leads
to my worldDanijela Grbelja
Sibenik, Croatia
hidden world
the troll in her garden
sticks out his tongueDeborah Karl-Brandt
Bonn, Germany
Visiting day
a whiff of spring wind
at the entranceDejan Ivanovic
Lazarevac, Serbia
wobbled steps
the doorway
to the lion’s denDidimay D. Dimacali
USA
creativity –
unlocking that door
within meDorothy Burrows
United Kingdom
door ajar
he decides
to knockEdna Beers
USA
end of party –
the only birthday present
a song of cricketsElena Zouain
France
gatehouse…
a new decoration
for each seasonElisa Allo
Switzerland
moving day
so many memories
in the doorwayFlorin C. Ciobica
Romania
first French kiss –
forty years later the doorway
still thereGeoff Pope
Kent, Washington
stanza accanto…
così lontano
il profumo di mammanext room…
so far away
the scent of momGiuliana Ravaglia
Bologna, Italia
all the magic
doorways
of my childhoodGreer Woodward
Waimea, HI
starry sky –
the girl’s first sleepoverHassane Zemmouri
Algiers, Algeria
in the mirror
endless doorways
leading nowhereHelen Ogden
Pacific Grove, CA
back home late
only the doorway light
welcomes meHifsa Ashraf
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
summer breeze
in the hippie’s bead curtain
tinkling bellsIngrid Baluchi
North Macedonia
doorway…
rays of light trap
a monarchJagajit Salam
Imphal, India
Ten thousand
Fushimi torii
– out of breathJeff Leong
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Covid recovered
doorway to a new life
awaitsJoe Sebastian
Chennai
universe
through doors of perception
brave new worldsJohn S Green
Bellingham, WA
the closing of dusk
ravens over the high fell
creak hinges of airJohn Hawkhead
UK
first kindergarten day –
the child’s big opened eyes…Julia Guzmán
Córdoba. Argentina
doorway
to the cellar steps
hidden depthsKaren Harvey
North Wales
childhood drawing
every face has a door
that is a mouthKath Abela Wilson
United States
first visit…
hugging me in the doorway
scent of jasmineKeiko Izawa
Japan
a rectangle
of sunlight
and a catKeith Evetts
Thames Ditton UK
doorway…
paper lanterns invite
the forefathersLakshmi Iyer
India
head bump on boarding –
direct flight
to the starsLaurie Greer
Washington DC
palliative care
doorway
to the other sideLorraine Carey
Ireland
oak tree fairy door secret heartwood
Lorraine Padden
San Diego, CA
to and fro
on a cold beach
abandoned shellsLuisa Santoro
Rome, Italy
long distance call
from the doorway
a magpie’s two centsMadhuri Pillai
Australia
distancing…
a conversation of ladies
at the doorwayManoj Sharma
Kathmandu
neighborhood scavenger hunt for white elephants
Margaret Walker
Lincoln, NE, USA
chapel threshold
the perfume
of prayersMarilyn Ashbaugh
usa
midnight knock
the full moon slips in
the doorwayMaya Daneva
The Netherlands
half open door
his mother and I
measuring each otherMeera Rehm
UK
shoji screen
filters the evening sun
shrine’s doorwayMelanie Vance
USA
he tells me
I’m still light as a feather…
second homeMichele L. Harvey
Hamilton, NY USA
tippy-toes
in the doorway
first kissMike Gallagher
Ireland
the hill woods…
doorway to ancestors’
originMilan Rajkumar
Imphal, India
restaurant menu
what is that aroma in
the kitchen doorway?Minal Sarosh
Ahmedabad, India
sacred doorways
runic symbols
foretell stormsMinko Tanev
Bulgaria
dilapidated house
the doorway alive
with memoriesMona Bedi
Delhi, India
orphanage
the doorway holds
tears and smilesNeena Singh
Chandigarh, India
summer holiday –
across the doorway
children’s laughterNicole Pottier
France
ladybug on my pillow
one’s window is another’s doorOrense Nicod
Paris, France
mother’s lucky penny
at my throat
I board the shipPadma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
an open doorway
lit by afternoon sun
a sleeping catPam Joy
Dyea, Alaska
house tour
open doorways
except for onePat Davis
Pembroke, NH USA
bougainvilleas
tumble over the wall
hidden garden gatePeggy Hale Bilbro
Huntsville Alabama
but in front of the doorway Adam’s Needle
Pere Risteski
North Macedonia
clanging buoys
we ease through the fog
to safe harborPris Campbell
USA
Covid positive…
that barred
doorwayPriti Aisola
Hyderabad, India
mother’s loud good byes
still reverberate in the
dark musty door wayPriti Khullar
Noida, India
doorway
kid’s drawings
in the white margins around the versesRadostina Dragostinova
Bulgaria
opening porch door
the moon
shares her secretsRam Chandran
India
Doorway
Leading to
The mistletoeRashmi Buragohain
India
sharing smiles
across distant lands
handheld doorwayRavi Kiran
Hyderabad, India
last doorway
mother enters
hospiceRehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ
Gaza moon –
facing the ruined doorway,
a blind manRita Odeh
Haifa, Israel
dollhouse
the open doorway
of pretendRoberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland
eighteen years…
a doorway
to a new lifeRosa Maria Di Salvatore
Catania, Italy
empty apartment –
opening the door
I enter the moonSanjuktaa Asopa
Karnataka, India
kids room
at the doorway
a pull-up barSlobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
nursing home
through the doorway
autumn leavesStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, Wa. USA
house by the sea
in front of the doorway
lunar pathStoianka Boianova
Bulgaria
autumn twilight…
my feet stumble
in the doorwaySurashree Joshi
Pune, India
beaded curtain
in the doorway
freshman yearSusan Farner
United States
deepening twilight
a lone owl soars through
the great redwoodSusan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA
waiting for rainbows –
sheltering in the doorway
at the used bookstoreTeiichi Suzuki
Japan
dark alleys…
depression creeps in
silentlyTeji Sethi
India
through these doors
the wind
remainsTiffany Shaw-Diaz
United States
silent seance
the medium tries
another doorwayTom Bierovic
DeLand, FL, USA
hidden doorway
the secrets
an old house keepsTracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK
hay moon
in the doorway
scent of liliesTsanka Shishkova
Bulgaria
teenager’s room
standing in the doorway, I think
“where is my baby?”Vandana Parashar
India
lilac wine
the way I enter
and exit worldsVeronika Zora Novak
Canada
a gap gasps
as dawn stalks
wayward cracksVictor Ortiz
Bellingham, WA
yellow leaves
scurry from door-to-door
Halloweenvijay Joshi
monroe, NJ, USA
usual morning
in a front of bakery
I pass a neighborWiesław Karliński
Namysłów, Poland
flight of the phoenix
the stages of life
that come to passWillie Bongcaron
Manila, Philippines
church, she walks
through the doorway
to happinessXiaoou Chen
Kunming, China
a doorway
my grandson asks
where the doors areZdenka 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.
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This Post Has 14 Comments
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thanks everyone for this wonderful dialogue! kj
I really enjoyed each and every haiku prompted by your such inspiring themes! Thank you, KJ and Lori, for all those wonderful selections and comments. I am glad that my ku were included too.
Congratulations to all the poets featured!
Welcome, Craig!
Thank-you for the commentary on my poem, KJ. Congratulations to all the wonderful poets. Looking forward to the weeks ahead, Craig!
Kj, many thanks for the inspirational prompts and informative commentaries and to Lori for all the administration. I really enjoy these weekly challenges that regularly take me out of my comfort zone! Even more enjoyable is the opportunity to read such a wonderfully varied selection of responses. Congratulations to all the poets in this week’s lovely selection. There are so many to admire here. One that made me smile was…
classroom door
I put on
my teacher face
Bryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois USA
This so beautifully captures the performance aspect of teaching.
Welcome, Craig! I look forward to your series of prompts.
Another wonderful selection of poems that range from poignant to light-hearted. Thank you KJ and Lori for your work and the doorway prompts.
Who would have known how many different aspects of ‘Doors’ could have been thought up and expressed so well by poets these past 8 weeks? Thank you to them, and especially to Kathy for inspiring us, for including mine, and to Lori for the continued organization.
Welcome to Craig, setting us another series of challenges to look forward to.
Thank you kj and Lori, I looked forward to each weekly session.
Thanks to kj and Lori’s work during these 8 weeks, and thanks to kj for including and commenting on mine. So many wonderful haiku this week, but I’ll mention Stephen A. Peter’s poignant
nursing home
through the doorway
autumn leaves
Mike Gallagher’s
tippy-toes
in the doorway
first kiss
which has a light, perfect touch, and Bidyut Prabha’s
Buddha’s eyes
closed to open
the mind’s eye
which gives me more reasons to like it every time I read it.
Congratulations to all the haiku poets who have crossed this doorway this week! Thank you Kathy so much for your comments on my haiku.
Thanks so much Kathy & Lori for your tireless efforts in keeping HD a success.
Thanks too for your comments on my ku, Kathy! Much appreciated.
Looking forward to another installment of inspiring poems.
Welcome, Craig & kudos to all poets!
Thank you so much, Kj, for your dedication and for another fantastic selection. Welcome, Craig.and many congratulations to all the poets 😍
Really like the selections and comments. Thank KJ, also glad to have mine being included. Take care.
Thanks dear kj & Lori for the wonderful prompts—so unique week on week! Stay well!
Grateful for featuring such interesting ku with the commentary for the best ones.
Enjoyed all the Editor’s choice haiku and happy to have mine there too.
Welcome Craig!
Thank-you Kathy and Lori for all your efforts on the door-to-door columns. Congrats to all the poets who were published. Welcome Craig !