HAIKU DIALOGUE – Facial Expressions – happiness (1)

Facial Expressions with Co-Guest Editors Hifsa Ashraf & Arvinder Kaur

Facial expression as non-verbal communication is the most significant way to express emotions. Darwin also considered facial expressions as a significant part of the evolution of communication. We may run short of words, but our face symbolically says a lot. It is said that a person’s eyes can lead us to their heart and soul, something that poets and writers have used to the hilt. Apart from the movement of facial muscles, facial expressions have their own language that varies from culture to culture in terms of their understanding and interpretation. In this era of technology, emoticons are used to convey a range of emotions. In fact, one can safely say that emoticons have softened and lent a personal touch to messages that might otherwise seem dull and drab.

In literature, and especially in poetry, facial expressions have a special place. One can immediately understand the import of the moment if the poet says that her large eyes filled with wonder, a tremulous smile played on her lips and the moon appeared pale. In micropoetry, many famous haiku poets have used facial expressions in their poetry in an interesting way. Some examples from Basho’s poetry:

A sense of terror, fear, or surprise in both poems:

an old river
making big eyes
at the willow

stars in my eyes
wishing to see blossoms
on weeping cherries

Translator: Jane Reichhold
Basho: The Complete Haiku

And Kobayashi Issa used facial expressions in a different way:

autumn wind—
the face of the man
who planted pines

Translator: David Lanoue
Used with permission, Haiku Guy.com

Many facial expressions have been identified now but we will stick to the basic six facial expressions. And these are happiness, surprise, contempt/disgust, sadness, fear, and anger. You can let your imagination run wild and share some personal experiences or stories, or your observations related to these facial expressions in the weeks to come.

Below is Hifsa’s & Arvinder’s selection of poems on the theme of happiness:

nuthatch at the window
I find myself
smiling

Allison Douglas-Tourner
Victoria BC Canada

 

playing peekaboo
with a war child
crescent moon

Anju Kishore
India

 

the butterfly flirts
and the bumblebee hums –
a baby’s chuckle

Anne Curran
Hamilton

 

a tiny smile
the mysteries
of a sleeping child

Ann Rawson
Scotland

 

bobbing for apples my son’s toothless grin

Ann Sullivan
Massachusetts, USA

 

turning cartwheels
her laughter lights up
the meadow

Annie Wilson
Shropshire, UK

 

sky lanterns
the kids mimicking
the dragon dance

Anthony Rabang
Philippines

 

first light
smile of my newborn
in sleep

Aparna Pathak
Gurugram, India

 

temple gate
adorned with warnings
for happy souls

Ashok Weerakkody
Sri Lanka

 

gardening joys
my mother’s smile
full of roses

Baisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India

 

double scoop
the chocolate taste
of her smile

Barrie Levine
USA

 

warm milk
his new laugh lines deepen
my crow’s feet

Ben Oliver
United Kingdom

 

drought’s end
rain down
her laugh lines

Bryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois

 

winter bouquet
spring smiles
from a vase

Charles Harper
Yokohama

 

raised eyebrows
I see the invisible teeth
behind her mask

Chen Xiaoou
Kunming, China

 

grinning cheers
with caps thrown in the air
graduation

Cindy Putnam Guentherman
Illinois, USA

 

a real pony!
the birthday girl’s eyes
light up

Corine Timmer
Faro, Portugal

 

from the pushchair –
her small toothless mouth
opens in a boundless smile

dal passeggino –
la sua piccola bocca sdentata
si apre in un sorriso infinito

Cristina Povero
Italy

 

first light the kite ribbons his smile

C.X. Turner
UK

 

breathing out
the Zen master’s
half-smile

Cynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California

 

donkey smile –
melting my cold
cold heart

Dan Campbell
Virginia

 

full moon
cherry blossom lips
slowly bloom

Daya Bhat
India

 

holding my breath
the length of the train’s passing
summer rain

Deborah A. Bennett
Illinois, USA

 

street cleaner
a broad smile
to a chilly morning

Dejan Ivanovic
Lazarevac, Serbia

 

laughing
until we cry
sisters

Eavonka Ettinger
Long Beach, CA

 

graduate student hat –
in his mother’s eyes
a cluster of stars

Elena Zouain
Romania

 

after equinox
smiling under still-warm sun—
wildflower seed heads

Elizabeth Shack
Illinois

 

jack-o’-lantern smiles
candle glow
greets the little devils

Evan Spivack
Teaneck, NJ

 

laughing together
mother
tickling toddler

Govind Joshi
Dehradun, India

 

halloween
a pumpkin smiles
on every porch

herb goldsmith
Texas USA

 

swaying boat
under the shining stars
grandpa’s smile

Ivan Gaćina
Zadar, Croatia

 

Jack-o’-lantern bucket
filled with candies
a child’s smile

Jackie Chou
United States

 

Baklava –
the layers of her
sticky grin

Jan Stretch
Victoria BC Canada

 

over her baby’s head
our eyes meet on the bus
the smiles of mothers

Jenny Shepherd
London, UK

 

Auguste clown
they laugh
on his terms

Jerome Berglund
Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

splitting the atom
a small child’s smile
brighter than stars

John Hawkhead
United Kingdom

 

daughter’s smile
the rainbow
in the oil slick

John Pappas
United States

 

our eyes meet
just like the first time
cherry blossoms

John S Green
Bethlehem, Palestine

 

slow thaw—
her slight smile
at his apology

John Zheng
Mississippi

 

handshakes
on a playing field
half smiles

Jonathan Epstein
USA

 

as the dog licks her dimples reappearing

Julie Bloss Kelsey
Germantown, MD, USA

 

mirror solitaire
I practice smiling
at myself

Kathabela Wilson
USA

 

dreamtime…
baby smiles with
rosebud gums

Kavita Ratna
India

 

sepia wind
the first acceptance
of my haiku submission

Keiko Izawa
Japan

 

taking a shine
to the nightingale
young moon

Keith Evetts
Thames Ditton, UK

 

after a long wait…
I spot her getting off
the train

K Ramesh
Adyar, Chennai, India

 

green bowls
painted with daisies–
your laugh in a dream

Lafcadio Orlovsky
USA

 

just born
Mona Lisa
in our hands

Lakshmi Iyer
India

 

lowered binoculars…
her wide eyes full
of bluebird

Laurie Greer
Washington, DC

 

struggling to breathe —
the jerky convulsions
of our giggle fit

Lisa Anne Johnson
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

 

catching
his smile . . .
a peacock butterfly

Lori Kiefer
UK

 

ear to ear
a field at full
sunflower

Lorraine A Padden
San Diego, CA USA

 

love token
her eyes
a squeeze of joy

Luciana Moretto
Treviso Italy

 

steamy day
the warm smile
of the bus driver

Manoj Sharma
Kathmandu, Nepal

 

at the bakery
the baker offers me
a rye smile

Margie Gustafson
Lombard, IL USA

 

smile –
among the surly sea
a boat

sorriso –
tra il mare scontroso
una barca

Maria Cezza
Italia

 

beach bar
the pelican’s
wide smile

marilyn ashbaugh
USA

 

soft giggles
my toddler at a tea party
with her teddy bears

Marion Clarke
Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland

 

the sly smirk
after telling
one joke too far

Mark Gilbert
UK

 

he smiles at me
but I wonder why —
the man in the moon

Mark Meyer
Mercer Island WA USA

 

my toddlers
rolling around the verandah…
summer wind

Maya Daneva
The Netherlands

 

home cooking
adobo a dance
with each bite

M. R. Defibaugh
United States

 

a leaf falls
peacefully to the ground
I smile at its beauty

Mel Dennison
UK

 

still laughing
the snowman made
with my father

Mihaela Iacob
Romania

 

the innocent grin
of a grandchild
mischief afoot

Mike Gallagher
Ballyduff Ireland

 

first boat ride
my child’s giggles
burst on and off

Minal Sarosh
Ahmedabad, India

 

stork at the nest
and grandfather’s tears
first grandson

Mircea Moldovan
România

 

contagion
the nephew’s laugh
on my face

Mirela Brailean
Romania

 

family reunion —
the wobble of gran’s belly
as she laughs

Mona Bedi
India

 

making friends…
dimples – how much we have
in common

Nairithi Konduru, 8 years old
India

 

Oktoberfest…
children giggle
at the pumpkin drop

Nancy Brady
Huron, Ohio

 

the soldier’s comeback
his mother’s face
says it all

Natalia Kuznetsova
Russia

 

soap bubbles
a smile reflected
in a child’s eyes

Nazarena Rampini
Italia

 

flowering meadow…
granny’s soft crooning
deepens his dimples

Neena Singh
India

 

eye-corners crinkle
a shared glance across the room
secret giggles

Nicky Moxey
UK

 

difficult birth –
light fills the room for
its first smile

Nicole Pottier
France

 

forced smiles
and happy smiles
class photo

Olivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland

 

the arrivals gate bustling
with teary smiles
Christmas break

Padma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India

 

graduation ceremony
my father’s wet eyes
on his nonchalant face

Padmini Krishnan
United Arab Emirates

 

back from Vietnam
my smile splits my face
when the ship docks

Pris Campbell
U.S.

 

son’s first pay-check
a tear rolls down
my smiling cheeks

Priti Khullar
Noida, India

 

baby shower-
her smiles at little punches
and the little kicks…

Ram Chandran
India

 

ice cream truck
the toddler lets go
of a balloon

Ravi Kiran
India

 

evening sky
her crescent moon smile
says everything

Rehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ

 

in my hands
you don’t need to worry
smiley ball

Richa Sharma
India

 

clown tricks her laughter hiccups

Richard L. Matta
San Diego, California USA

 

winter evening
bubbles in the bathtub
and a baby’s smile

Richard Straw
Cary, North Carolina

 

a crescent bindi
on her forehead –
last chemo

R. Suresh Babu
India

 

flat on his back
sharing the sun
a smile in his purr

Rupa Anand
New Delhi, India

 

back and forth
my daughter and I
pass our laugh

Ruth Happel
United States

 

air punch
after I received
her yes

Ruth H. Hermosa
Gloria, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

 

candlelight
dancing in her eyes
sweet sixteen

Ruth Holzer
Herndon, VA

 

our first date
the man in the moon
smiles back at me

Sari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA

 

slow smile rounding a city street corner

s. d. broscious
Ohio, US

 

northern lights —
a glow of wonder
on the child’s face

Seretta Martin
San Diego, CA USA

 

peek-a-boo…
the child’s laughter louder
with every turn

Shobhana Kumar
India

 

after 50 years
wedding vows renewed.
tears of love

Sigrid Saradunn
Bar Harbor, Maine

 

snowfall
and coal fires
lighting up faces

simonj
UK

 

cherry moon –
his face when she enters
the church

Steliana Cristina Voicu
Romania

 

cherry blossoms
all those
happy faces

Stephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA

 

laughs break out
as teacher sits down…
whoopee cushion

Stephen J. DeGuire
Los Angeles, CA

 

tears of joy
the world is rocking
in rainbows

Stoianka Boianova
Bulgaria

 

lunch date
with my work buddy
payday glory

Subhashini Jayatilake
Sydney, Australia

 

assisted living –
smiling back
at the lunar phase

Suraj Nanu
India

 

light bulb
when I see you
my 1,000 watt smile

Susan Burch
Hagerstown, MD

 

drought busting rain
high fives
at the coffee shop

Susan Farner
USA

 

spring sun-
distance no matter
sunflower laughs

Swarna Bopali de Zoysa
Sri Lanka

 

a smile
in and out of sleep
baby at the breast

Teiichi Suzuki
Japan

 

first time at the beach
a toddler giggles
with every wave

Tomislav Sjekloća
Cetinje, Montenegro

 

soap bubbles…
the child’s bright smile
lifts me

Tony Williams
Scotland, UK

 

laughter lines
gran’s eyes crinkle
at my dirty jokes

Tracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK

 

shining snow
crowned cranes perform
their wedding dance

Tsanka Shishkova
Sofia, Bulgaria

 

giggling
in tiny cupped hands
a millipede

Tuyet Van Do
Australia

 

get-together
laugh lines deepening
with every joke

Vipanjeet Kaur
India

 

play school
painted pink
a girl’s smile

wanda amos
Old Bar, Australia

 

i kiss the boo-boo
on his knee
returning smile

Wendy C. Bialek
az, us

 

winning shot
midst cheers of joy
tears roll

Zahra Mughis
Lahore, Pakistan

Join us next week for Hifsa’s & Arvinder’s commentary on additional poems, & our next prompt…

Guest Editor Hifsa Ashraf is an award-winning poet, author, editor, and social activist from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Her work has been widely published. Hifsa is the author of six micropoetry books on gender-based taboos, mental health, socio-cultural, and socio-political issues. She has won The Touchstone Award for Individual Poems 2021 from The Haiku Foundation. She received special mention for her book, Her Fading Henna Tattoo, in the Touchstone Distinguished Books Award 2020 and in the Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award 2021. Her most recent micropoetry collection, hazy crescent moon, is about Islamophobia and is published by Alba Publishing, UK.

Guest Editor Arvinder Kaur, author, translator and an award-winning poet, specializes in English literature and Media Studies. Her haiku have appeared in several international journals. She is the author of four books of micropoetry, two of which are bilingual where she has translated her own work into vernacular. Her books have been very well received in India and abroad. She lives in Chandigarh, India with her family.

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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