HAIKU DIALOGUE – Haiku Prism – Blue
Haiku Prism – A World in Color
During this dark time we could all use something to brighten up our weeks. I believe that each one of us carries an inner light that can be a source of solace for others. So let’s take that light and channel it through the magic and wonder of haiku to express our world in all its glorious colors. Let’s let haiku be our prism.
Each week I will be providing a new color for you to meditate on and write about. You do not need to name it in your haiku, simply let it be an aspect. You can take this in any direction you like from various flora & fauna, fruits & vegetables, clothing items, celestial bodies, household objects, etc…to various associated moods. Even think in related colors such as pink for red or gold for yellow. I am also happy to accept sub-genres including scifaiku and mythku.
next week’s theme: Green
Please send up to two unpublished haiku by clicking here: Contact Form, and put Haiku Dialogue in the Subject box. The deadline is midnight Eastern Standard Time, Saturday, April 18, 2020.
Selected haiku will be listed in the order they are received with a few chosen 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 can be added as blog comments.
Below is my commentary for Blue:
Blue is a color rife with emotion. It is the color of sorrow and faith, of wisdom and truth. The haiku presented this week certainly reflect this range and depth. I think it highlights as well the exceptional talent of our diverse community. A great thank you to each and every one of you for your submissions. You make Haiku Dialogue the success that it is. I hope this week finds you safe and healthy and that you will enjoy this deep dive into the color blue.
stealing berries
on her hands the stain
of that one small sinMichele L. Harvey
Sometimes as children we don’t even mean to break the rules. The berries just look so tasty! I can imagine the little girl’s panic after delving into those delicious treats. There’s just no way to hide what she’s done! The interweaving of religious terminology brings a new dimension to this common scene and allows for multiple interpretations. A well-crafted senryu.
taupe sky
as far as our scanners
can seeC.R. Harper
Our blue skies are a hallmark of our planet’s atmosphere. What better way to represent an alien environment than to remove what is comforting and familiar and replace it with something so opposite to our way of life. Not only is there a sense of disorientation but also a resignation in the outlook of these explorers. An enjoyable alternative haiku.
wild violets . . .
my desires
in quarantineManoj Sharma
I know that in isolation my need for others and for connection has grown and that that need is only growing stronger by the day. Not only do I crave connection, I hope for life to return to normal, to a time when I didn’t fear a trip to the grocery store, to a time when I wasn’t daily checking a death toll. Much like wild violets, these desires for normalcy are vast and strong. None of us could have emotionally or mentally prepared for this, but we can continue to reach out and join in online communities like this one to keep us going.
sunlight
on a cresting wave
the complete OEDLaurie Greer
There are countless haiku about sunlight glinting off of water and the emotions it elicits inside of us, but I have yet to read one like this. We have the intensity of movement, the thrill of the blue wave as it peaks with the brilliance of light in that moment, combined with a dictionary. Yet, it works perfectly. If you have ever experienced this sight it can certainly feel like it encompasses all of language itself. How incredible then that all of this can be conveyed in eight words. Absolutely delightful.
The following are the rest of my selections. It is a joy every week to read your work, and if you have yet to submit your haiku or engage in the comments section below, I encourage you to take that plunge! Happy reading!
ocean ekphrasis
jotting down synonyms
for the color blueJackie Chou, Pico Rivera, CA, USA
bluewater sailing
a bell among the
outermost skerriesRandall Herman
big sky
all that blue
in my eyesStephen A. Peters
blue and white china
and no one to inherit
a service for twelveBen Teal
rain-washed sky
the blue lighter
in the child’s eyesMona Iordan
wheat fields…
the blue light
of cornflowersRosa Maria Di Salvatore
flowing river…
I dip my feet
in its rhythmMuskaan Ahuja, Chandigarh, India
oh, his blues
van GoghChristopher Seep
coronavirus –
the blue of ambulance
beyond a curvecoronavirus –
il blu dell’ambulanza
dietro una curvaDennys Cambarau, Italy
blue moon —
how often do i see you
smileWillie Bongcaron
on the windowsill
the scent of agapanthus
staying homesul davanzale
il profumo di agapanto*
restando a casa*agapanto: flower of love, intense blue color and very fragrant
Angela Giordano, Italy
cookies
on blue willow plates…
nana-therapyPat Davis, NH
cornflowers
the perfume of
that lapsed friendshipNancy Liddle
spring rain
the bluebird rejects
another nest boxKristen Lindquist
isolation
her mood
shifts to indigoRehn Kovacic
Her left eye
different from the right
black and blueNiki Curatti
zoo . . .
a small boy searches for
a SmurfetteIvan Gaćina, Zadar, Croatia
we’ll meet again. . .
a forget-me-not placed
in a ‘get well’ cardcarol jones
blue …
deep silence
in meDaniela Misso
blue moon
never standing
more aloneMichael Henry Lee
quiet sea …
every thought becomes
tinyil mare calmo … ogni nostro pensiero / rimpicciolisce
Lucia Cardillo
domestic abuse
I watch as the sky
turns blackVandana Parashar
walking blue room
to another blue room
self-isolationPamela A Babusci
solitude..
my eyes open
to the skyHassane Zemmouri
blown from its nest
the whole sky
in a robin’s eggBryan Rickert
running late
blue light
fills my carJason Freeman
second thoughts
as the sapphire ring
Itches her fingerRajeshwari Srinivasan
uncertain when
we will ever meet again
forget-me-notsOlivier Schopfer, Switzerland
Postpartum
blues
I didn’t know…Jessica Wheeler
buttercup . . .
when we once
were starsVeronika Zora Novak
blue covers
of my new book –
mother’s eyesZdenka Mlinar
the crack of blue
in the thawing sky
my bonesLisa Anne Johnson
long trail
…………to oasis
desert bluebellsDeborah P Kolodji, Temple City, CA
watching the clouds
from inside
blue skiesChristina Chin
crossing the range
those distant blue hills
really greenCarol Reynolds
the blues in the night…
I put mood indigo
on the turntableMark Meyer
ashes scattered
on the hillside
forget-me-notLeslie Robert
the dance
of periwinkle buds
it’s a boyIsabel Caves
moonlight
my baby’s eyes
match mineMargaret Mahony
ripped jeans
her threadbare plea
to fit inRashmi VeSa
blue sky…
the cat fixing
it in its eyesLakshmi Iyer
I awake
in a gravelly haze…
Satchmo’s voiceAnn Rawson
the long wait
till our next
blue moonPeggy Hale Bilbro, Alabama, USA
a ribbon
in my lunch box
morning gloryAgus Maulana Sunjaya, Tangerang, Indonesia
blue iris ……
I forgot
the color of the skyAngiola Inglese
leap of faith –
baby bluebird’s
first flightEdna Beers
breaking through
to blue
jayAnn K. Schwader, Westminster, CO
deep blue
the color of her eyes
and my rejectionpaul geiger, California
sapphire brooch
pinning grandma’s love tale
to my lapelMarisa Fazio
winter’s eve
purrs from under the blue
blanketRoberta Beach Jacobson, USA
ink smear
botching yet another
letter of apologyclifford rames, Freehold, NJ
baby-blue yarn
a perfect sphere
if I blur my eyesAlthea Meer
bluebell path
we settle on
positive topicscezar-florin ciobîcă
housebound thoughts
a swarm of morphos
on the tree trunkHifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
blue cross
my pets become
their petsRadhamani sarma
neighbour’s new arrival
a gift for the baby
in traditional blueMadhuri Pillai
the black feather’s
blue edge
twilightLouise Hopewell
three-year-old grandson
requests a blue one
Covid-19 maskShirley Brooks
blue ribbon
tying my happy days
togetherEufemia Griffo
lavender lotion
the azure lace
of her thongJoshua Gage
working from home
nothing but blue skies
on my screen saverKimberly Esser, Los Angeles, CA
Holy Saturday
another cloud drifts
across the blueFrank Tassone
cloudless day
but nowhere
to goBona M. Santos, Los Angeles, CA
all the silence
in the blue hour
sheltering in placeDon Miller
grape hyacinth
the child I once was
in the gardenXenia Tran
this ache
to be loved. . .
cerulean blueTerri French
city streets…
the blues
on every blockMargaret Walker
on both sides
of the barbed wire
wild blueberriesRich Schilling, Webster Groves, MO
stay-at-home
hokusai’s great wave
in my small cupKath Abela Wilson, Pasadena, California
Guest Editor Tia Haynes resides in Lakewood, Ohio, near her beloved Lake Erie. She was featured in New Resonance 11: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku and has appeared in journals and anthologies worldwide. Much of her inspiration comes from the landscape and people of the American Midwest as well as life with her two small children. Her chapbook, leftover ribbon, (Velvet Dusk Publishing) is available on Amazon. Follow her on Twitter: @adalia_haiku
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).
This Post Has 23 Comments
Comments are closed.
blue moon
never standing
more alone
.
Michael Henry Lee
.
This reminded me of the song “Blue Moon” and captures the mood beautifully.
Thank you all of you for this beautiful work and Tia especially for speaking deeply and strongly in an intro that expresses what we are all going through and drawing us all together in her chosen haiku. I love them all.
And Laurie Greer’spoem with the weight of the OED is stunning…how heavy how rich this world that rises before our eyes…too heavy to hold!
Thank you Peggy Hale Bilbro for holding my tiny cup with me…tenderly.
I want to read, to hold this all in my heart slowly and savor it.
Thank you for including my “city streets” in this diverse collection of perspectives on “blue”.
A few that stood out for me –
ashes scattered
on the hillside
forget-me-not
Leslie Robert
The connection between the scattering of ashes and “forget-me-nots” is especially sad during this time os so many deaths. There is a simple beauty to this poem that paints a picture in my mind.
ripped jeans
her threadbare plea
to fit in
Rash VeSa
A totally different perspective here – the “blue” of the jeans and the “blues” of a youth hoping to be accepted. Perhaps a universal experience.
blue ribbon
tying my happy days
together
Eufemia Griffo
Just love this haiku! “tying my happy days together”. While a first thought is of treasured letters, I also wonder if the poet is referring to past days or a new habit if treasuring happy days during current hard times.
this ache
to be loved. . .
cerulean blue
Terri French
Assigning a specific shade of blue adds to the meaning of the haiku. “Cerulean” is a warm color – its origin from the Latin for “deep blue”.
These are just a few that stood out for me in this wonderful collection.
A wonderful selection!
Thanks for including my poem Tia. This is another beautiful collection, with perhaps more poignant poems than we saw with the yellow prompt. There were many wonderful poems, but here are two that stood out for me. If I named more, I would end up going on and on!
stay-at-home
hokusai’s great wave
in my small cup
—Kath Abela Wilson, Pasadena, California
.
I love the intimacy of the tea cup with the grand motion of Hokusai’s blue wave. Lovely juxtaposition.
.
the black feather’s
blue edge
twilight
—Louise Hopewell
.
This is one of those poems that makes me think, Wow! I never thought of that! Beautiful and unique image in six simple words.
Thank you Tia for including mine in this beautiful collection.
Thank you Tia for yet another array of lovely verses.
One that particularly struck me this week was –
isolation
her mood
shifts to indigo
Rehn Kovacic
All over the world, evolving realtime, we are encountering different phases of social distancing -home isolation, quarantine, lockdown. The blues do get to most of us aided by extensions of lockdown and the social dynamics in a cooped up home. This verse indicates the mood shift through colour, gaining a deeper tone.
Stay well and safe !
Thank you, Rashmi, for commenting on my poem. I’m so glad that you saw something in it. You also stay well.
Lovely collection. The lockdown and the stress seems to have taken a toll on me. Much love to all.
My Dearest Arvinder
That is so sad to read, my deepest positive thoughts I send to you.
.
Just a suggestion, although you may be doing this already.
Write your thoughts in a prose and pick out words to express your feelings in a verse, I’m sure you know about the structure of Haibun, a great way to relay your deeper thoughts, if possible add a few photos.
Even if you don’t share them your words will be a social document of this time, and in
years to come could be of interest not only to yourself but to future generations of
your family and others.
.
Above all, keep safe stay well.
.
Carol x
Dear Carol
This is so kind,so generous. I am touched that you stopped by and commented. It has given me so much support. That’s what all of us are there for. And what a wonderful idea. Yes,I am trying and am sure keeping afloat. And you stay safe ,stay healthy too. Lots of love and best wishes to everyone.
Hugs to you
arvinder
Arvinder, thank you for your honesty. It is a stressful time, and I remember you lost your mother last year as well. I always look forward to your poetry here, and miss them when not shared. Debbie
thank you for publishing mine – such lovely company
Thank you for publishing my haiku among all these so full of meaning and emotions.
What a deep dive into the color blue! Thank you !
I love all the different directions these haiku poets went with blue! From sadness and the blues to the joy of blue sky to the ocean and blue jeans… Among my many favorites:
This one made me laugh out loud:
running late
blue light
fills my car
Jason Freeman
So so true and well put:
wild violets . . .
my desires
in quarantine
Manoj Sharma
Enjoy the structure of this one:
breaking through
to blue
jay
Thank you, Tia, for coordinating this extended ode to blue!
Sorry my spacing didn’t come through in the above post!
Thank you for this beautiful edition Tia, so many wonderful haiku here. I was especially taken with
.
big sky
all that blue
in my eyes
.
Stephen A. Peters
.
Thank you so much for featuring my entry too. It looks as if I made a typo during submission and it should read:
.
grape hyacinth
the child I once was
in the garden
.
Xenia Tran
correction made… cheers, kj
Thanks Tia for another wonderful column
A delightful potrayal of emotion and humour.
Thankyou Tia for adding mine to the list, well done to all poets.
.
flowing river…
I dip my feet
in its rhythm
— Muskaan Ahuja
I like the soothing sound of the river and the sensation of the water’s coolness. A lovely refreshing effect to lift the spirit.
.
stay at home
hokusai’s great wave
in my small tea cup
— Kath Abela Wilson
The juxtaposition of the wave and the small tea cup, made me smile. I feel the author has a positive outlook to the self isolation rules, and is just getting on with it. A great attitude portrayed here.
So many amazing poems this week! Thanks so much, Tia, for picking out mine. About 30 years ago I saw the sun light up the complete OED in my fellow grad student’s scruffy apartment. It was a sight I never forgot. It resurfaced when you said “blue.”
Stay well everyone and keep writing!
Loneliness, isolation, and joy in Just being…blue eyes and ones that have been blackened by abuse…and Just the having the blues. What a collection of blue haiku. I will read them more thoroughly as the week goes on, but Jessica Wheeler’s post-partum blues, gut-wrenching. I think many new mothers go through a little of this, but for those who seriously suffer with those emotional roller coaster feelings, it can be devastating.
..
Thanks for a wonderful column, Tia.