HAIKU DIALOGUE – Haiku Prism – White
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: Red
Please send up to two unpublished haiku by clicking here: Contact Form, and put Haiku Dialogue in the Subject box.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, May 23, 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 White:
Growing up, the color white felt like a contradiction. On one hand, I was taught that it signifies things such as purity, faith, and goodness. Yet, on the other hand, it elicited feelings of fear. I spent much of my youth in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals, where the white of the doctor’s coat became a symbol of pain and loss. Reading through submissions this week, I felt that same dichotomy. For all the beauty and levity it can possess, the color white seems to also be rife with turmoil, not just for me, but for many of you as well. The haiku selected this week represent that spectrum.
Within this week’s haiku and senryu, there were a few that explored the varied facets of innocence, a commonly associated quality with white. I’d like to delve into those a bit deeper.
whispers
a child counting
the fawn’s white spotsClaire Vogel-Camargo
What a beautiful picture. In this captured moment, a child’s simple fascination becomes a delight for all to share in. I’ve watched my own children attempt to count the spots on a fawn, and it is a pure joy to watch. Simple and unpretentious, this haiku has managed to encapsulate the innocence of childhood in eight words.
the light
of his promise
white lilyCristina Apetrei
I see the lily here as a sign of devotion, as well as a nod to the innocent belief in the goodness of others. It seems that she has been let down before, and this promise is a light in the darkness of disappointment. We are not told who this man is, it could be a father, a husband, or a friend. I appreciate that as a reader I am left to draw my own conclusions.
ivory satin
she felt she shouldn’t
wear whiteNancy Brady, Huron, Ohio
I get the sense that the woman here perceived herself as having “lost innocence,” or was too “impure” to wear the traditional white, I assume, for her wedding day. The word “shouldn’t” here makes me wonder if these beliefs are more from cultural influence than her own sense of self, as truly any color is beautiful on a wedding day.
Thank you all for your submissions, and I look forward to reading your “red” haiku. Here are the rest of this week’s selections. Happy reading!
quarantined
I watch the clouds
pass byStephen A. Peters
leaping
into my arms
my blind dog’s smileKanjini Devi
loneliness
white so distinct
in the empty spaceLakshmi Iyer
white screen
suddenly all words
escape meRehn Kovacic
predawn garden
a vague sign of
white peoniesTeiichi Suzuki, Japan
May bride…
a bunch of white roses
in her handsRosa Maria Di Salvatore
hospital room
a worried look
at the white ceilingSlobodan Pupovac, Zagreb, Croatia
spring
my dreams still
black and whiteVandana Parashar
chastity-
a handful of rice
blesses the newlywedsvincenzo adamo
crescent moon
her sparkling smile
to greet himRajeshwari Srinivasan
loneliness…
the face of the fog
on the quaysolitudine…
la faccia della nebbia
sulla banchinaDaniela Misso
first daub of paint
on Spring’s canvas
plum blossomChristopher Seep
sea smoke
veiling the islands
my own fairy taleKristen Lindquist
still
the scent
of liliesCarolyn Coit Dancy, Pittsford, New York
Sunday mass
the hole in her
white lace glovesJenn Ryan-Jauregui
stained gardenias
the muddy imprints
of your wordsJackie Chou, Pico Rivera, CA, USA
farewell letter
filling the white space
with butterfliesEva Limbach
first snow
an urban grey
but stillNancy Liddle
first snowfall…
the wonder
in his eyesMargaret Mahony
dogwood blooms
the beautiful ways
you deceived memShane Pruett
last call…
in my travel bag
wedding dressTsanka Shishkova
north wind
lilies of the valley
shelter in placeXenia Tran
Perseids shower
for just a moment my wish
flashesSusan Rogers, Los Angeles, CA
snowflakes
seeking my
twinsSudebi Singha, India
breastfeeding
under the tree
white magnoliasGüliz Mutlu
orange blossoms…
the contrariness
of snowMichele L. Harvey
temple courtyard
a white dove
perched on my palmTANPOPO Anis
whitewater
a hawk airing its wings
mid-riverTim Cremin
triage —
the relentlessness
of white liliesEva Limbach
drifting among
my floaters
a white cloudAlex Ben Ari
white cherry tea
little lies
starting so sweetLaurie Greer
in an old suitcase
her ivory cameo
wrapped in satinMark Meyer
so late to bed
but oh those
moonflowersPat Davis, NH
yin and yang
the dark shadow of
a white dressBakhtiyar Amini
two springs
since she left…
white hydrangeadue primavere da quando se n’è andata … ortensia bianca
Lucia Cardillo
foraging
I pick the mushrooms
from her saladM. R. Defibaugh
Ascension Day
a field of white
dandelionsLaurie D. Morrissey
the white lies
you could have told
drooping liliesIsabel Caves, New Zealand
in her wine glass
chilled chenin blanc
and empty roomsJacqueline Watanabe
three winters
embroidering her own dress
spring brideMarisa Fazio
old notebook—
in between caricatures
some adolescent wisdomMadhuri Pillai
chardonnay –
how i got over
his white liesarvinder kaur, Chandigarh, India
in the silence
wings of seagull
flicker in the skyElisa Allo
lake foam
bringing up debris
spring cleaningKathleen Mazurowski
white magnolia petals
crinkled with brown –
I add face cream to the listJessica Wheeler
white chrysanthemum
petals liter
an old graveJudith Hishikawa, NY
morning news
heavy patches
of dense fogMargaret Walker
white noise –
my radio hisses
Covid updatesDorothy Burrows
all-white outfit
cobbled from her closet–
second weddingCynthia Anderson
beyond
my breaking point…
magnolia blossomsHifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
a cricket’s song…
switching off
the white noise machineCristina Angelescu
dirty snow
winter’s end
at my doorstepRich Schilling, Webster Groves, MO
moving day
the white lilac shrub
scatters its perfumecezar-florin ciobîcă
still night
moon shadows slide
over snowdriftsEdna Beers
snowdrops
a whisper of spring
in the meltDevin Harrison, Canada
white birches
she starts reading
Anna KareninaMona Iordan
a white belly feather
near the burrow
the eyes of a raccoonAstrid Egger
rolling with
the white tipped waves
wild swimmingKaren Harvey, North Wales
a new day…….a new sheet of paper
wendy c. bialek, az, usa
rafts of white foam
on the river
just as I dreamedJonathan Alderfer
the white flag
of surrender
her wedding veilCharlotte Hrenchuk
evening walk
the crescent moon leaps
from puddle to puddleWendy Notarnicola
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
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Tia, thanks for including my poem, and thanks to Dorothy and Margaret for mentioning my poem! I’m glad you both were able to appreciate the intended twist! The idea was to also bring to mind the danger in foraging for the wrong mushrooms, which could be another reason to pick them from a salad. Dorothy, you had one of the more unique and appropriate approaches to white this week. The radio hissing with pandemic updates has an eerily apocalyptic feel to it, as well.
*
white noise– / my radio hisses / Covid updates
Dorothy Burrows
***
Margaret, you did well with your take on the news. It is subtly white and reflects the lack of clarity regarding the future of this pandemic, especially. The fog is too heavy at times!
*
morning news / heavy patches / of dense fog
Margaret Walker
***
I also liked this one reflecting on some social isolation:
*
in her wine glass / chilled chenin blanc / and empty rooms
Jacqueline Watanabe
*
White wine is a smart why of referencing the color without saying it, and then the empty rooms do it again.
Thanks to Tia for this week’s incisive commentary and for including my poem in this lovely selection. Again, I find it difficult to select favourites as I have enjoyed reading them all. I was particularly drawn to M.R. Defibaugh’s
foraging
I pick the mushrooms
from her salad
I love the surprise of the last line. Until that point, I had a scene in a forest in my head. It also reminded me of the first time I put a salad with mushrooms on the table!
I also very much liked Mona Iordan’s
white birches
she starts reading
Anna Karenina
This reminded me of the joy of reading a classic novel and the way it transports the reader to another place and time. I enjoyed the image of snow-covered birch trees and that the novel is Anna Karenina. Maybe the snow will have gone by the time the reader has completed it!
I also loved Claire Vogel-Camargo’s
whispers
a child counting
the fawn’s white spots
Magical!
Dear Dorothy Burrrows,
.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my haiku! Your word was magical for me.
whispers
a child counting
the fawn’s white spots
.
And congratulations on your haiku included which was/is spot on in these times. The “hisses” has impressive connotations of the white noise of radio, static, and warning/danger of a snake strike! Well done!
white noise –
my radio hisses
Covid updates
.
Thank you, Claire
Dorothy Burrows
Greetings to everyone–thanks, Tia, for another outstanding selection; I thought this group was especially strong and subtle.
Impressed with everything, and notably:
*
loneliness
white so distinct
in the empty space
Lakshmi Iyer
*
love how this captures the vulnerability of the moment–every detail seems sharp and searing
*
white screen
suddenly all words
escape me
Rehn Kovacic
*
well, I guess we’ve all been there. An honest and accurate report–and also a successful turn-around of the difficult situation
*
loneliness…
the face of the fog
on the quay
solitudine…
la faccia della nebbia
sulla banchina
Daniela Misso
*
love that you give it a face–that both enhances and eases the loneliness somehow
*
sea smoke
veiling the islands
my own fairy tale
Kristen Lindquist
*
a nice invitation to the reader to create his/her own tale! and lovely images
*
first snow
an urban grey
but still
Nancy Liddle
*
yup, know what you mean. Love the “but still”
*
yin and yang
the dark shadow of
a white dress
Bakhtiyar Amini
*
I kept toying with yin/yang ideas but couldn’t get anything going. This shadow image is perfect.
*
Also enjoyed the other iterations of white lies
Looking forward to seeing the reds! Stay well one and all
morning news
heavy patches
of dense fog
Margaret Walker
*
Laurie-,
Thank you so much for commenting on my poem. I really appreciate it.
Thank you Laurie, for commenting on my haiku. I appreciate your taking the time to read and acknowledge so many of the poems in this selection.
Margaret Walker
Thank you Tia for including my “morning news” in this excellent collection.
Two that especially caught my eye were –
white magnolia petals
crinkled with brown –
I add face cream to the list
Jessica Wheeler
A unique twist on “magnolia petals” (and one I can identify with!)
Another was
foraging
I pick the mushrooms
from her salad
M. R. Defibaugh
This one made me chuckle. Evidently I am not the only one who picks the mushrooms from the salads of those who don’t like them. I will now always think of it as “foraging”.
Ascension Day
a field of white
dandelions
.
Laurie D. Morrissey
.
.
Perfect timing… and the tension of anticipation.
Thank you, Tia for including my ‘blind dog’ verse. I thought long and hard about leaving out the word ‘blind’. I went with it to honour our beautiful Uma, who was our darling all-white fostered dog 🙂
Curious. In a typical week, how many haiku entries do you receive?
Hi Christopher – it does vary, but generally well over 100 submissions/week of one or two poems each to Haiku Dialogue… I think the record was 165 or so, but that was many months ago… with thanks to the poets – of course! – but also to our fabulous & dedicated guest editors… cheers, kj
Many good ones but this one by Margaret Walker is fantastic!
morning news
heavy patches
of dense fog
Margaret Walker
Thank you Pris! ( I missed seeing one from you.)
A mixed reaction this week to the theme of ‘white’, as Tia pointed out.
Expected were the white flowers (so many of them lovely), the wedding-related poems (mostly from the female perspective), the moon, waves, snow and fog.
I tried to get away from this, offering a different perspective, but my submission (x 2) were not included. I’m disappointed because both spoke of my strong feelings of current events. Not sure if they were considered, possibly, too dark for these times?
Post them here so we can also appreciate them. I think Tia has encouraged that for those who are disappointed.
Thanks, Peggy, for the invite.
I’m sorry if my comment sounded like a moan; I respect the editors’ choices over the many weeks this has been evolving, (would not myself like such responsibility) so if work doesn’t get included, so be it…. I’ll just do a couple of handstands in a corner somewhere and try again next time. 🙂
Dear Tia,
I am thrilled and honored that my haiku was commented on by you today. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation. I enjoy and learn from all of your comments, and look forward to reading all of the haiku selected here. So many fine poets and poems each week.
.
whispers
a child counting
the fawn’s white spots
.
Claire Vogel-Camargo
Thank you for this beautiful collection Tia, I especially love the imagery in
.
whitewater
a hawk airing its wings
mid-river
.
Tim Cremin
.
Thank you so much for including my poem too.
What a collection of haiku this week. I understand the feeling of dichotomy. From white lilies, snow, innocence to the darker side of white, all the shadows, there is so much to explore and contemplate. I like Wendy’s new sheet of paper like a new start, a new chance, a new day. I also found Charlotte’s wedding veil and surrender to be multi-layered…is she surrendering to norms or settling or…?
.
Thanks Tia for the comments on my haiku. I am excited that you felt it had something worth commenting on. I had so many iterations of it (couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t) trying to strike the right balance. I think many young women have felt this way. Thanks again.
I didn’t put this in my commentary but I know I felt that way when I was planning my second wedding. I really debated on whether or not it was appropriate for me to wear white. I eventually decided to forgo what other people thought and wore a beautiful white dress that I cherish to this day.
I went through that, too. I am sure we are not the only ones, Tia. Continued happiness for you and your dress.
Well done ladies for having that inner strength and doing what you felt was the right thing for you on your important day… I can almost hear those whispers 🙂
.
Another marvellous read, one and all. Congratulation poets.
So many goodies, but this one made me stop and think, and yes, she’s right, even more so during these days of woe.
.
a new day a new sheet of paper
—wendy c. bialek
On times we say and/ or do things in the spur of the moment, and often it is something we may later regret. In these testing times I would think even more so.
Hopefully people whether friends, neighbours or family, will understand and start anew.
A thoughtful and thought provoking verse. Well done.
Thank-you for your comment on the wedding veil poem. I had hoped people would see the layers and similarities between the flag & the veil.