Per Diem/Haiku of the Day for November 2022: Inner Demons

The Haiku of the Day feature displays a new haiku each day at the top of our home page. www.thehaikufoundation.org . See also our Haiku of the Day Archive.

Per Diem/Haiku of the Day for November 2022 features Guest Editor Antoinette Cheung’s collection on the theme of Inner Demons. This is what Antoinette has to say by way of introduction to this theme:

November in the Pacific Northwest is a grey, wet, and gloomy time of year. For many, the transition to an almost fully indoor existence is tainted by winter blues, which can consume both our sleeping and waking hours. Looking inward during this time, what we find may mirror the darkness from outside and become fertile ground for our inner demons to work their evil. Regardless of the form that these demons take, they thrive on persuading us to believe in lies about ourselves. While each of our journeys in battling these inner demons is unique, acknowledging that this battle is a universal one helps to weaken their grip on our daily lives. We are not alone.

In this collection, poets have demonstrated vulnerability, self-awareness, courage, and even humour in naming and confronting these inner demons, whether through subtlety or candor. In this way, they have shed light on inner demons that others may be able to recognize in themselves, and have provided hope that these demons can ultimately be overcome.

—Antoinette Cheung