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Writer's pictureKala Ramesh

THE HAIBUN GALLERY: 12th September 2024. Harriot West, featured poet

hosts: Kala Ramesh & Firdaus Parvez

A Thursday Feature. 12th September


This month we'll be showcasing haibun written by Harriot West


Here is our second offering from Harriot West’s vast repertoire.


The Way Things Were


There she is on eBay—the doll mother never let me have—poor Barbie, dismissed in the house where I grew up as cheap, not for the plastic she was made of but for her perky in-your-face breasts.


          sepia shadows

          a young girl tugs

          at her tee shirt



Previously published in Haibun Today 6:3


Here is another haibun from Harriot West. In the commentary on her second book, Shades of Absence, Ray Ramussen in this article below, writes of her remarkable ability to write powerful, short haibun. Brevity is an art that haijin are perhaps adept at mastering, but haibuneers like Harriot West have made the art of succinct writing stand out.



Here are some more links to her work:

Until One Day I Said Enough: Harriot West on Haibun, an interview by Jeffrey Woodward in Haibun Today (Volume 9, Number 1, March 2015)


Harriot West and Minimalist Haibun by Ray Rasmussen in Haibun Today (Volume 8, Number 4, December 2014)


Challenge:

For this week, we invite you to espouse the case of brevity. Eschew elaborate mentions. Try to see what you can do with limited words. How much can you say in how little?


PLEASE NOTE:

1. Only two haibun per poet per prompt.

2. Share your best-polished pieces.

3. Please do not post something in a hurry or something you have just written.

    Let it simmer for a while.

4. Post your final edited version on top of your original verse.

5. Don't forget to give feedback on others' poems.


We are delighted to open the comment thread for you to share your unpublished haibun (within 300 words) to be considered for inclusion in haikuKATHA monthly journal.


Important: Since we're swamped with submissions, and our editors are only human, mistakes can happen. Please, please, remember to put your name, followed by your country, below each poem, even after revisions. It helps our editors; they won't have to type it in, saving them from potential typos. Thanks a ton!


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PLEASE NOTE:

1. Only two haibun per poet per prompt. Please put your name and country of residence under your poem, it makes the editors' work easier. Thanks.

2. Share your best-polished pieces.

3. Please do not post something in a hurry or something you have just written.

Let it simmer for a while.

4. When poets give suggestions and if you agree to them - post your final edited version on top of your original version.

5. Don't forget to give feedback on others' poems.


We are delighted to open the comment thread for you to share your unpublished haibun (within 300 words) to be considered for inclusion in the haikuKATHA monthly journal.

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137 Comments


interesting prompt!! Thank you

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#1 18/9/24


Blindside


A knock on the door. It opens to him, older, thinner, his face half-hidden under a cap. We sit, words falling between us like loose change. He looks around the room, as if searching for something left behind.


overcast sky

an unspoken apology

in the tea's steam


Nalini Shetty

India


feedback welcome


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Replying to

Thank you Sumitra Means a lot ...please go ahead

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#1. 16/9/24


Mad Mane


Hair: You can’t contain me with that flimsy scarf! It’s my day out with sea winds.


Me: I told you we are on a speed boat ride. I had secured you with love and care. You’ve betrayed my trust. Wait till we get back home. It’s going to be a battle of two days removing the knots in our relationship.


Hair: The wind was irresistible. But we have always been good to each other, haven’t we? Let’s get through this mess together even if it takes time to sort out.


Me: Ouch … ouch …


Hair: Blame it on the wind …


Me: Will taking a reverse position untangle it all?


bouncing about

and maintenance free


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Replying to

Thank you, Joanna. I am so happy you like this piece.

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Mohua
Mohua
Sep 16

#2


Re-revised (Thank you Lorraine)


Parallel Lives

 

 

I like to sleep in late, who doesn’t, right? But I bet the crows wouldn’t agree. Waking up at the crack of dawn, I often wonder what they have so much to chatter about - on a daily basis.

 

raining…

the dawn relay chorus of crows

washed out

 

Revelling in the silence broken by the gentle patter of rain, I wander to the balcony with a cup of tea.

 

in the rain

three crows perched atop branches

—patrol duty

 

After a while, one by one, they fly off, cawing. Replacements (or perhaps the same ones?) arrive to take up their positions.

 

after the rain

a crow…


Edited
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Mohua
Mohua
Sep 19
Replying to

Thanks a lot Joanna for your support and encouragement always :) And my apologies for misinterpreting your comment on my earlier haibun - i thought you meant to delete the reference to Leo. After Lorraine's comment, i realized my mistake and revised it. Thank you!

Edited
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Great prompt, thanks!


#1


Lead me to light

 

It’s a perfect day. The grass is green, the sun warm. Some kids are tossing a frisbee. They look so happy.

 

It's probably just me. Maybe I just need to try harder...

 

raining the night beyond dawn


Ashish Narain

Philippines


Feedback welcome!


Edited
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Replying to

Beautifully written, Ashish. The haiku brings with it some mystery.

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