THE HAIBUN GALLERY: 14th August 2025. Padma Priya - Guest Poet

host: Rupa Anand

mentor: Lorraine Haig editors on haikuKATHA: Shalini Pattabiraman, Vidya Shankar, Firdaus Parvez and Kala Ramesh

Guest Poet: Padma Priya

A Thursday Feature

14th August 2025 -

THE HAIBUN GALLERY  August 2025 Padma Priya

The Pull

As I get older, my first preference is for the sea. I admire mountains from a distance but know I can no longer climb them. Growing up in Chennai, we went to the beach every Thursday, Father's day off from his clinic. The memories draw me back.

Frothy waves rise on the horizon. Seagulls dot the evening sky. Vendors call out “manga, thenga, pattani, sundal” as they walk about, hawking roasted peanuts and green mangoes cut into thin oblong pieces sprinkled generously with salt and chilli powder. Wishing you a good day, the vendor scoops these mouthwatering delicacies onto a square of newspaper and hands them to you.

twilight hues

the raga

of crashing waves

This reminds me of life—desires that arise one after another. Even the calmness of each wild wave as it returns to the sea.

Kala Ramesh

haikuKATHA, Issue 38, December 2024

Prompt

The above haiku written by Kala Ramesh has lyrical beauty, with a lot of detailing going into the narration. The detailing makes the evening spent by the narrator at the beach come alive to the reader. 

Beneath this simple and realistic picture, Kala weaves deep philosophical thought into the haibun. The initial playfulness in the first two paragraphs moves into deeper waters with the haiku thereafter. The link and shift technique to the haiku is perfect. The ten-syllable haiku is deep, poetic and very simple in language, and the analogy of 'crashing waves' makes one think of human life and the conflicts within it. However, she calls it a 'raga' as if to remind one to sing along with life, accepting the ups and downs, retaining the playfulness that is presented in the first two paragraphs. The closing lines confirm what the haiku says: one must go with the flow of life so that quietude follows. A beautiful haibun all together, which is short and nice.

Prompt One: Write a haibun about something simple in life and juxtapose it with the larger picture of life.

Prompt Two: Try to go for detailing in your haibun. 

Haibun outside the prompt is welcome.  

I eagerly anticipate your haibun. 

Haibun outside the prompt is welcome too.  Thank you. Padma Priya

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Thank you a lot Padma, for providing us with prompts for August 2025.

Thanks a million for taking 'The Pull' and I love your interpretation of the haibun.

_kala

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT NOTICE

              NOTICE

Dear Haibuneers

Starting from March 2025, we at haikuKATHA are moving on to a new submissions format for haibun submissions. (Only for haibun, please note!)

Writers are invited to submit one unpublished haibun per submission window.

Kindly note the submissions calendar.

1-20 March, to be considered for publication in May

1-20 June, to be considered for publication in August

1-20 September, to be considered for publication in November

1-20 December, to be considered for publication in February

All accepted submissions will receive an email to confirm their acceptance by the 5th day of the publication month.

Your unpublished (only one) haibun should be sent to: 

The Google link will be given in this space soon. This form will open only during the submission period. 

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The Haibun Gallery continues as is.

We will be having editors and prompts, and your sharing…