THE HAIBUN GALLERY: 7th 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

7th August 2025 -

THE HAIBUN GALLERY  August 2025 Padma Priya

1st week:

Journeys

Waiting for my school bus under the old raintree, Selvi is oblivious to my sticking its pink blossoms into her hair. Narrating the plot of the latest Tamizh movie she watched, complete with dialogues and the opening lines of its songs is her idea of keeping me entertained.

becoming rainbows

As she waves to me I grin at the thought of how our housemaid would pluck the brush-like flowers sticking out of her daughter's well oiled, braided jet-black hair.

one by one by one

Back home, Amma chides me for my prank and insists I apologise. Halfway to their hut, I am met by a bounding Selvi waiting to run off to the park with me.

mountain streams

Anju Kishore

haikuKATHA, Issue 23, September 2023

Prompt

I started writing haibun recently, and a few of them were featured in haikuKATHA. When I was asked to co-edit the page for this month, I began reading haibun by various poets, along with articles on the form. The journey of exploring, understanding, and enjoying the diverse formats, techniques, and literary devices employed by different authors was an invigorating experience for me.  

What I liked about the haibun by Anju Kishore was the way she used monoku in the haibun. The format looks fresh and crisp. The format becomes more interesting when we notice that a haiku is split into three monoku and quilted into the haibun. This format, known as braided haibun, brings a new lustre to the work.  

The theme in the haibun is riveting. The simplicity of language shines as it focuses on the friendship between two children — their innocence and purity. They are fine with the prank—one takes it easily, while the other apologises for playing the prank with equal ease. A simple and beautiful interaction between children. 

It made me wonder when and where that innocence is shed by people, and when ego takes root, playing bitter games in relationships.

Prompt: 1: Think of anything that fills your hearts with warmth and write about it. Cherished memories—friendship either at school, college, workplace, book clubs; or neighbours, family, people you met while travelling etc.  

Prompt 2: Write a haibun with a minimum of three monoku interspersed in it, if possible a braided haibun. Check out the following link to know more about braided haibun.

https://contemporaryhaibunonline.com/cho-18-2-table-of-contents/plaiting-poem-prose-by-rich-youmans/

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

_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…