THE HAIBUN GALLERY: January 8, 2026. Shloka Shankar - Guest Editor
- Kala Ramesh
- Jan 8
- 2 min read
editors on haikuKATHA: Shalini Pattabiraman, Vidya Shankar, Firdaus Parvez and Kala Ramesh
Lorraine Haig has stepped down from being a mentor for this forum. Triveni Haikai India and The Haibun Gallery are grateful for her exceptional feedback and responses over the last few years.
Guest Editor: Shloka Shanker
Featured Poet: Joshua St. Claire
A Thursday Feature
January 8, 2026
Pease Say “Present” When I Call Your Name
Joshua St. Claire
Ashlyn
Ashton
Braxton
Brooklyn
Caitlyn with a c
Creston
Cresslyn
Eastton with two t’s
Eeston with two e’s
Evelyn
Jazlyn
Kaitlyn with a k
K8lyn with an 8
Kingston
Lynton
Packston with a k—sorry—with a ck
Pakston with just a k
Paxton with an x
Qaitlyn with a q
Quinnlyn
Quenton
Quinton
Remington with an i
Rem‽ngton with an exclamation point—sorry—an interrobang
Rem!ngton with an exclamation point
Southeaston
Tonlyn
Tracelyn
Trenton with just an o
Trentön with an o with an umlaut
Westlyn
Weston
Zayton with a just a z
and double-z Zzayton
mock orange blossoms
keeping up
the Joneses
— The Other Bunny, June 10, 2024
Commentary:
This haibun by Joshua St. Claire casts a comical light on how keeping up with the Joneses can sometimes border on the ludicrous. The senryu holds the key to understanding our tendency to keep up appearances and chase every trend that comes along—but at what cost? Can you imagine someone in real life using an interrobang in the spelling of their name? Or, for that matter, a numeral? And why stop there?
Prompt:
Think of the role of social media and the impact of influencers on the younger generation. Write a haibun inspired by meme culture, doomscrolling, or the absurdity of reels. What writing style will you employ to best suit the content?
***
Another excellent haibun, and I'm positive all our members are going to enjoy this haibun thoroughly. Thank you, Shloka, for sharing this piece with us. Nice challenge.
And, thank you for being with us through this month!
_kala
The Haibun Gallery continues as is.
We will be having editors and prompts, and your sharing …
#1
Default Settings
The ceiling fan counts the heat. From the next flat comes the evening news, then a bhajan, then silence. My phone wakes itself on the cot. A video begins — a child dancing, a slap, canned laughter. The sound startles the pigeon on the window ledge. I lower the volume out of habit, not choice. Outside, the vegetable seller calls the same price again.
after sunset
only the phone
is certain
#2
The Swallows
While some social media reels are informative and insightful, most of them are brainless. They are evidences of our deepening stupidity. As Albert Einstein said, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." I think it is the root of all evils that rule us.
Pacific ocean
unlike a monsoon stream
deeper and calmer
Tejendra Sherchan, Nepal
Feedback(s) welcome.
#1
I Dream of My Mother
I always doubt about my mother's marriage material. But she was destined to be a mother and gave births to three children including me. My father often bragged about his so called a favor he did to my mother by 'marrying' her. He boasted that no other man would marry her if he had not and she wouldn't have very bright children. I hardly felt the chemistry and warmth between them. Officially she didn't live with him and his other family together during her entire marriage. Even when he visited us once and while, she never treated him nice. She grumbled when he was around in the house.
Her deafness stood as the…
https://www.trivenihaikai.in/post/celebration
haikuKATHA – Issue 51, January 2026 SELECTION LIST is UP! Congratulations to all our poets!
#2
Lost in a Scroll
It began with searching for a book but then extended to thousands of hits. Hyperlinks wandering upon my screen. I now can’t remember what was the beginning of this. Did I want the Guide to Stars or was I searching for The Starlight Journal? Balls of plasma, nuclear fusion, hotter stars are blue, cooler are red. Now I’m wondering if I drove through a red yesterday. Attention span, they say it’s getting shorter.
snow tyres
I spin back
to yesterday’s dawn
Joanna Ashwell
UK
Feedback welcome