Daily Haiku: Nov. 21, 2018

you let it go

too far

winter stars

by Dan Schwerin (USA), Author

Ors, 2015

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Daily Haiku: Nov. 20, 2018

mountain dusk–

the wind in the aspens

mistaken for rain

 

by Neal Whitman (USA), Author

Blyth’s Spirit

Daily Haiku: Nov. 19, 2018

late autumn

the sound of reeds

when everyone’s gone

 

by Sandi Pray (USA)

Provenance, 2015

Daily Haiku: Nov. 18, 2018

winter solstice

no spark of recognition

in mother’s brown eyes

by Roberta Beary (Ireland/USA)

Caretaker 1 & 2, 2018

Holidays: A Great Time for Showcasing Your Writing & Helping Others, Too

I am somehow still lost in October. And, here, November is whizzing by. As writers, we often realize that we need to spend time during the holiday season not only with friends and family, but sharing ourselves and our work with our readers. It may be something as simple as  having your work displayed where a lot of people gather or giving a poetry reading with a book signing. But, you can also showcase other people’s work, too.

Coming up next weekend, on Sunday, Nov. 25, I will be guest reader at Brewed Awakening coffee shop in Westmont, IL from 12:30 to 2 p.m., 19 W. Quincy St. I will read various forms of my poetry and sign my book, Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All. This event is sponsored by Illinois State Poetry Society.

Each time  I do a reading, I see faces I know–some whom I haven’t seen in years– and of course, new faces from the immediate area where I am doing the reading. Of course, the holiday time is a great time to sell books–the best time of the year– as most people love to give signed copies to their friends and family.

And, on Friday, Nov. 30, at 4:30 p.m. I will be attending a poets’ and artists’ reception at ArrivaDolce Cafe in Highland Park, IL where my poem “Solitary Thoughts” is on exhibit. (1823 St. Johns Ave.) This event is sponsored by East on Central Association. I will engage with friends and the public there.

However, the holiday season, as we know, isn’t just about ourselves. It’s about giving to others. Many people come up to me after my readings, remember me, and tell me how they appreciated my mentoring them years back on a volunteer basis.

Although I, like other writers, love to showcase my work,  I also make time during the holidays and throughout the year, showcasing the work of others. One of my new projects is to showcase the work of others (besides the one in The Daily Haiku on this blog”).  A new effort is my poetry column in a local lifestyle magazine. The magazine is “Winnetka Living.” It’s an attractive, glossy, full color magazine.

I run a column called “Creatively Versed,” where I showcase the work of local and neighboring poets. I run their poetry with their bio and photo, along with a photo they’ve submitted that illustrates their poem. I allow both beginning poets and experienced ones of all ages–even seven-year olds–to participate. I don’t get paid for the column. It’s my way of spreading the word about poetry.

You’d be surprised at how many people like to see their poetry showcased in a general-interest magazine. I think it’s the need to be creative that a lot of us have.

I’ve also spent much time during the past eight years mentoring individual poets on a volunteer basis. My point is this: promote and share your work, but also go through life with the gentle soul of a writer, giving to others without being maniacal about self-promotion.  Many will recognize your volunteer efforts. Some won’t–they’ll take what they can get– but what the heck!

Life isn’t all about recognition and laurels. It’s about giving. And, if you’re not a terribly giving person, think about doing some giving in 2019.

Copyright 2018 by Charlotte Digregorio.

Daily Haiku: Nov. 17, 2018

senryu

at a meeting
of free thinkers . . .
everyone talks at once

 

by Michael Rehling (USA)

Daily Haiku: Nov. 16, 2018

deep autumn . . .

walking barefoot

on my mother’s grave

by Pamela A. Babusci (USA)

White Lotus, No. 9, Fall/Winter, 2009

Daily Haiku: Nov. 15, 2018

what binds us

a single blossom left

on the crepe myrtle

by Scott Wiggerman (USA)

Frogpond, 38:1, 2015

 

Daily Haiku: Nov. 14, 2018

longer days–

my father’s shadow

changes shape

 

Goran Gatalica (Croatia)

Wales Haiku Journal, Autumn 2018

Daily Haiku: Nov. 13, 2018

senryu

 

graveside

mother would have hated

this waste of roses

 

by Barbara Kaufmann  (USA)

Acorn, No. 37, Fall 2016

Daily Haiku: Nov. 12, 2018

forest bench

I sit where

the sun sat

 

 

by Tanya McDonald  (USA)

Frogpond, Vol. 41:1, 2018

Daily Haiku: Nov. 11, 2018

fresh grief . . .

the shoveled path

turns to ice

 

by Michele L. Harvey  (USA)

Acorn, No. 37, Fall 2016

Daily Haiku: Nov. 10, 2018

standing my ground

holes I leave

in the sand

 

 

by Julie Warther  (USA)

Frogpond, Vol. 41:1, Winter 2018

Daily Haiku: Nov. 9, 2018

senryu

 

re-lacing

his old baseball glove

for his daughter

 

by Ignatius Fay (Canada)

The Sacred in Contemporary Haiku, 2014

Daily Haiku: Nov. 8, 2018

senryu

 

driving across
a new bridge
on an old road

 

by Ellen Grace Olinger (USA)

Daily Haiku: Nov. 7, 2018

lying on my back

in light snowfall

a glimpse of the Maker

 

 

by Bill Pauly  (USA)

The Sacred in Contemporary Haiku, 2014

Daily Haiku: Nov. 6, 2018

no religion

yet plead each clear night

to distant stars

 

 

by Doris Lynch  (USA)

The Sacred in Contemporary Haiku, 2014

Daily Haiku: Nov. 5, 2018

A gift
of silver
Christmas moon

 

by Alexis Rotella (USA), Author

Voice of the Mourning Dove,  1991

 

 

Daily Haiku: Nov. 4, 2018

ruts in the road
i follow a metaphor
home

 

by Michael Rehling  (USA)

 

Daily Haiku: Nov. 3, 2018

grand canyon . . .
the echoes
of silence

by Barbara Tate  (USA)

Butterfly Dream, April 4, 2018

 

Daily Haiku: Nov. 2, 2018

dusk moon

a child’s ball bobs

on the ebb tide

 

 

by Beverley George (Australia), Author

Spinifex

Daily Haiku: Nov. 1, 2018

no more bread

no more ducks–

alone

 

 

by Elmedin Kadric (Sweden)

bottle rockets, #34, 2016

Daily Haiku: Oct. 31, 2018

rainy day photos

Mom remembers

the seafoam dress

 

 

by kjmunro  (Canada)

bottle rockets, #34, 2016

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 30, 2018

old stone bridge

whether I cross it

or not

 

 

 

by David G. Lanoue  (USA)

bits of itself

The Haiku Society of America Membership Anthology, 2002

Daily Haiku: Oct. 29, 2018

senryu

 

juxtaposition

my mind

elsewhere

 

by Mike Montreuil  (Canada)

Haiku Canada Review, 10:1, February 2016

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 28, 2018

opal moon

the scarecrow with

bottle cap eyes

by Ron C. Moss (Australia)

Modern Haiku, 47:1, 2016

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 27, 2018

grass roots

how quickly a bamboo

becomes a forest

 

by Yu Chang  (USA)

Frogpond, Vol. 14, No. 3, Fall 2018

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 26, 2018

senryu

 

fishing license

marriage license

worms

 

by Deborah P Kolodji  (USA)

Haiku Canada Review, Vol. 12, No. 2, October 2018

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 25, 2018

raindrops

on an empty beer can

unpaid rent

 

 

by Robert Witmer (Japan)

Haiku Canada Review, Vol. 12,  No. 2, October 2018

Daily Haiku: Oct. 24, 2018

bitter cold

I warm a few pennies

in my pocket

 

 

by Tom Clausen (USA)

Frogpond, Vol. 41:2, Spring/Summer 2018

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 23, 2018

senryu

 

faithful worker

always punches out

on time

 

 

by Michael Ketchek  (USA)

bottle rockets, No. 27, 2012

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 22, 2018

dragonfly

how your wings

carry me

 

by Debbie Strange  (Canada), Author

A Year Unfolding

Daily Haiku: Oct. 21, 2018

retreat center

all the hammocks full

of leaves

by Mary Stevens  (USA)

bottle rockets, No. 27, 2012

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 20, 2018

senryu

street kids

my camera brings them

home

 

by Terry Ann Carter (Canada), Author

Now You Know

Hexagram Series

King’s Road Press, 2011

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 19, 2018

uncle’s wake

a lottery ticket

in his patch pocket

 

by Tom Painting (USA)

bottle rockets, No. 33, 2015

Daily Haiku: Oct. 18, 2018

the live oak tree

a hundred years ago

the lynching

 

by Robert Ertman  (USA)

bottle rockets, No. 33, 2015

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 17, 2018

last rites

a son’s light kiss

on the old man’s forehead

 

by Barbara Kaufmann  (USA)

Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine, December 2016

Daily Haiku: Oct. 16, 2018

between us
unspoken words–
withered roses

 

by Rosa Maria Di Salvatore  (Italy)

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 15, 2018

a walk home . . .

the darkwoods’ sound of something

being taken

 

by Tom Clausen (USA)

Modern Haiku, Vol. XXXI, No. 2, Summer 2000

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 14, 2018

at river’s edge

another special stone

I leave in place

 

by Peggy Bilbro  (USA)

Four Hundred and Two Snails

Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology, 2018

Daily Haiku: Oct. 13, 2018

icy wind

pinwheels spin

at the child’s grave

 

by Ce Rosenow (USA)

Frogpond, Vol. 36:1, 2013

 

 

Daily Haiku: Oct. 12, 2018

senryu

my new raincoat

for the nudist colony

clear plastic

 

by Lin Geary  (Canada)

bottle rockets, #16, 2007

Daily Haiku: Oct. 11, 2018

old slave market:

two black boys buying

cotton candy

 

by L. Teresa Church  (USA)

Four Hundred and Two Snails

Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology, 2018

Daily Haiku: Oct. 10, 2018

deep into autumn

the curl

of a panhandler’s hand

 

 

by Sharon Pretti (USA)

Mariposa, No. 31, 2014

Daily Haiku: Oct. 9, 2018

the blue sky

would have been enough

cherry blossoms

 

by Susan Beth Furst  (USA)

Presence, No. 60, 2018

Daily Haiku: Oct. 8, 2018

senryu

 

bridge game

every hand

liver spotted

 

by Terri L. French  (USA)

Prune Juice, No. 7, 2012

 

Attention: Announcement about Poetry Chapbook Competition

Dear Followers and Readers,

     I just received this announcement below from Caroline Johnson which some of you may be interested in:

Dear Writing Group Leader,

     We’ve been including a listing for your group on our Writer’s Relief website for quite some time.

     Because we’re always looking for ways to help writers reach their publishing goals, we thought you might want to share the information below with your group members:

     Announcing the 2018 WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest Judged

by

Susanna Lang

     The WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook competition is hosted by Writer’s Relief, Inc. The chapbook contest runs until October 31, 2018. The winning poet will receive a $500 cash prize; publication of the poetry chapbook in both print and e-book formats; Amazon distribution for Kindle and print; and 25 free copies.

     Details are included in this 1-minute video. Click on the image below:

     The contest is limited to poetry chapbooks 24 – 48 pages in length, and the entry fee is $20. For complete contest submission guidelines, visit http://writersrelief.com/watersedge-poetry-chapbook-contest/.

We’re thrilled and honored to have author Susanna Lang judge our third annual poetry chapbook contest!

      Susanna Lang has taught literacy and literature in grades 5-12, as well as graduate-level education courses at National Louis and Northeastern Illinois Universities. She has led adult poetry workshops in public libraries and for many literary organizations. Susanna has published original poems and translations in such journals as Poetry East, Little Star, Prairie Schooner, december, The Baltimore Review, Prime Number Magazine, Jubilat, Comstock Review, Verse Daily, and American Life in Poetry. She has won numerous awards, including a 1999 Illinois Arts Council Award, the Inkwell Poetry Competition in 2009, the Prime Number Poetry Prize in 2015, and multiple nominations for the Pushcart Prize. She was a 2010 and 2015 Hambidge Fellow and received a 2011 Emerging Writer Fellowship from The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD.

     Susanna Lang’s newest collection of poems, Travel Notes from the River Styx, was released in summer 2017 from Terrapin Books. Her translations of poetry by Yves Bonnefoy include Words in Stone and The Origin of Language. She lives with her husband in Chicago.

     Learn more about Susanna Lang by visiting her website: www.susannalang.com.

     In 1994, Writer’s Relief started doing business a mere stone’s throw from the New Jersey Meadowlands: a large ecosystem of wetlands in the metropolitan region and an important bird habitat. The water sedge is one of several endangered plant species struggling to survive in this environment.

      The efforts of water sedge to flourish despite difficult odds seems kindred in spirit to poets hoping to successfully publish their poetry books and chapbooks in an uncooperative publishing environment. With the WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest, we hope to help poets thrive and succeed.

     Watch the video for the WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest information. Click HERE!

     We love to work cooperatively with other writers’ organizations. Thank you for helping us to spread the word about this exciting new opportunity for poets. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or call us toll free at (866) 405-3003.

 

Fabulous Book Sale for Haiku & Haibun Enthusiasts!

This announcement has just arrived from our friend and colleague, Jim Kacian, Publisher of Red Moon Press in Virginia:

Once-in-a-Lifetime Red Moon Press

$1 Moving Sale

     We are moving to a smaller location, and cannot keep the overstock we’ve managed in the past. So we are offering special prices on earlier releases of the books that have made RMP what it is: the Red Moon Anthologies, the New Resonance series, and American Haibun and Haiga/contemporary haibun.

     Every book is $1!

     Here’s the catch: you must make a matching contribution to The Haiku Foundation, which you can do at https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/donate/. And you must pay shipping: $6 for the first book, $10 for 2 or more, to US addresses; $16 for the first book, $24 for 2 or more, to non-US addresses.

     You may take advantage of this never-to-be repeated offer to fill in those gaps in your library. Contact me, Jim Kacian,  at jim.kacian@redmoonpress.com and tell me what you want. We’ll work out the details.

     These books are available:

• The Red Moon Anthology 1996 (15 copies)
• The Red Moon Anthology 1997 (18)
• snow on the water: The Red Moon Anthology 1998 (13)
• the thin curve: The Red Moon Anthology 1999 (13)
• a glimpse of red: The Red Moon Anthology 2000 (2)
• the loose thread: The Red Moon Anthology 2001 (7)
• pegging the wind: The Red Moon Anthology 2002 (15)
• tug of the current: The Red Moon Anthology 2004 (5)
• inside the mirror: The Red Moon Anthology 2005 (10)
• big sky: The Red Moon Anthology 2006 (11)
• white lies: The Red Moon Anthology 2008 (11)
• evolution: The Red Moon Anthology 2010 (8)
• nothing in the window: The Red Moon Anthology 2012 (4)
• galaxy of dust: The Red Moon Anthology 2015 (16)
• dust devils: The Red Moon Anthology 2016 (23)

• A New Resonance 1 (7 copies)
• A New Resonance 2 (20)
• A New Resonance 7 (9)
• A New Resonance 8 (4)
• A New Resonance 9 (13)

• stone frog: American Haibun and Haiga 2 (2 copies)
• summer dreams: American Haibun and Haiga 3 (21)
• contemporary haibun 4 (28)
• contemporary haibun 5 (10)
• contemporary haibun 6 (29)
• contemporary haibun 7 (6)
• contemporary haibun 8 (2)
• contemporary haibun 13 (1)

Daily Haiku: Ben Moeller-Gaa, Oct. 1 through 7, 2018

Longtime poet and author Ben Moeller-Gaa has a new book just out!

Wishbones is a collection of haiku and senryu that explores the synapse between a moment’s initiation and its resolution. Moeller-Gaa shows us what’s possible in this unguarded space through evocative word choice and masterful turns, often with a touch of humor.

He writes of frogs and thistle, voyeurs and valentines, strip mines and singing bottles, among others. Learn how wishes are spun from the simplest bones.

 

You can read and re-read each of these seven selections from his book through Sunday, as he is our guest poet for the week:

 

what she said

driving home

the sound of blinkers

 

alone, not alone

a loon

in still water

 

unafraid

of what comes next

cicada shells

 

grandpa’s bible

the lines he underlined

the lines he didn’t

 

koi pond

removing the weight

of my backpack

 

standing up

the grass also

rising

 

slowing

to match her pace

eventide

 

To learn more about this book, you may go to: https://folded.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/wishbones/

 

Also, be sure to check out Moeller-Gaa’s website:
http://www.benmoellergaa.com

 

Seven Things to Keep in Mind about Haiku and Senryu

1.) Haiku and senryu are spontaneous, but can also be a quest. Each day there is something enlightening or amusing to be found in the ordinary. Believe this, discover something, and write about it.

2) Life is short. Haiku and senryu are short.

3) Haiku and senryu are a pleasure and an inspiration.

4) Find haiku and senryu moments you like and return to them, even if by reading about them again and again.

5) Haiku and senryu are genuine.

6) There are no limitations in writing about haiku and senryu. Look inwardly and outwardly.

7) Be fearless in writing haiku and senryu. Just write. And revise each one, even 50 times, if necessary.

Do you have anything to add? If so, just share your ideas below.

Copyright 2018 by Charlotte Digregorio.