Welcome to the haiku pea podcast. It’s episode 20 of our second series and this week it’s one of our themed podcasts, the community is writing about spirits.
Initially I chose spirits because this month, October, will always be about remembering family members who have died. A hang up from my Irish Catholic childhood when my mother and father would insist that we said the rosary as a family every night to commemorate and pray for family members who had passed away.
There is of course the universal celebration of spirits on the last day of October, Halloween. I’ve always celebrated it in one shape or another but increasingly, even here in Switzerland, the tradition of trick or treating is replacing the family traditions of my youth.
Let’s come to the wonderful haiku that I have for you this week. I’m pleased to say that people have taken the word spirits and interpreted it in different ways. Thank you to all the community for their contributions. As usual I’ll start with some pieces that I have found in other publications that I really enjoyed, then I’ll introduce some new poets to the community and follow that with verses from poets who are regular contributors. I hope you enjoy it, please email me to let me know.
Previously published work:
Acorn Publishing
mom’s grave—
the breeze parts my hair
just so
Warren Gossett
Twin Falls ID
The touch of the moth. The 35th Annual Haiku Canada Members’ Anthology
moving day
only the memories
left behind
Heather MacDonald
porch rocker empty
the blue cedar’s shadow
slowly climbs up the steps
H F Noyes
Chrysanthemum Magazine issue 2
‘For sale’ sign
memories included
in the price?
Vassileios Comporoz
winter
old age and loneliness
walk hand in hand
Natalia Kuznetsova
Yesterday’s ghosts – a collection of haiku
by Frank Williams
black-dog day…
amongst a tangle of green
one yellow flower
Haiku in English The First Hundred Years edited by Jim Kacian Philip Rowland and Allan Burns
the fallen
and the falling leaves…
10 years of war
Karma Tenzing Wangchuk
thunder in the mountains – –
the iron
of my mothers love
Jack Kerouac
Now I would like to read you some poetry by poets who are featuring for the first time on the podcast. I’m so glad you found this and send us your work and I really hope you will submit again. Thank you.
**Jay Friedenberg
He is from the US and I’m happy to say he is a second member of the Spring Street haiku group in New York to be featured on the podcast. Jay is a member of the High Court society America and an associate editor for Frogpond. I have to admit I felt a little bit of pressure when I read that. He is an award-winning haijin and has been featured in many US and international journals. He has a number of books under his belt, one of which, entitled “elemental” from red moon press was shortlisted for the 2016 Touchstone Award. Wow.
Algonquin Hotel
Dorothy Parker’s ghost
returns for a drink
open grave
all the promises
we never kept
Recent books:
https://www.redmoonpress.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=241
**Tracy Davidson
Is from Warwickshire in England. She writes poetry and flash fiction. Is another poet who has featured widely in many publications including one that I had not heard before, Ekphrastia Gone Wild. So this might be a good time to remind you that December’s topic is Ekphrastic haiku. Thanks for giving me that lead Tracy. Now let’s hear an example of her work:
the Ouija board
my mother smashes
death has not improved her mood
Twitter: @tracydavidson27
Instagram: @tracydavidson27
**Dinesh Shihantha de Silva
Writes for us from Sri Lanka. He is an author and a poet and when not actively writing he spends his free time on other activities such as chess, soccer and music.
dark spectres at night
descend on leafless oak
roosting crows
published books titled “The Big Grudge” and “Modern Day Fairytales”.
published flash fiction titled “It’s Coming Home” (story 635) at christopherfielden.com of UK.
failedhaiku.com of USA in their international journal of English senryu.
selected for future publication in July of 2020 by betterthanstarbucks.org of USA in their international poetry magazine.
**Vandana Parashar
Writes for us from India. She is a scientific members of our community, a microbiologist and a teacher. Having been published in many quality short form journals she also has a Grand Prix in 8th Setouchi Matsuyama Photo Haiku Contest and takes part in contests including Kukai. I have to admit I haven’t really got to grips with these competitions myself.
autumn noon
dad heads north
with the pyre smoke
reincarnation
mom says the grumpy cat
is granny
Although this is not Christina Chin’s first time on our podcast, it is the first time that we are hearing from her in one of our special themed episodes. She is writing for us from Malaysia. She is a very creative person, writing haiku, creating short videos and taking part in art exhibitions. She is regularly published and like Vandana has taken part in the 8th Setouchi Matsuyama International Photo-Haiku Contest of 2019, she was placed first, well done!
Christina Chin
a shrill
breaks the silence
peat bog
holy spirit
in the sacristy
red wine
Blogger is an ongoing scheduled blog of my featured and published haiku.
Christina is published in three multilingual Haiku Anthology Vols 3 to 5 and in one of Japan’s biggest haiku monthly magazine for [Haikukai] (俳句界) which features saijiki examples selected by Nagata Mitunori and Mine Mukose.
**Susan N Aassahde
Is from the north-west of England. She has an interest in the human condition and is a constant observer of the natural world. Haiku is for her the centre of the natural world. Often when she’s out and about walking in the countryside or on the commute to work she’ll see your moment of time that she’d like to talk about in her purse.
Today she is writing about the human condition and looking at spirits in terms of the effect of alcohol on our lives.
smuggle yard
lagoon dress
cocktail infant
My publications are listed on my twitter account:
Susan N Aassahde (@NancyAsgard)
David A Estringel
hands, wrinkled and bulged,
touch me with frail tenderness.
ghost of mother’s milk.
His feature-length collection of poetry and prose Indelible Fingerprints (Alien Buddha Press) that is now available on Amazon.com.
His website david a. estringel
Twitter – @The_Booky_Man
Facebook
Instagram
Fractled
passing cloud
the lift of spirits
on this drought
home exorcism
a mosquito first
then the spirits
Twitter: @_fractled
Blog
James Young
midnight noises
so many ghosts
in my head
drinking rice wine
the poets under the willow
weeping
Twitter: @BaitTheLines
Su Wai Hlaing
my patient invites
the visitors
only she can see
Su Wai’s and Roger Watson’s book “Dewdrops” Roger Watson and Su Wai Hlaing available in kindle on amazon available in hard copy if you email Roger rwatson1955@gmail.com
Isabel Caves
ghost house
the evergreen chill
of twilight
Andrew Syor
aged battlefield
sharing Warrior spirits
with visiting souls
Robin Rich
tree has ripe fruit
where an apple fell
Newtons grave
Twitter @rrichwords
Instagram @rrichwords
Book “Walk to be Herd” available on Etsy, Smashwords and Amazon
Katherine E Winnick
translucent being
blythe tones of white
drifting past
Twitter @thewovenwords
Elaine Patricia Morris
she knits in silence
her spirit in every stitch–
new baby due
chrysanthemums
here long after
Dad’s autumn
Twitter @VotheroneMorris
Incidental haiku Group in Bolton, UK, new members always welcome, just get in Touch with Elaine.
Panagiotis Kentikelenis
black raincoat my handful of earth on pa’s coffin
instagram account @g.k.still.I.rise
Joan Barrett
sculpting topiary
at my father’s grave
winter deer
Joan’s artwork
William O’Sullivan
remembrance book
write a message
then turn the page
cemetery walk
their location the only thing
I forget
Twitter account, @billmatto
William’s Website
Kim Russell
sudden chill
at the height of a hot day
shadows from nowhere
ghost in a glass
letters on a Ouija board
communication
Kim’s website
Publications:
The Emma Press: Anthology of Aunts and Second Place Rosette.
The dVerse Poets anthology, Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light
Twitter: @kim88110
Veronica Hosking
legal drinking age
celebrate twenty-one years
imbibe glass of wine
Roberta Jacobson
silencing
past generations
fresh wallpaper
Roberta Beach Jacobson’s website
Lovette Carter
hammered
one more time…
old tistletoe
Professor R K Singh
ageing he thinks of
the ashes and the long trip
ahead in spirit
they come together
as themselves within themselves–
love’s spirit
Professor R K Singh’s blogs
https://rksingh.blogspot.in
https://rksinghpoet.blogspot.in
https://collectedpoemsofrksingh.blogspot.in
https://profrksingh.wordpress.com
Latest book:
THERE’S NO PARADISE AND OTHER SELECTED POEMS TANKA AND HAIKU. It is now available on Amazon.
Wayne Kingston
essence breathes
wind sear fro and to
…parting seas
Wayne’s third volume of poetry, Pillow Talk Soliloquy, is currently listed on Amazon.com. Previous volumes (Eclectic Discernment, Listen Small) are also available, and on Barnes and Noble as well.
Cyrille Soliman
autumn’s spirit
under this fluffy cloud
a golden sun
ouija board
calling up ex girlfriend
no answer
first date
two glasses of martini
Dutch courage
Patrick Stephens
flying elephants
my spirit’s spirits bore me
time to quit again
pearl
inari shrine
a glass of sake
for kitsune
buddhist temple
i ring the bell
three times
wendy c bialek
not on the moving van house imps cling to autumn
under your pillow
the tooth fairy note
with food stamps
Craig Kittner
lost in the woods
a gnarled apple tree
heavy with fruit
a murmuring
deep in the forest
daffodils
Craig’s book “Time’s Sweet Savor Poetry”
Twitter@craigkittner
Jonathan Roman
no longer alone
the cat bristles
at nothing
the shade
at the edge of seeing
ghost moth
I have a book Deeper Into Winter. It’s a collection of haiku, haiga, and haibun written in and about Iceland.
Jonathan’s website
Twitter and Instagram: @deft_notes
Richard Bailly
alpine exercise
punctuated by screaming
source unknown
medium
spiritual connection
well done
s zeilenga
tea steeping —
in this fleeting moment
he stands beside me
a cold breeze
suddenly through the windchimes
— news of your passing
Twitter @ruralitalics
Mineko Takahashi
the painter’s return
“in spirits”
with his works
volatile spirits
intertwining
for the drunken
Instagram sites teaching Japanese Idioms “your_private_japanese_tutor” and “ur_japanese_tutor” which teaches Japanese characters FB account @yourjapanesetutor which discusses many facets of the language from the viewpoint of a foreign learner.
Robert Horrobin
whiskey lies
in the empty bottle
a broken promise
Patricia (Bisshie)
unseasonal blooms
he remembers the scent
of roses
Well I hope you agree with me that we had a real treat with all these wonderful haiku. Lots of different styles, lots of different ideas, lots of different cultures, have contributed to today’s podcast. Thank you to everyone who has sent submissions. I love to read them and very much enjoy reading them out on the podcast so other people can enjoy them too. Thanks to everyone who listens or reads the notes, whether you send me feedback or not I appreciate that you are there.
Don’t forget that November is a themed podcast on the topic of men; interpret the word anyway you like and let me have those submissions. Send your submissions by email by the 11th of November and don’t worry if you don’t hear back as quickly as you usually do, I’m not ignoring you, I just have an incredibly busy November, hence the themed podcast will be late. I’m planning on the very last day of November.
