Hope everyone had a great Halloween! The results of this October haiku contest will be posted 11/2!
Get ready for Vita Brevis‘ third comment-a-haiku contest! Here’s what you need to know:
Submit one or two 5-7-5 haiku as a comment on this post (give them titles!) — all topics are welcomeReblog this post on your blog or write a post announcing that you’ve entered the competition, linking back hereGive good feedback on other poets’ work! [This is what it’s really about–you’ll be receiving good feedback, so try to give it to others as well]
Reward: Honestly, this is less about “winning” and more about meeting and communicating with other poets. But I will choose some honorable mentions, and I’ll officially publish the winning haiku on Vita Brevis (with a link to the poet’s blog). Not a bad deal!
When: Starting right now (10/18), ending Sunday night (10/21)
Results: I get a lot of comments on these–give me a few days to read them all over!
Questions? Use the Contact page–I’ll get back to you soon!
So, go on–get writing, discussing, and have some fun!
BENT
Gallows’ refraction
Moonlit lakeside reflection
Bent on destruction
Love it!
Thank you
nicely done!
liked this
I love the sinister quality of this! So good!
Perspectives, I guess… I can’t see it as sinister, nor can I see the forest for that tree; I only see reflecting upon my ineluctable illaqueation
Perfect!
I like the sound play of refraction/reflection. (K)
Blood runs cold
I AM FURTHEST FROM MYSELF
Unknown to myself
I remain, like dusty gems
Yet to know the light.
This reminds me of Nietzsche’s prologue to Genealogy of Morals: “Each man is furthest from himself”. Excellent haiku!
frustratingly relatable. well done.
What Brian said! I thought of Nietzsche, too. I love the use of “dusty” to connote the light of self-knowledge rather than the trope of “diamond in the rough” or gems that have yet to be uncovered.
It’s as if you had an inkling of self-awareness at one time, then that knowledge was obfuscated by the ego, where most of us get “stuck,” and thus remain on “autopilot” throughout our lives, operating on a default setting of action and reaction, instead of conscious, proactive choice. Great haiku!
Well said.
Dusting off each of those gems, one at a time, is its own reward.
This is incredibly beautiful!
Stunning!
Excellent. If something is unknown, is it valuable? But I like that there is still hope in this.
Really nice choice of words.
Reblogged this on Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings and commented:
Brian Geiger at Vita Brevis is running another Comment-a-haiku contest. Post your haiku in the comments on Vita Brevis .
thirst –
is it really so
terrible if i get drunk
on Eucharist wine?
Wonderful!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Love this! Made me smile!
I’m glad to hear it. thanks!
🙂
It depends…(K)
Maybe a poison chalice?
a love haiku –
a spark and a seed.
unrushed fire and blossom,
our love only grows.
Beautiful, James!
James, this is a beautiful piece. I love the “spark/fire/love,” juxtaposed with “seed/blossom/grows.” It’s an excellent execution of the spirit and form of haiku, in my opinion, which is just that–a subjective take on your words.
The word “unrushed” before fire tempers the passion of that “spark” and is a beautifully smooth segue to the way love, like a planted seed grows. Yet, “sparks” are lightening-fast, brief, but interestingly, “blossoms” can, and do, depending on the age of the flower or bush or tree, open and bloom overnight or with the morning sun.
The levels within this piece are wonderful. Thank you for sharing with us.
thank you for the kind words! you’ve given a great analysis here.
Hey, you wrote the great haiku. 😉 And James, this isn’t an analysis. Ask anyone. This is a version of MY haiku. Heh heh
Wow! Lovely!
This is beautiful!
Grows and glows. (K)
Reblogged this on james daniel hansen and commented:
Brian Geiger at Vita Brevis just opened a Comment-a-haiku contest. I’ve entered a couple of my own haikus. Check out the contest going on in the comments here—and be sure to send feedback on my entries!
Three exceptional haiku from you James. I like the humour in “thirst-“, well done.
Thank you, Hélène! You are kind.
Who ate the Chetos?
quickly messaged C.S.I
orange finger prints
🙂 Very clever!
This is hilarious! I love this. I wanted to ignore the “I” because I was expecting a C.S. Lewis reference. Then…well, we see what you did there! Haha Great!
HA!
Ha!!! Terrific!!!
This is a hilarious haiku, ghostinthesqueezebox.
In the darkened pool
the moon sees its reflection
the Mayfly its raft
I really like this–very atmospheric!
Thanks guy. DC
Love the different perspectives!
Love this!!!!
A magic raft! (K)
In between the rock,
and lasting damnation lies…
the devil you know.
Dang. This is spectacular. This might be my “pick” for my infamous “Comment on a Haiku” blog post, coming soon. 🙂
This is great!!!
I think there’s a mirror there too…(K)
Reblogged this on Sgeoil and commented:
Another fun haiku contest at Vita Brevis. Join in the fun, so many wonderful poems to read!
POETRY CONTEST
Vita Brevis time
Enter your Haiku here now
Win or lose have fun
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
Friends with benefits
That is what he said they were
Now he is alone
Love this one Walt!!!
Thanks Susan! 🙂
Some enjoy their own company, the benefit of being an only child.
True. Or having a working wife. 🙂
Reblogged this on Walt’s Writings and commented:
Get ready for Brian Geiger and Vita Brevis‘ third comment-a-haiku poetry contest! Join the fun now thru Sunday night, 10/21!
Unforgiving
The cold was unkind
Its misery cruel and hard
Leaving him frozen
Like many relationships.
Wonderful! I can feel the chill.
Thank you
This could describe so many. Excellent!
Thanks 😊
Cruel and hard are such good words to evoke freezing. (K)
Thank you
Reblogged this on Mistyroads.
HAIKU BALLAD #2 by Susan Mehr
Mind sits and wonders,
Emptiness erupts inside,
Living life alone.
Fragile walls break down,
tsunami of tears follows,
Loneliness returns.
Worthy cause I’m not,
Angel wings stretch out for flight,
Rogue feather finds me.
Head turns, Angel winks,
Hope blossoms, excites my heart,
Thanks for priceless gifts.
I love this ☺
Thank you
You’re very welcome ☺
Ballad, yes, but each stands well alone.
Yes, I didn’t know which one to choose and I didn’t want to split them up.
They belong together, but each is exquisite.
Each one is gorgeous! A a story, it is breathtaking!
Thank you
It should say…As a story….I am the master of typos.
Delightful chain haiku, Susan.
Thank you
You are so welcome.
Beautiful!
Hope indeed has wings. (K)
This was lovely
HAIKU SONG by Susan Mehr
Words strum the heartstrings,
Great purpose destines to be,
Orchestra supreme.
Reblogged this on Susan Mehr.
Emptiness 1
woodpecker hammers
emptiness in sycamore
carpet of woodchips
This is Gorgeous!!!
Thank you.
Well done!
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
You created a visual canvas with your haiku, Ken. Beautiful!
Thank you!
Welcome!
A vivid picture, Ken.
Another great image Ken…and of course I’m smiling too! (K)
Thanks, Kerfe!
Emptiness 2
pumpkin scored and carved
filling empty space with light
seed waiting to sprout
Perfect!
Thanks!
Great, nothing goes to waste, return to the earth to sprout again.
Indeed!
I really like this!
!! 🙂 !!
I love the way this goes full circle
Thank you. 🙂
Trick or treating now lost on the youth of today?
new sprouts
open to learning
light of new day
or be toasted and eaten, perhaps (K)
Definitely! Spaghetti squash works well for that, too.
Reblogged this on rivrvlogr and commented:
Check out the entries at Comment-a-Haiku at Brian Geiger’s Vita Brevis.
I am so excited you are doing this again. So much Beautiful Haiku to read!!!
Here are my contributions.
Grief (part 1)
Torn by emptiness
My breath falters in silence
The taste of light fades
Grief (part 2)
I sink into grief
Weave it into my bruised skin
The sun turns to ash
You play the senses against each other so smoothly in these.
Thank you, so much!!!!
Brian, I the reblog button isn’t showing up for me, so I put a link in a post. Hope that works!!! Thank you again for doing this; it is super fun!!!
No worries! Sometimes WordPress gets finicky with these posts 🙂
Thanks Brian!!!
I had the Reblog button in Chrome, but the Reblog text window just hung there for ten minutes, so I closed the tab and had success in Firefox.
Thank you for the tip! I was in Safari, which seems the most problematic these days!
Taste of light…Mixing senses, is always magical, as shown here. Terrific Haiku !
Thank you, so so much!!!!
Susan, these are incredible! ☺
Thank you, Walt!!! You have been inspiring me with your gorgeous bi-weekly Haiku!!!!
You’re welcome, but who do you think my inspiration is? ☺
❤️❤️❤️
You’re right! ❤
Beautiful Haiku’s
Thank you so much, Linda!
Beautifully expressed.
Thank you, Helene!
You are welcome!
So sad, but beautifully so. I love the sensory mix.
Thank you so much, Merril!
When grief turns into sth tangible…
Wonderful, as ever.
Thank you ,B!!!!
Grief is just like a bruise. (K)
Wow, this is gorgeous!!!!
Beautifully poignant, Susan.
Thank you, so much!
You are always kindly welcome, Susan.
THUMBS DOWN
Spin a tale of woe
Pause for dramatic effect
Thumb drops without blood
Loving this!!!! So cool!!!
Thanks. It still makes me laugh my husband thought my thumb could just drop off.
ADRENALINE
Wild mustangs, water,
and predator versus prey,
the lone, gray wolf howls.
As an owner of wild mustangs in the past, this touched my heart. Beautifully crafted Linda.☺
Thank you, Walt! I used to watch them in Nevada as a child.
My pleasure. Over the years we have adopted 4 wild American Mustang yearlings. Once you earn their trust they are incredible horses. My wife has trained horses over 40 years. We would ground train them, socialize them and rehome them to good homes at no charge. We now have two horses, a quarterhorse mare and a.miniature stallion, plus 8 rescue dogs ☺
That’s amazing! I love horses too!
The two we have now are older, so now is their time to enjoy retirement, like me 🙂
perfect haiku!
Thank you! Happy Friday!
Have a lovely weekend!
I love the action in this one!
Lots of tension here. (K)
Reblogged this on Haiku 55 and commented:
I entered a Haiku Poetry Contest at Vita Brevis’, WISH ME LUCK!
You did great, which I always expect from you. ☺
Awe, thanks, Walt! Have a wonderful weekend too!
You’re very welcome ☺
“SIGHTING”
Magnificent wolf
Hilltop argentine sighting
Observe observer
Simply profound! Beautiful!
Thanks Susan.
Eyes of the beholder/beheld.
Thank you Ken…
Ah! stock-still stillness
Wonderful!
Thank you Merril. Good to see you.
Like exchanging places. Great image. (K)
Thank you K.
Haiku (1)
Not a breath of wind
Bronze, golden scatter of leaves
Calm before the storm
Haiku (2)
Four Seasons in one
The beauty of Vivaldi
Heralding Haiku
Lovely!
Many thanks
I especially like the first.
Thank you kindly
Wonderful Haiku Chris. I do like them both if I had to choose only 1 I would choose (1).
You are so kind Helene Thank you
You are Welcome Chris.
I like both of these–and feel the need to listen to The Four Seasons now. 🙂
Enjoy and thank you
Excellent Haiku Chris!
I like the way each haiku is put together to reflect opposite tones. The rhythm and sound of the words are very effective. (K)
Thank you that give one great confidence going forward.
Reblogged this on Today from the Man Shed and commented:
Heliolatry
As with the written word
Indeed is gratifying
Kinetic energy, motion of hand and pen
Unfolded, yields an acrostic poem.
Clever!
This is why you are The Poet’s Poet my friend 🙂
I’m finally getting a chance to add mine. I learned a group of vultures in flight is called a kettle. 🙂 I’ll be back to read more later.
Circling
kettle of vultures,
feathered wings circle blue skies—
life following death
So Brilliant!!!
Thank you!
Wonderful, Merril! 🙂
Thank you, Brian! 🙂
Very spooky Merril. I like learning new words…kettle… Your poem is brilliant.
Thank you so much, Hèléne. It actually wasn’t spooky at all to me there in the park. I was fascinated watching them. 🙂
I suppose if you are there it would be a different perspective. Vultures would scare me anytime, I jump when I see ants….
I only jump if ants are on me. 🙂
hehe…
Kettle is such a great sound to begin this. (K)
Thank you, Kerfe.
Kettle fits them, as do your words. Stirring a pot, where the living are disregarded, to find the choice bits.
Ah! Well, that make sense. And thank you!
This is really powerful.
Thank you very much.
The endless circle of life 🙂 Wonderful Haiku 🙂
Thank you very much, Walt!
My pleasure ☺
You’re very welcome ☺
You’re very welcome! ☺
Murder of crows is much more sinister?
Yes, but I really like crows. 🙂
Yes I have one overseeing on the cover of my poetry/short stories book.
The moon sailing free–
hare pauses in the forest,
listening for light.
I have to credit Jane Dougherty for her hare and moon images as inspiration for this one. (K)
Wow! Lovely!
I so love this one, Kerfe. That “listening for light!”
Thanks Merril.
“The moon sailing free-” Nice, in that the moon has no concern for what happens below it, yet its light is so important to the hare.
Thanks Ken.
Once again, we see the senses mixed and sifted together. Listening to light. I think our minds struggle to understand the mixing of senses. When our mind is on board and gets it, I think we start growing a few more brain synapses. So, most poets are brain whisperers. LOL
Maybe sometimes we need to let go of trying to understand in order to get it. Thanks!
Million sublime stars
And half crescent of the moon
Lures day to lose light
Oh, yes, those magnificent stars. But then the moon,so close, yet far away, pulling the light from the day.
Nicely done.
A huge thanks 💕
The moon as fisher of (wo)men. I like that image. (K)
Thanks ♥️
Reblogged this on Straight from❤️.
Beautiful! I love the wording of the second line!
A Haiku for Ellen Roche
Fused on long ago,
we are one writing-bivalve.
You filter. I breathe.
Thanks ❤️
A Haiku to show that non-violence succeeds:
I heard this lady
called Erica Chenoweth
talked at TEDxBoulder
eloquence of speech
displays most brilliant research
non-violence succeeds
only five per cent
can change a situation
ever thought of that?
she even ventures
a much smaller percentage
let’s listen to her
please watch the video
from minute 3:25
to 6:25
with minimum watch
a feel of all words contained
you’ll even see more
flower of sunshine
giver of hope to our hearts
non-violence succeeds!
——————————-
See post, but especially, the video: https://momentsbloc.wordpress.com/2018/06/19/non-violence-suceeds/
how much do clouds weigh
when they carry heavy chains
oppressing our hearts
From: https://momentsbloc.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/how-much-do-clouds-weigh/
I am balancing the idea of clouds with your question (K)
Thank you so much for reading this and thinking about it.
Reblogged this on Everydayisuniqueforthevagabond and commented:
Harmony
We the sea and sand,
you the sun the sky and the wind,
make us meet and greet.
-Sneha
Hello,
this is my first attempt at writing a Haiku.
Kindly let me know your views!
Thanks,
Sneha
I think you have a 5/8/5. Traditional Haiku, involves 5/7/5 syllables.
Maybe something like: you the sun, the sky, the wind,
Thank you for notifying me!
the horizon holding them together (K)
Zither.
Chinese courtyard sounds
Guzheng music gently strums
Beijing alley hums
I like that the sounds hum too. (K)
I missed this one this time.All the best to the participants!!
No worries! I’ll run another one next month you can catch!
Definitely.Thanks Brian.