Haiku Happenings, Too: Haiku Dialogue and Cold Moon

Beginning in January, 2024 the Haiku Foundation’s column, Haiku Dialogue, has changed its format into a three-week format. The first week the guest editor chooses haiku, based on the prompt, for the long list of haiku that represent the prompt. The following week about a dozen haiku are chosen by the editor for commentary. The third week the editor gives another prompt, that starts the following two weeks format. For the most part, unless one is a haiku poet and wants to submit to Haiku Dialogue, it doesn’t really matter; however, for those like this pedometer geek poet, it does. This long digression prefaces the latest Haiku Dialogue two-week cycle of haiku.

Guest editor, Carole MacRury, chose a long list of haiku and senryu about the migration of flora and fauna from poets from around the globe the previous week. Generally, this pedometer geek’s haiku, if even selected, appears in this list; however, imagine my surprise when thirteen poems were chosen for commentary, and one of mine was included.

As Carole wrote in her commentary about the selected haiku, “It was difficult to limit myself to 12 poems, so I’ve added one more to make a baker’s dozen. All of these haiku shone at first reading and made it through 3 subsequent readings. In reading through these poems you will find creative use of language, strong imagery, sensory impact, and even humor. Not all in one poem! One poem attracted me purely because of its allusion. This was a difficult challenge and I received many factual poems. But those poets able to turn fact into poetry were the poems that ultimately drew me in. I researched and learned a lot through all the offerings, so at times I’ll add a note at the end to share fascinating facts that came to light with my own research into the subject. But every poem stands on its own.”

To read all the haiku and the commentary on each poem, check out https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-dialogue-migration-flora-and-fauna-commentary/ In this baker’s dozen are poets from India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

This pedometer geek poet will, however, share the commentary on my haiku Carole chose from the two I submitted. It is as follows:

Australian spring…
dust bunnies reproduce
under the bed

Nancy Brady

“After reading 12 sheets, 3 columns each of flora/fauna haiku, this was a welcome break away from the concerns of the environment as it pertains to flora and fauna. Thank you dear poet for this delightful comic relief inspired by your Australian spring cleaning. I have to say your reproducing dust bunnies have migrated to my place too! I somehow suspect that the dust bunny is one creature that never has to fear extinction. A delightful haiku.” –Carole MacRury

Thanks, Carole, for choosing my humorous haiku. I was thrilled to be included with the other haiku written about other plants and animals that have been affected by migration. While the haiku was inspired by my sweeping of dust bunnies from beneath my bed, I was trying to remind people of the devastation caused by the introduction of rabbits in Australia.

In other haiku happenings, Roberta Beach Jacobson, the editor of the Cold Moon Journal, chose several of this pedometer geek’s haiku for publication in March’s edition. They are as follows:

hunt and peck

starlings cover

the neighbor’s yard

~Nancy Brady, 2024

they all say

it’s gas

—his first smile

~Nancy Brady, 2024

nearly spring

the days and her shadow

lengthen

~Nancy Brady, 2024

black ice…

the danger of saying

the wrong thing

~Nancy Brady, 2024

Thanks, Robin, for selecting these poems for publication in Cold Moon. I really appreciate it. To read all the haiku and other poems from the Cold Moon Journal, check out https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/ frequently as she posts new haiku daily.