A long overdue congratulations to the contributors of most recent #Haikai Challenge:
Haikai Challenge Participants| 1. Eugenia 2. Li/Lisa Fox of W MI, USA 3. Roger 4. Peter 5. Janice 6. s.s. 7. Jules | 8. Christine Bolton, Poetry for Healing 9. Xenia Tran 10. Myforever.blog 11. Pat R 12. Goutam Dutta 13. Jane Dougherty 14. Tina Stewart Brakebill | 15. willowdot21 16. Colleen Chesebro 17. Revived Writer 18. Tessa Dean 19. Linda Lee Lyberg 20. Kerfe Roig |
Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.
As many of you know, it’s been a while. I’m working my way through one of the longest periods of writer’s block that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve walked across a desert, the mysterious amalgam of remote-learning “zoom fatigue,” effort helping my son complete his Eagle Scout service project, and I-don’t-know-what. As a result, I’ve not written consistently since mid-October.
This week, however, I hear the softest whispering. I feel the beginnings of the urge to write again. Most importantly, I miss offering you the challenge.
Therefore, today, I offer something novel. Unprecedented. Perhaps, over the top. You decide.
I offer a sequence of prompts for which you may write the #haikai poem of your choice. They are dated and numbered as they would have been had I written them on-schedule. As you have come to expect, they utilize kigo–traditional or otherwise–appropriate to their date. Without further prelude, the Haikai Challenge collection:
| Number | Date | Kigo |
| 161 | October 17th | scarecrow (kakashi) |
| 162 | October 24th | sea bass (suzuki) |
| 163 | October 31st | Halloween/Samhain/Blue Hunter’s Moon (nochi no tsuki) |
| 164 | November 7th | Veterans Day |
| 165 | November 14th | Indian Summer (Koharu) |
| 166 | November 21st | Thanksgiving |
| 167 | November 28th | Beaver Moon |
| 168 | December 5th | withering wind (kogarashi) |
| 169 | December 12th | Hanukkah |
| 170 | December 19th | Solstice II/Christmas |
There you have it: Ten weeks of #Haikai kigo in one post! Many speak for themselves. Others may appear more obscure. They are now yours.
Write the haikai poem of your choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that states, or alludes to, any of the Kigo cited above. Please reference which Kigo/Date to which you write your haikai.
As always:
Here’s how the challenge works:
1. write the haikai poem of your choice.
2. post the link of your post to Mister Linky.
3. pingback by posting the link to the challenge on your site.
4. read and comment on other contributors’ posts.
Good Hunting, haijin! Have a (belated) Happy Hanukkah and Solstice (winter or summer), and a very Merry Christmas and Yultetide to you all!
Share the love. Spread the haikai:
Categories: haikai, haiku community
Frank J. Tassone 
May that gentle whisper of your muse continue to delight and encourage you.
I’ve been working on a serial that includes prompts. I might incorporate all the kigo as if they were a Wordle/ Word list into a haibun, or write individual haiku for each.
I’ll think about the prompts tomorrow… Stay safe and sane! ~ Jules
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It’s good to see you back, Frank. Merry Christmas to you and yours. 🎄
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I’m glad the haikai challenge is back! I was getting pretty worried about you. 🙂 Have a merry Christmas, Frank!
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Hello, Frank! Good to see you back! I wasn’t sure whether you were off radar or simply dropped off mine (again).
I’ve missed your little gem prompts and will do all of these. Promise!
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Welcome back Frank and I’m relieved you’re in good health. I’m on a week’s blogging break after today and will happily join the next challenge on my return. Wishing you, Myra and Frankie and all our fellow Haijin here blessed and happy Holidays 🤗💫
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The best way to get rid of writers block is to write a book about it.
Have fun!
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The first link has a problem. Have sent a second one. Sorry about that.
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No worries, Jane. I already deleted the problematic link. Your corrected link works fine.
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Thanks!
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Hey Frank,
Welcome back. Your muse and mine must have been keeping company😀.
Pat
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Indeed, Pat! Thank you! 🙂
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I did end up using your kigo as a word list for two haibun that continue my series here:
(69 & 70) Damned Family (Stan Sinks, Then Swims & Stan Looks for Silver Linings)
One has a haiku, the other a pi ku. And I included your blog on my series link page as a contributor of prompts used 😀
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Thanks, Jules! 🙂
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I did want to write ten individual haiku for the challenge. I incorporated them into my series – each 99 word segment has five haiku :
(71 & 72) Damned Family 10p (Norman Distracts Himself… & Jesse Illuminates Some of Norman’s haiku)
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Welcome back, Frank. You’ve been through so much this year. Here’s to a better year ahead. Thanks for all your hard work. ❤
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Thank you, Colleen! It’s good to be back, and to work through a writer’s block. Thank you for all of your support!
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Thank you, Frank. You’ll be okay, now. The worst of the year is over. ❤
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