One last haiku entry. My sister Ceci, an ESL teacher in Chicago, assigned her students the Poem Elf quarantine haiku challenge, and they came through with flying colors. I’m impressed with anyone able to write creatively in a second language! These are wonderful—thanks to Ceci’s students. * Ellen from Taiwan wrote two haikus: […]
MoreTo start off European Haiku Day here at Poem Elf, here’s a picture my daughter in Prague created. She took advantage of over-developed film to fiddle around with the image (that’s the technical explanation). She calls it “Pause.” (FYI that’s what those two yellow bars mean. I didn’t know this, dinosaur that I am.) […]
MoreOne last call for readers outside the United States . . . send in your quarantine haikus! I’ve gotten two so far and will post those tomorrow. Would love to have more! Post here as a comment or email me at thepoemelf@gmail.com. Brenda Loew of Seattle sent in pictures and haiku. The pictures of […]
MoreI have haikus to post today and tomorrow, and that will be the end of this project . . . unless. . . my international readers step up! Sending out a challenge to Poem Elf readers in countries outside of the United States to send in a quarantine haiku. I know you’re there, I see […]
MoreWelcome to the third installment of readers’ quarantine haiku. Thank you for sending in these gems. I love them. (Reminder: if yours hasn’t been posted yet, wait a day or so, I’ll get to it. And keep them coming!) Let’s start with flowers because . . . flowers! After winter, flowers. What a […]
More(Please note: If you sent in a haiku and you haven’t seen it here yet, have patience! I have an abundance of haiku which is so much nicer than an abundance of caution.) Here’s a lovely dose of spring from Patti Russo of Bloomington, Indiana (a perfectly-named town for the season): Sunshine on a […]
MoreThank you to everyone who sent in a haiku! Can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading them. It’s a balm for my nervous system. The creative spirit is fundamental to us humans and strengthens our connections! Up first from Jeanette, who gets extra credit for taking a picture: (Jeanette has a very droll […]
MoreI am in need of music, poet Elizabeth Bishop wrote in her poem of the same name. I am in need of distraction, I find myself saying, and how nice!, distraction is everywhere— funny animal videos, show-me-your-dance-moves Instagram accounts (shout-out to my daughters), clips of Italian mayors shouting at their constituents who won’t stay […]
MoreDeath Barged In by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno In his Russian greatcoat slamming open the door with an unpardonable bang, and he has been here ever since. He changes everything, rearranges the furniture, his hand hovers by the phone; he will answer now, he says; he will be the answer. Tonight he sits […]
MoreToday is the thirteenth anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis (all good here) and a day I’m going to do something I’ve always thought I shouldn’t. Give up my anonymity and promote something I’ve written. Makes me feel like I’m wearing a push-up bra and shimmying my way into a bar, but it’s not really […]
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