August 2022 Poetry Challenge

by Rebecca Cuningham

Welcome readers and writers to the 25th Fake Flamenco Poetry Challenge. Each month I suggest a theme and form, then poets make magic with their verse. I appreciate you all very much; your word crafting and your comments. This month we’ll write haibun, a Japanese form written since the 17th century; over 330 years! The briefest explanation is that it’s poetic prose and a haiku. As you’ll see, the complete explanation can be far more complicated than the haibun itself.

For the challenge, write a brief paragraph of up to six lines or sentences in poetic prose without rhyming. Then write a related haiku using different words than the prose (like the cousin rather than a twin). For a detailed description of haiku, see the October 2020 challenge. Finally, title your poem, or title it first if you like. The theme is door. Choose to write about a physical or metaphysical entrance; beginning, portal, invitation, threshold, new age, or next step. You are not required to use the word door. Rated G please.

Reto poético de agosto 2022

Bienvenides lectores y escritores al Reto poético de Fake Flamenco vegésimo quinto. Cada mes sugiero un tema y una forma poética, entonces poetas hacen magia con sus versos. Aprecio mucho a todes; su manejo del idioma y sus comentarios. Este mes escribiremos un haibun, una forma japonesa que se escribe desde el sigo XVII; ¡más de 330 años! La explicación más breve es que es prosa poética y un haikú. Como verás, la descripción completa puede ser más complicada que el haibun mismo.

Para el Reto poético, escribe un párrafo breve de hasta seis líneas o frases en prosa poética sin rimar. Entonces escribe un haikú relacionado pero usando palabras distintas (como un primo en vez de un gemelo). Para ver una descripción detallada de haikú, haz un clic en el reto de octubre 2020. Finalmente, escribe un título al final o al principio de tu sesión de escritura. El tema es una puerta. Se puede escoger a escribir sobre una entrada física o metafísica; un comienzo, un portal, una invitación, un umbral, una edad nueva o un próximo paso. No es necesario usar la palabra puerta. Para todas las audiencias por favor.

Guatemala Door/Puerta Photo: R. Cuningham

Example Haibun:

Make Yourselves at Home

Lights burn bright as we prepare dishes savory and sweet. Turn up the Latin music and open the front door. Greet masked and unmasked heroes of our lives in the entryway, bearing food and drink. Chocolate, guacamole, blue chips, mango fizz, and laughter. Maple floors are for dancing, lifted arms for twirls. Four generations’ feet to foxtrot, salsa and swing.

Fond welcome good friends

one two step together now

celebration night.

–Rebecca Cuningham, 1 August 2022

Classic Car Door/Puerta de auto clásico Photo: R. Cuningham

Haibun de ejemplo

Están en su casa

Brillantes luces encendidas mientras preparamos platos dulces y salados. Subimos en alto la música latina y abrimos la puerta principal. Héroes enmascarades y desenmacarades de nuestras vidas llegan a la entrada, con comida y bebidas. Chocolate, guacamole, totopos de maíz azul, mango carbonatado y risa. Pisos de madera son para bailar, brazos levantados para girar. Los pies de cuatro generaciones hacen foxtrot, salsa y swing.

Que gusto verles

amigos de buen ritmo

noche de fiesta.

–traducción por Rebecca Cuningham, 1 agosto 2022

Double Door/Dos puertas Photo: R. Cuningham

The Challenge

Write a haibun in English or Spanish: up to a 6 line paragraph and a haiku about the concept of a door (see suggestions above) in English or Spanish. Deadline: Sunday August 7th, noon CST. G-rated please. If you are a blogger, please publish your poem on your website with the hashtag #ffpoemapop and link to this page by 8/7. If you are a poet at large, please post your poem below by August 7th. I’ll publish a post with your poems and my matching translations next Tuesday, August 9! Drop me a line with any questions. If you’d like to read another haibun example, please click my post from last week. Remember: If you can write haiku, you can write haibun!

El reto poético

Escribe un poema haibun; un párrafo de hasta 6 líneas y un haikú sobre el concepto de una puerta (ve las sugerencias arriba) en español o en inglés. La fecha de entrega es el domingo 7 agosto, al mediodía (Chicago). Para todas las audiencias por favor. ¿Tienes tu propio sitio web? Favor de publicar el poema haibun en tu blog con la etiqueta #ffpoemapop y haz un enlace a este artículo antes del 7 agosto. Escritores que sean damas y caballeros andantes, favor de añadir tu poema a los comentarios abajo antes del 7 agosto. ¡Publicaré un artículo con sus poemas y las traducciones mías correspondientes el próximo martes, 9 agosto! Si te gustaría leer otro ejemplo de un haibun, ve mi artículo de la semana pasada. Consúltame con cualquier duda. Acuérdate: Si puedes escribir haikú, ¡puedes escribir haibun!

¡Gracias! ¡Olé! –Rebecca

Alhambra Door /Puerta de la Alhambra Photo: R. Cuningham

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Rebecca Cuningham

67 thoughts on “August 2022 Poetry Challenge”

  3. Funnily enough, I find haiku extremely difficult. I don’t know that I’ve ever written one that I’m pleased with. So as far as the haibun goes, the prose bit is fine … and then … But yours is a lovely example.

    Like

    Reply
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  10. Will ponder. Not sure I’m up to it, but I love the theme of doors, especially as I’m reading a poetic novel from India (“Tomb of Sand”) that is all about doors, borders and what such things absorb over the years from those passing through, what memories they store.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. MUMONKAN

    The field is overgrown with weeds. What might have grown here is gone. The fence is no more than odd posts askew, fallen over, missing. You came here to find something, to find nirvana, but there is only a pair of gate posts with rusting hardware. You feel you have lost the path.

    Here a gateless gate
    are you inside or outside
    why does it matter

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
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