Halloween Haiku? Yes!
We loved the following unusual haiku so much, we included it in our haiku prompt section of How to Write a Form Poem: A Guided Tour of 10 Fabulous Forms.
Why is this Halloween haiku unusual?
Because haiku tends to be about cherry blossoms, ponds, rain, the moon—you know, nature and transcendence.
Of course, you might like to argue that the mask in this poem has its own form of nature and transcendence (go ahead, we’ll listen if you’d like to make the case 🙂 )…
A Hallowe’en Mask,
Floating face up in the ditch,
slowly shakes its head.
—Clement Hoyt
We also love this little comic from The Sadbook Collections, that puts Hoyt’s haiku into cartoon form…
see the rest of the Halloween haiku comic
Your Turn: Halloween Haiku Prompt
Haiku is usually reserved for nature in its transcendent moments. But this is Halloween, where (almost) anything goes. So why not try out a Halloween haiku? Celebrate a trick, a treat, a decoration, or some kind of costume, in just three haunting (or humorous) lines. We can’t wait to read!
Featured photo by Nick Fewings, Creative Commons, via Unsplash.
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Angela Bailey says
Here is my Hallowe’en haiku:
pumpkins adorn shelves
as Hallowe’en guests gather
sculptors’ blades hover
L.L. Barkat says
Oh, gosh. You managed to create suspense in such a small space. Love it, Angela! 🙂
Michelle Ortega says
waning moon still high
in the early morning light–
trick or treat!
I hope your days are filled with treats!
L.L. Barkat says
this totally made me smile (and somehow also feel peaceful). thanks for the haiku, michelle! 🙂 (i hope your days are filled with treats, too 🙂 )
Sharmen Oswald says
I was Cinderella one Halloween. I wore the costume stitched by my mother when I was in the school play “Cinderella”. Of course, that was back in the day when costumes had to be created not bought. This poem started out as a Haiku and “asked” for two more lines to make it a Tanka.
Cinderella strolls
Does she know it’s trick or treat
Traveling the street?
Her ball gown rustles the leaves
As she encounters candy thieves.
Bethany R. says
How fun, Sharmen! Cool to reimagine Cinderella in an autumn scene! Fresh idea. And what a sweet memory about your mom creating your costume.