intermittent lightning her menopausal transition
#FemkuMag issue, 20
--------
evening shadows…
the things we deny
become more visible
ombres du soir...
les choses que nous rejettons
deviennent plus visibles
haikuniverse, 2019
--------
rain puddle . . .
a refugee child stirs
the cold moon
flaque de pluie . . .
un enfant réfugié remue
la lune froide
Acorn, Issue #42, Spring 2019
--------
wildflowers
in each clay pot
abandoned family garden
fleurs sauvages
dans chaque pot de terre cuite
le jardin familial abandonné
Haiku Dialogue: What's at Hand Week 14
------
cold winter —
another patch
in the old blanket
hiver froid -
un patch de plus
dans la vieille couverture
Haiku Dialogue: What’s at Hand Week 10- a threadbare blanket
-------
withered peony
her love story
after menopause
pivoine fanée
son histoire d'amour
après la ménopause
FemkuMag, 2019
------
women’s day —
nothing has changed
except her Facebook status
jour de la femme —
rien n’a changé
sauf son statut Facebook
#FemkuMag, issue 10
-------
climatic change —
under heavy snow
the refugee camp
changement climatique —
sous une neige épaisse
le camp de réfugiés
Otata 40, April 2019
Sunday, February 28, 2021
tempslibres - free times haiku database (French)
red lights, 2019
innocent soul
(child marriage)
teary eyes
filled with kajal
spreading
the dark rituals
on her face
------
her wedding
without guests
on this night
no one witnessed
but the red moon
------
clinking
golden earrings
behind the veil
she takes her vows
without any words
------
this age gap
between the couple
who know
who pretends to be
in a real relationship
------
her long hair
braided with jasmine
in full bloom
her deep pain
without fragrance
Ribbons Spring/Summer 2019
honour killing
under the canopy
of pine trees
my deep silence
giving a voice
to the cold wind
-------
walking across
the darkest forest
you and I
on the verge of annihilation
after the confession of love
-------
tell me how
to cross it peacefully
the path of rituals
that denies my existence
but demands the sacrifice
-------
bow my head
in the name of honour
this cold evening
I strangled my beliefs
after losing you
Ribbons Spring/Summer 2019: Volume 15, Number 2
Moonbathing, 2020
specks of dust
stick to my face
once I crossed
the line of fidelity
to help a stranger
Moonbathing 21
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Stardust, 2021
-----
late night shift…
the cricket’s chirp
walks him home
Stardust, issue 51, March
-----
not enough stars
to make a constellation
winter haze
Stardust, issue 50, February
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Eucalypt, 2021
fallen maple leaves
settle on the window sill
a half-widow
she makes peace
with the cold wind
Eucalypt 29, 2021
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Cold Moon Journal, 2021
dust haze the political fraternity’s pledges
------
moon halo stepping out of his life
------
mid summer wind the Kabul fall
September 20, 2021
------
high swings I lend my blues to the sky
September 19, 2021
Friday, February 26, 2021
------
I follow the path
of a snail
February 23, 2021
------
spring sky…
the first dose of vaccine
in my blood
Cold Moon Journal, February 20, 2021
Friday, February 19, 2021
TRIVENI: World Haiku Utsav
19 February 2021
my signature haiku # 38
This Friday Feature presents Hifsa Ashraf
I’ve been reading Hifsa’s haikai in journals and her prize winning poems in contests. Most promising haijin from Pakistan, I wish her the very best, always.
_()_
Over to Hifsa:
patriarchal shadow overstepping my double helix
From my haiku book ‘Her Fading Henna Tattoo’ by Human/Kind Publishing Press
Prior published in Haiku Dialogue: Poet’s Choice, Pathway
Being a part of the world where patriarchy is considered as one of the key aspects of the social culture, and the most dominating taboo, it is difficult to talk about the menaces of patriarchy or male-domination. The menaces that bring down a woman to the level where she merely exists without having any aspirations, dreams, and even life. Through this one-line haiku, I tried to make a point that patriarchal setup should be challenged and addressed properly as it has become a part of our psyche that transfers from generation to generation.
The double helix is not only ‘DNA strings’ that determine life but also depict the existence or being of a person. Here, I am definitely talking about the double helix of a woman who finds it difficult to live independently, according to her own freewill since her birth. It is difficult for her to dream and decide her future, it is difficult for her to share her sufferings and mental state, it is difficult for her to express her feelings openly without any pressures or fears, and it is difficult for her to see herself a being, or an individual before a woman. Why is it so difficult for her to survive according to her own free will? Because, there are shadows of patriarchy that imprison her body and soul and deny her existence from day one, that clamp the wings of her imagination and creativity by putting her into some predefined conventional social roles and responsibilities, that shatter her dreams and aspirations by considering her mere a body of flesh, and that refuse to accept her potential and suppress her identity.
I kept this haiku simple and one-liner without any break or pause so that the readers can feel and understand the overall imagery that keeps on challenging the societal norms and traditions every passing day.
Being a woman, I feel ashamed to be a part of society where women are still treated as inferior creatures having limited roles and are being judged from the lens of patriarchy that define and decide both their fate and destination.
Thank you, Kala ji for inviting me to share my views about one of the most common issue of South Asia. I hope the readers will find it thought-provoking and express their views based on their personal experiences.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
tanka 2020: poems from today’s world , Red Moon Press and tanka anthology, 2020
rain puddle
his paper boat
folded from a brochure
about clean water
Previously in Eucalypt 25, 2018
--------
contemplating
near the border
a constellation
that connects the stars
on both sides
Previously in cattails, April 2019
Black Bamboo, Better Than Starbucks Haiku Anthology 2020
evening chill —
a homeless child cuddles
the old teddy bear
refugee camp . . .
the cricket chirps
in the broken vessel
(Absolutely powerful and haunting.)
broken walkie talkie —
a refugee child dials
the emergency number
threadbare blanket
the cold wind weaves
through the bones
pellet gun shooting
a homeless child connects
the red spots
Previously published in Better Than Starbucks! January 2020 Vol V No I
jar of rain', The Red Moon Anthology
calla lily –
Songs of the Pandemic: World Haiku paperback by Dan Dana
so many colours
of the pandemic year's moon
life’s kaleidoscope
Hifsa Ashraf
DEMENTIA HAIKU Paperback by George Clive Hook
wilted chrysanthemum
the fading memory
of my mother
Interpretation: The opening line of this haiku is about a flower 'chrysanthemum' which symbolizes longevity, joy, and optimism but adding a word wilted brings in the opposite meaning of this flower. A wilted chrysanthemum not only symbolizes forgetting, death, loss, or grief but also the wilted part of the brain that stores memories. The connection between mother’s dementia and wilted chrysanthemum works well as both are transforming from blooming stage to wilting stage where memory loss brings nothing but wilted mind and heart.
-----
heat mirage
her life
after dementia
Heat mirage is an illusion that is due to the temporary false vision of eyes in a high temperature. Heat mirage brings a kind of hope initially where a person feels that there is a water oasis ahead of him or her but in reality it is just an illusion. Dementia brings such an illusion initially where a person feels some signs of hope in the heatwave of life, but actually these mirages go away if dementia persists for the rest of life. ‘Her’ means a widow, a mother, a wife, a daughter, or a young girl who finds her life more like a mirage after dementia especially if she has passed through hardships or back to back miseries. The signs of illusion and delusions are very common after dementia where the person seeks solace in remembering the chunks of memory, so mirage may have both positive and negative connotations in this case.
-----
spring twilight...
his lips quiver
to say her name
When I was writing this haiku, I had certain twilight purplish pink hues on my mind that also reflects our organs and skin colours. I tried to relate twilight colours with a fragile mind just like those colours that start losing their brightness at twilight time. But here is a catch, the word ‘spring’ before twilight means a better sight of twilight after a long day where the hues may be the same but with a bright spectrum. His lips quiver means that he remembers something due to flashes of memories that spark some time during dementia. Mostly, when a person remembers or regains his/her memory,they mostly take the name of loved ones who played a significant role in their lives. So, ‘her name’ means some who he loved the most and try to utter her name. ‘Lips quiver’ again shows fragility, grief, and inability to speak which also reflects some helplessness. But, still someone tries to come back to life after passing through a long day or a cold season of the winter.
-------
brain fog—
a refugee mother makes
the criss-cross constellation
Brain fog symbolises the un clarity of mind or memory loss. Fog covers the major aspects of life and blurs everything around us. A refugee mother may have lost her child, spouse, family, and significant others during the war. So, she is losing her mind due to the traumatic past where she has lost her memory as well or developed some symptoms of a memory loss. The criss-cross constellation reflections the confused mind with some abstract or complex thoughts which are not clear. It also means that her life path is also criss-cross in nature where she has to pass through some difficult time due to her state of mind, and social status of being a refugee. This haiku explains a lot about the lives of many women who pass through many mental health issues after migrating from their homeland that develop PTSD and gradually become a reason for dementia.
Published in DEMENTIA HAIKU Paperback – Large Print, October 9, 2020
by George Clive Hook (Author) Amazon
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
The Haiku Foundation, 2021
HAIKU DIALOGUE – Ad Astra – blackholes
still orbiting around me
the war debris
sky-light contouring the edges of her deep blue bruises
space junk—
not enough stars
to make a constellation
------
child's first smile expanding the milky way
HAIKU DIALOGUE – Ad Astra – the universe
------
busy sidewalk
my daydream goes
down the rabbit hole
Haiku Dialogue - Finding Peace and Contemplation, in a city
--------
skipping stone
one after another
broken thoughts
Haiku Dialogue - exercising in a park
--------
drinking tea alone
the weight
of each sip
Haiku Dialogue - at a tea party
--------
winter’s end—
the remnants of butter
in mom’s butter churn
Haiku Dialogue - Finding peace and contemplation in worn, imperfect and transient things
--------
antique rustic wagon
over the farmer’s initials
a price tag
Haiku Dialogue - in worn, imperfect and transient things, rustic wagon
--------
overloaded cart
in the donkey’s eyes
dusk deepens
Outdoors with curious donkeys
--------
long forest trail . . .
I open the pandora’s box
of my thoughts
Outdoors - in a forest
--------
fire rainbow
the kaleidoscope
of my spring dreams
Outdoors - Watching Clouds
--------
self-isolation
the fading fingerprints
on my doorbell
door to door
----
wisteria trellis
my spring dreams find
a home
Haiku dialogue- leafy trellis
----
at the end
of a cobbled alley
mom’s call
Haiku dialogue- island alley
----
cracked pavement
the zigzag patterns
of wild grass
Haiku dialogue- tiny plants in rock crevice
----
twilight hush . . .
a cow’s bell keeps
the herd on track
Haiku dialogue- Finding Peace and Contemplation
-----
early spring . . .
the butterfly wings
of red maple
Haiku dialogue- milkweed pod
Monday, February 15, 2021
Poetry Pea Podcast, 2021
long evening shadows
mom asks me to close the window
before her last breath
Poetry Pea, S4E22: Long Haiku
---------
late summer heat
grandma’s fermented pickles
on the windowsill
Poetry Pea, S4E20-Freestyle Also in Autumn Journal
---------
even in the Rawal lake
how I long for the old Rawal lake
when a Himalayan Bulbul sings
S4E18: Original haiku and senryu using Place Names
------
river moon
fading more
the winter twilight
Poetry Pea Podcast, S4 E16, Yugen
Also in Summer Journal
---------
white feathers
in a thawing bird bath
fishbone cloud
Poetry Pea podcast, S4 E12, kigo
-------
first chemo
the fading boundary
of day moon
Series 4 Episode 8: No Ego haiku
-------
sunlit dewdrop
on a leaf edge
the universe
Series 4 Episode 6: Exaggerated Perspective
-------
a fly
without wings
fake news
--------
old family photo...
grandma and I
with toothless smiles
Humorous haiku: Series 4 Episode 4 of the Haiku Pea Podcast from Poetry Pea.
Also in the Spring print of Poetry Pea
Friday, February 12, 2021
Never Ending Story 2021
English Original
year of the Ox
avoiding
the scarlet sky
Published in Asahi Haikuist Network, January 29 2021
Hifsa Ashraf
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
牛年
避免凝視
血紅色的天空
牛年
避免凝视
血红色的天空
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
The 3rd Basho-an International English Haiku Competition, 2020
social distancing circles
the overlapping shadows
connect everyone
ソーシャルディスタンスの輪
影が重なり合って
皆をつなげている
Hifsa Ashraf（パキスタン Pakistan）
藤田直子先生 選
〈評〉世界的に流行しているコビット１９の感染防止のために、人と人との間に距離を置かなくてはならなくなりました。
この句の作者は、指定された円に立っていると、前の人の影が自分に届いていることに気づいたのでしょう。
そのとき、影が重なるように、心は繋がっていられるのだと思いついたのです。
心まで離れ離れにはなりたくないという思いに共感しました。
Ms.Hujita selected
Due to the prevailing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to socially distance to prevent the spread of the virus.
The author of this haiku must have discovered that the shadow of the person in front of them reached them as they stood in a designated circle.
In that moment, they thought of how hearts can be united in the same way that shadows overlap.
I sympathized with their desire not to be emotionally separated from others.
My message
受賞者からのメッセージ
第3回芭蕉国際英語俳句コンクール特選に選ばれたことを大変光栄に思います。
他の素晴らしい俳人たちと共に受賞できたことを大変嬉しく思います。
審査員と大会チームの方々には私の作品を認めていただき、ありがとうございました。
Winning message
It is truly an honour to be nominated for The 3rd Basho-an International English Haiku Competition award, and a great pleasure to be a winner alongside other fabulous poets. Thank you judges and the team for recognizing my work.
For our 3rd contest,we received 1,573 haiku(phrases) from 44 countries and regions.
https://www.kcf.or.jp/basho/touku/
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
The Bamboo Hut, 2021
Peruvian lily
no longer tracing
my name on his chest
unscented night
all those scars
getting deeper
into the moonlight
my heartache
I take for granted
lavender tea
after the last sip
I whisper goodbye
Hifsa Ashraf & Christine Villa
------
gleaming window...
a young spider walks
across the moon
still pond
a water strider lands
on the day moon
evening horizon
a tidal wave claws
at the migratory birds
winter equinox
a river of fog flows
through the valley
spring meadow...
against the bus window
child’s face
Issue 2, The Bamboo Hut, 2021
------------
deep scars
of the medical mask
empowering
the beauty I hold
in my compassionate heart
------
the flurry
of snowflakes
shedding
the burden
of this anonymous pain
--------
owl’s hoot
outside the ward
when we offer
our deep silence
to the cold wind
The Bamboo Hut, Issue#01, 2021