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| Theatrical release poster from 1940 |
Black Friday has never seemed blacker....
The monsters are taking my soul their toll.
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| "Monsters Playing Poker" by OtisFrampton on DeviantART |
Oh sure, they think it's all fun and games! But you try sleeping at night with monsters lurking in every corner of your cobwebbed mind.
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| "Webbed" © GillyFace Photos, all rights reserved (used by permission) |
At the beginning of this month, Bob Raczka challenged us to write a haiku from the point of view of our favorite monster. From autumn's bones to zombies, and everything in between, mysterious miscreants have been passing through like it was Monster Central Station. Glad to finally deposit the grim passenger-load here.
Welcome, dear guests...
to the land of the freaksand the home of the depraved!
All poems are copyright 2014, published with permission of the authors, who control all rights.
labyrinth at dusk
as darkness falls, escape dims
minotaur awaits
by Tabatha Yeatts
hollow eyes, grave grin
click, clatter, rattle—
bony escapee
by Joyce Ray
Black Cat at Night
by Donna JT Smith
fall night of shadow
chases black < cat > black chases
shadow of night fall
monster’s a poet
recording his thoughts nightly
in the damp dungeon
monster catches cold
hai-hai-hai-ku! seventeen
syllables scatter.
by Penny Parker Klostermann
Kraken Rises
by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
snaking tentacles
seek out dinner – grab 'n' go
fishermen platter
A dance
by Susannah Buhrman-Deever
A spider's bite plus
music's might will make you dance
a tarantella
big hairy spider
on the bathroom floor
...I put on a boot
by Diane Mayr
I turn
toward her whisssper -
Medusa
by Robyn Hood Black
Unraveled Mummy
by Jan Gars
Mummy unraveled!
Please tell daddy to bring some
Clean sheets and Xanax.
something strange inside
the dishwasher is groaning
it's not the dishes.
by Catherine Johnson
moonlit stroll past crypts
and tombs where zombies gather–
brain-free, you join them
by Buffy Silverman
Lying in Wait
by Kristi Dee Veitenheimer
garish eyes glowing
figure lurking in shadows
preparing to leap
Frankenstein
by Jan Gars
Thump...Thump...Thump... ground quakes.
Frankenstein Monster lurking,
Castle walls crumble.
Vampire Feeds
by Jan Gars
A vampire attcks.
Blood streams as maiden bleeds.
Could have had a V8.
Dusk to Dawn
by Jan Gars
Coffin opens...dusk
Dracula feeds, virgin bleeds
Coffin closes...dawn
vampirish pirates
in Gaelic, Scots-Irish kilts
dressed to the hilt, aye
piraty vampires
in khaki green, ratty pants
dressed for the dance, bleh
by Ken Slesarik
Report Card Sets the Record Straight
by Mary Lee Hahn
There's no monster here.
Terrifying envelope?
That's your problem, kid.
Me very hungry.
Me want cookie– Uhm nohm nuhm!
Crumbs everywhere. Oops.
by Miranda Barnes (age 11)
Not Skin Deep
by George Heidenrich
Trees in November
Shorn of all leafy beauty
Reveal their good bones.
Portents
by George Heidenrich
Trees in November,
Scrawny zombies of springtime,
Sway slowly, waiting...
Blood Feast*
by Carol Varsalona
Mealtime approaching.
Teeth brushed. Anticipation!
DRATS! Garlic Spoiler.
*check out Carol's menacing visual interpretation HERE
shivers end at midnight
grinning masks enter my dreams
no matter where they rest
by Linda Baie
Jealousy
by Carol Wilcox
Green-eyed monster wraps
big furry hands round my heart
squishes joy spirit
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Many thanks to Bob Raczka, a.k.a. Dr. Haikustein, for coming up with this spine-chilling challenge, and to everyone who contributed to my insomnia this month with such monstrous little ditties!
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Now I know some of you are anxious to get started on your holiday shopping...
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| Photo: H. Michael Karshis, Flickr Creative Commons |
or eager to get stuck into those Thanksgiving leftovers...
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| The Munsters: Season 1, Episode 6 – Low Cal Munster (29 Oct. 1964) |
but if you haven't yet sent me your monster-inspired haiku,
there's still time!
You have until Sunday, November 30th, to send your haiku to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
Everyone who participates in this month's challenge will automatically be entered to win a personalized copy of Bob's delightful new haiku collection, Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole. (One entry per participant, not per poem.) How cool would that be? Think of the holiday gift-giving potential, folks!
Alternatively, you may earn an entry into the giveaway by commenting below. If you contribute a poem and comment below you will earn two entries in total. Comments must be received no later than Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014.
The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, December 5th. Good luck!
Monstrously clever haiku here! I need to give this a try- I was drooling over SANTA CLAUSES at Tattered Cover on Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun, scary little feast! I'm glad we have Miranda's Cookie Monster poem for dessert - tell her "Uhm nohm nuhm!" thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightfully varied collection! I would have to say, Robyn's entry really nailed it! Simply creepy.
ReplyDelete(humble "I'm not worthy" bow to a master... but thank you, Diane!)
DeleteThese are all awesome!
DeleteWhat a fun collection! This book inspired me to write a haiku a day from Thanksgiving until New Year's. Thanks, Bob, for a great book and a fun challenge! (thanks to you, too, Michelle!!)
ReplyDeleteI've loved Haiku since their discovery (by me anyway) in high school.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add - love this collection. I'm in the car so the iPad does weird stuff when I'm commenting and I got myself unable to continue writing in the first comment box.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loved this month's challenge! Can't wait to see what you have in store for us in December!
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was a lot of fun. I enjoyed reading The Santa Clauses. Thanks for all the fun poems.
ReplyDeleteWonderfully creepy collection--I especially love (your father's?) trees in November.
ReplyDeleteA smart, spooky collection of haiku - masterfully showcased! =)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun collection! I love that groaning dishwasher, and the monsterless, but still terrifying, report card :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome collection...monstrously fun!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, sorry I missed writing to you last week. I was in snowy Syracuse for Thanksgiving. Thank you for mentioning me in the monster-inspired haiku challenge. I am so excited that I have my very own copy of Santa Clauses that I purchased at NCTE where I met in person some of our Poetry Friday friends.
ReplyDelete