Prose Haibun Poems | Examples
These Prose Haibun poems are examples of Haibun poems about Prose. These are the best examples of Haibun Prose poems written by international poets.
The haibun can be a standard(where haiku etc follows the prose) or afterword (where prose follows the haiku) or prose envelope (prose para haiku,para) verse envelope(haiku prose haiku) or interlaced (chorus, verse, chorus) or verse sequence (haiku,prose,haiku,haiku etc)
a haibun ABSTRACTION
The soft yellow streaked the terra cotta,shadowing the speckled sallow saffron
a bluish buff upon the cochineal;brilliant boneblack grizzled the engrain
citrine carnation as the fallow flaxen,rustic rubrical rainbow-tinted
the magenta mandarine;unseen the ultra-marine, tinged burnt sienna,
reflecting a golden flame of raw umbery upon the earth green;bright mosaic gold
mottled the sallow sorrel virent yellow,oak stained the pale apricot;while
blood red,reddish russetdotted the olive lind;freckled crimson,a chestnut maroon,
on fuchsias faded apple green as burnt rumber sank deep into its sanguine slumber.
I walk through the glade
abstractions enlighten me-
colour my rainbow
Like he’d done for forty years he placed their breakfast on the table. But since the stroke his wife had little appetite for food anymore. He turned on the morning news while she sat and stared out the window. Later in the garden he picked tomatoes and she watched the sun fall below an orange horizon.
As darkness crept into the house, they undressed and prepared for bed. He whispered, “I love you.” To which she had no reply.
While searching for her the next morning, he saw the check from the life insurance company laying unopened on the table.
flowers born in spring
bloom brightest in summer days
wither in winter
Apparently, the combination of a prose-like paragraph and a haiku, seemingly disparate, yet interwoven and forever connected, produces the mysterious haibun. This indeed seems unlikely, since the connection relies on you, the dear reader, and the nature of said ingredient is not clearly specified here. Nonetheless, we assemble what we can, sit back, and await what arises from the primordial soup. It’s the yeast we can do.
yeast and pregnant pause
haibuns rise in oven?
directions are vague
The Heart of my Prose.
Looking back in the past for a kindness, for to pay homage to in a contest. Asked hubby if he'd one he could recall, "write of your kindnesses to me" he said. That was so unexpected, tears were wept. There has been many setbacks and upsets, constant health issues being the reason. Yet taking it all in stride, how we tried, taking each day as a gift to receive. Humour has been a facet in our lives. This brings to mind many roles often played, acting the mother, carer, nurse and wife. But there's not been one moment of regret, all the yesterday's have been truly blessed. Golden souvenirs of life's memories, kindness is essential to life and love, that's something that surely everyone knows. It's importantly so as time goes by, just as a rose needs the rain so it grows, you’re needed darling, the heart of my prose.
* * *
Kindness is goodness
a light shining in the dark
to the heart that cries.
8th August 2021
Kindness Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Regina Mcintosh
* * * * * *
a precious diamond ring waited for its rightful owner half buried in the sands of a beach. Many passed the ring but in the busy din of the evening it remained ignored! A message of love sparkled in darkness in the moonlight as waves after waves came to claim it. Clutching her heart she came searching for it and was joyously united with the moon as witness.
in the dark beach sands
glitter of diamond greets
tender trembling hands
Haibun poetry
Prose 91 words
Haiku 5,7,5
The rivers must have stories to tell of years that they have seen life go by. Rabbits that frequent the shores and ducks that quack their way through! my shoes have left imprints on the ground due to rains from night before. Scent of flowers in the morning fresh air attracts lovers from all species around!
life’s drama on shore
desire to procreate more
trees breeze scents encore
Written 20/03/2021
Springtime Haibun
M.L. Kaiser
prose part 67 syllables
haiku 5,7 5
I'm alone with my thoughts at the moment, wondering how to keep them all like ducks in a row inside my head! Argh! They come a mile a minute, raging like a furious flood, doing somersaults! My brain, scrambled eggs.
feeling so confused
can't keep my thoughts together
what is happening!?
Haibun - Pick Your Theme Poetry Contest (Winner: Honorable Mention)
Sponsored by Line Gauthier
Prose word count: 40
Haiku syllable count: 5/7/5
Checked on www. howmanysyllables.com
Date written: 07/26/2020
in twilight gleam I look through haze of obscurity to see fading faces disappear in dust I raised treading track of time to where I’m now at the edge of night waiting for new sunrise with panorama of hued ecstasy
in flushing meadow
pearls of dew sparkle again…
faces rise from dust
July 25, 2020
Word count in prose part : 40
Syllable count in Haiku : 5/7/5
Checked on howmanysyllables.com
Contest : Haibun-Pick Your Theme
Sponsor : Line Gauthier
*Image of Nick Jonas by Giphy.
Myth
Psst hymns shyly sync shyly.
brr rhythm brr
oooo uuuu
tsktsk shh pfft
***Onomatopoeia
Title & Prose; consonants
Haiku; consonants-vowels-consonants
2020 July 11
When not yet two, I stood transfixed before a museum’s staged depiction
of a cougar killing a deer. Terror filled her eyes. Blood soaked her coat.
My mother says it took twenty minutes to pull me away from that scene!
in my memory
death clings like a cougar’s teeth
on its victim’s neck
July 9, 2020 for Line Gauthier's A Memory Poetry Contest
Prose part word count = 40
A grey movie playing with quicksilver moments create murals of memories. Strolling a beach arm in arm, did the wind blow away something ? Sands of time slipped beyond grasp, but never stopped. Wounds healed, scars never faded though.
mosaic pieces
love bathed in mist and shadow
hide your mementos
Dated 5th July 2020
Sponsor Line Gauthier
Contest Name A MEMORY
Prose has 38 words, haiku 5/7/5
in the glint of dew strewn mesmeric meadow, on the pearl laced
waves of moon splashed sea I look for rhyme when imageries blow
on mindscape raising dust of emotion turning into storm of afflatus
making me a poet profound
see the miasma
rise from my blooming garden…
birds fly on lyric
June 12, 2020
Prose word count : 40
Haiku syllable count : 5/7/5
Checked on howmanysyllables.com
Contest : Rhymes And Reasons
Sponsor : Line Gauthier
My words are birds hatched from ideas
and nourished by my own opinions, beliefs and memories.
Nature too provides me with inspiration and wings to fly!
I build nests using poetic devices and various poetry forms – often rhymed.
nests of many thoughts
creatively constructed . . .
birdlings I set free
June 5, 2020 for Line Gauthier's Rhymes and Reasons Contest
Checked by WordCounter- prose less than 40 words
So, visit I will
Form Haibun: Comprising of prose followed by Haiku
I was driving a conversion van, pulling a trailer with a smaller Suzuki X90 car on it. I was heading to California. This would be another change in my life. Although, I couldn’t get through the Rocky Mountains pulling that much weight. Thankfully, a friend had taken the ride with me and could drive the little car. I remember the most brilliant sunset across the desert when the blue sky was peeking through the fiery orange colors and looked like lakes in the distance, looking at it just right. I also remember the rainbow that crossed over the sky, too. I made it to California safely, for the second brief time that I lived there. But, I learned something in all this.
It is not for me
To live, but only visit
So visit, I will
7/25/17
Awakened by cops, I am frightened and confused. My parents arrested, I was removed. From house to house, I am placed with mannequins who “love” in parentheses. “Mommy, when will you come?” Her face plastered everywhere, yet she is nowhere. I was so young, then one day I turn eighteen. Return to thick, robust roots.
Knock on my old door,
Greeted by stranger blankly,
“How can I help you?”
My caseworker forgot to put life skills in my suitcase. A life sized adult body with a child inside on stilts. That night was the first one sleeping on hard surfaces. Aged out, and graduated from child protective services to homeless and forgotten on somebody's lunch break. They eat a cardboard club sandwich.
Middle aged mother
Inquiring about her child
“Sorry Ma’am, that files closed”.
I wrote this poem as a haibun, trying to keep it emotionless and rather concrete, inserting haiku that I hope adds new dimension to the prose. I am trying to hit home without actually hitting anything! This is my first haibun.