This New Year’s Day, in addition to the traditional Ozoni meal, sake toast, and oseichi meal, we had a group challenge to submit their First or “Hatsu” haiku of the new year. All participated and for some, this was their first haiku they composed. Subjects ranged from preparing for the NewYear’s meal, fireworks and feelings…
Bamboo Shoots breeze
2025 “Hatsu Haiku” A Renga-like Group Composition 2nd attempt to submit
This New Year’s Day, in addition to the traditional Ozoni meal, sake toast, and oseichi meal, we had a group challenge to submit their First or “Hatsu” haiku of the new year. All participated and for some, this was their first haiku they composed. Subjects ranged from preparing for the NewYear’s meal, fireworks and feelings…
Bamboo Shoots Submission for January 2025 Year of the Dragon Bamboo Shoots Writing Contest Prompts
Monterey Bay Canners
I ate oysters in both locations, and I had a card. “Ate” is what you call it, but come on, is it really eating? We carried stamp cards, a gimmick, with boastful pride, for each oyster slurped down, progress made toward a free one. Prisoners of that marketing device, we were slaves to lemon juice…
Happy New Year. I was wondering how we might encourage more writers to participate in our online contest. I asked Eric and Darrell, again, about the car prizes. I was thinking anything but a Tesla. But they said cars are still a bit over our budget. Even used cars. That don’t run. And have no…
Bamboo Shoots Submission for December 2024 Year of the Dragon Bamboo Shoots Writing Contest Prompts
Year of Dragon Haiku
Year of the Dragon Haiku JANUARY Crisp cool New Year’s day Waking bird songs joined by Sound of sweeping brooms. 1/1/2024. We woke early to sweep up the red firecracker debris from the New Year’s Eve celebration. Glistening in grass Last Dew drops sparkle before Gone with rising sun. eyk 1/19/2024 FEBRUARY Long lines for…
Bamboo Shoots Submission for December 2024 Year of the Dragon Bamboo Shoots Writing Contest Prompts
Quiet the Night
I was reading a piece this morning that a friend, maybe drafted yesterday, and posted online. There is a phrase about laughter, how it splays down the streets of the city at 2:00 a.m. I can picture that, the splaying, echoes bouncing off dark buildings, reaching, a hand, fingers of sound running down empty streets,…
Okay, listen very carefully because I will now speak in Pig Latin. Er, I mean READ very carefully because I will now WRITE in Pig Latin. As-way always-way, ese-they ompts-pray are-way ere-hay or-fay ou-yay oo-tay ignore-way. In-way other-way words-way, feel-way free-way to-way ignore-way them-way and-way write-way about-way anything-way you-way want-way to-way write-way about-way. As you…
Bamboo Shoots breeze
Autumn – Winter Haiku
I was out in my yard one morning and heard the faint strains of reveille. Sometimes the wind carries it over from the East Range. It is one of those songs from early in my life when I was in the service. So I wrote the following, Cool Autumn morning Bugle call faintly heard Recalls…
Bamboo Shoots Submission for November 2024 Year of the Dragon Bamboo Shoots Writing Contest Prompts
The Arid Deluge Comes Down
Summertime in Vilas Park She loves picnics, he does not Her idea of a picnic lunch is cheese French bread, wine, and fruit It feels like dry rain coming He’s lactose intolerant Dislikes crusty bread because It cuts up the roof of his mouth Wine makes it hard For him to breathe While fruit Gives…
Bamboo Shoots Submission for November 2024 Year of the Dragon Bamboo Shoots Writing Contest Prompts
A Kitchen’s Thanksgiving
This is a story about Thanksgiving from the perspective of all the different kinds of food and kitchen items that are involved in preparing a Thanksgiving dinner. The story begins with the opening of the refrigerator. A bottle of vinegar exclaims, “Everyone, hold your stomach in. She has returned from grocery shopping. We need to…