ANNOUNCEMENT: New to dVerse in 2023! We will offer OLN LIVE on Thursday, January 19th from 3 to 4 PM EST . . . AND on Saturday, January 21st from 10 to 11 AM EST. Mark your calendars now! More information forthcoming.
Welcome to the dVerse Poets Pub. I’m Kim from Writing in North Norfolk, your host for the first Haibun Monday of 2023.
Now that we have welcomed in the New Year, the month of January stretches out before us: a bleak month and a cold one. The beginning of January is always tough for me as my mother died on 9th January 2017. However, at the end of the month, my husband and I will be celebrating our thirtieth wedding anniversary.
As you can see, dates are important, and one thing I do on the first or second day of the new year is write in my calendar and diary all the birthdays, anniversaries and appointments for the year. Is this a personal thing or do any of you do it too? I know of people who have to go for a walk on New Year’s Day, while others dash out to the New Year sales at the drop of a hat, whether they need to buy anything or not. What do you do in the first days of January, and how do you feel about your prospects in 2023?
I found poems by Carol Ann Duffy and Brian Bilston that fit the bill for me (no pun intended!): click here.


And a haiku by Seamus Heaney that really resonates with me: click here.

This week, I would like you to write about your feelings towards this New Year and/or what you do in the first few days of January. Aim to write no more than three short, tight paragraphs, followed by a traditional haiku that includes reference to the season.
If you are new, here’s how to join in:
- Write a haibun in response to the challenge.
- Remember to include a link back to the dVerse Poets Pub from your blog.
- Enter your name and a link directly to your haibun by clicking Mr Linky below, and check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy.
- You will find links to other poets and more will join so check back later to read their haibun.
- Read and comment on other poets’ work – we all come here to have our poems read.
- Comment and participate in our discussion below, if you like. We are a friendly bunch of poets.
All images found on Unsplash: Fireworks by Jingda Chen; Dripping Tap by Sasikan Ulevik; and Icy Pavements by Sam Battaglieri.
Good evening, dVerse Poets, and a happy New Year to you all. Welcome to the first Haibun Monday of 2023! As you will have seen, we are offering OLN LIVE on Thursday, January 19th from 3 to 4 PM EST and on Saturday, January 21st from 10 to 11 AM EST. In the meantime, have a glass of something cold and fizzy to celebrate another year of the dVerse Poets Pub!
Kim, thanks for the information on the OLN Live for Jan. Looking forward to it. I will have a glass of ice wine while reading the poems.
Good afternoon Poets! Happy New Year. Thank you for hosting our Haibun prompt, the first for 2023 Kim. Cheers!
Hi Grace! I’m having problems posting a comment on your website, so I will have to comment here.
I enjoyed reading about your colourful calendar, Grade – a great way to organise your year. No career goals for me now, but I do have writing goals. I like the way you describe the block of time for as a gift to be carefully unwrapped, and the blank canvas of your personal life meaning new things and challenges. Such a shame about the glum, mud-stained sky – the last couple of days here have been bright.
Hello Kim and All. Will link up in a bit. Would you please pour me a strong ginger beer? Sounds just right.
A cold, sparkling ginger beer coming up!
Yummy, thanks, Kim! Cheers!
I want one! 😀 cheers 🍻
Of course, Lesley. Coming up!
😀 Oooh, thank you!
I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year… something warm and soothing would be nice to drink.
Happy New Year, Björn! A hot toddy coming up!
Happy New Year, Kim and all! 😀 It feels so great to be back! Hot chocolate for me please.. it’s really cold here tonight! Looking forward to reading everyone’s haibuns ❤️❤️
Happy New Year, Sanaa!
❤️❤️❤️
Happy New Year everyone! Kim, thank you so much for hosting, and I wish everyone a wonderful year ahead filled with good things.
Happy New Year, Linda! I hope your 2023 is full of wonderful things too.
Thank you Kim!
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Happy New Year to all my fellow dVersers! Looking forward to hosting OLN LIVE on Thursday January 19th AND Saturday January 21st! Hoping many will participate, choosing the day and time zone that works best for them.
We just put away all our Christmas decorations….always leaves the house a bit dull. But, tomorrow is time to start our packing list for California – sunshine here we come!
A nice cold glass of chardonnay, please, Kim. And thank you so much for hosting our first dVerse of 2023!
I shall be taking the decorations off our tree tomorrow, Lill. Enjoy your chardonnay!
Nearly time for bed, so I’ll say goodnight for now. I’ll be back in the morning to read and comment before I go to the dentist for a filling. 😦
Hello, Kim! Happy new year and thanks for hosting! I’m happy about the OLN on 21st Jan, it’ll be the first time I’ll be able to attend 🙂 All the best for your dentist appointment. ~ Jay
Thank you Jay. I know t’s only a filling but even my lovely dentist makes me nervous. 😦
This is brilliant news Kim, thanks very much for sharing this! 🙏😁👍 Saturdays will suit bmemuch better than Thursdays due to be being busy with the kids home from school. The joys of being on the other side of the pond. Ha! 😛😁
This is brilliant news Kim, thanks very much for sharing this! 🙏😁👍 Saturdays will suit bmemuch better than Thursdays due to be being busy with the kids home from school. The joys of being on the other side of the pond. Ha! 😛😁
I agree about Saturdays being much easier. It’s the same sort of thing with hosting – in the US the Poets Pub Bar opens as 3 pm, but in the UK it’s 8 pm – and I like to be in bed and reading my book by 10!
Yeh, I totally understand. 🙏😊 8pm here too in Ireland. 👍😁 About the time we start getting my girls ready for bed. Then I like to kick back and relax for an hour or so before I go to bed. So this change in time is much appreciated! 🙏😁
Where in Ireland, Ken? From 1980 until 1983 I lived in County Meath, Navan and Kells. My daughter was born in Dublin at The Coombe.
Navan & Kells, lovely parts of the world! 😁👍 The Coombe hospital has a good reputation too. I’m from Durrow, Offaly originally moved into Tullamore and am now living in Clara with my wife and 2 girls. 😁
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Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for hosting, Kim. The holidays were extremely difficult this year, but the write was therapeutic. Sending out love and best wishes for 2023.
Happy New Year Mish!
Hi Kim — thank you for hosting. First thing this morning I have watched the Rose Bowl Parade, then two football games in a row. Now I have one more football game to watch, so I may be too exhausted from cheering today to participate — but if I can, I will… though it will be posted late. Nice to see everyone back for 2023!
You’ve had a busy morning Rob, which I hope you enjoyed. I’m glad to see everyone back too. Happy New Year!
Thanks for posting the wonderful poems to go along with this first prompt of the year!
I’m glad you like them, Sara!
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Happy New Year, Kim and all dVersifiers! Some great poems here.
Happy New Year, Sarah! With all the strike problems, did you get my Christmas card?
I did, and I’ve been meaning to thank you for it. It arrived on Saturday! A lovely little post Christmas boost. My poor boy had a birthday just before Christmas and didn’t get a single card in the post. We’ve also been having problems with our internet, so it seems like every time I sit down to do anything I have to reboot the router – and by then I’ve forgotten what I wanted to do in the first place!
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Great to have the dVerse pub open again! Happy new year all.
Sorry my first response of the year is such a dark one. 2022 was pretty shitty, and I’m just glad it’s over.
Happy New Year Kate! Dark is good.
I corrected it to a haibun, Kim, and removed your message, thank you, I just finished a twelve hour shift and am not thinking clearly.
Thanks Christopher. 🙂
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Many thanks Kim both for the Haibun and for the news. It is good to be back at the pub.
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Hello Kim. Thank you for hosting. I didn’t follow the prompt exactly but went where it led. Just glad to be in the Pub. I will try to see what the OLN Live is all about come Saturday. It’s good to have that offering in addition to Thursday afternoons.
Thanks for joining us at the first Haibun Monday of 2023!
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I’ve posted my haibun!
Happy New Year one and all! 🍾🥂
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Thank you for hosting, Kim.
A Happy 2023 to all! 🙂
And to you!