Hello, dVerse Poets! Today is Haibun Monday.

In my part of the world, southern New Jersey, it’s spring. Our daffodils are in bloom, and the flowering trees are starting to burst into bloom, too. People writing haibun and haiku here, might allude to spring in their poem. For those new to the form, let me explain further.

The Japanese poet Bashō popularized haibun in the sixteenth century, though the form existed before. A haibun typically consists of a few brief paragraphs of prose– usually short, evocative paragraphs written in the present tense. Most often, haibun include non-fictional/autobiographical paragraphs complemented with a haiku. The haiku should not directly repeat what the prose stated. Traditionally, it has a nature or seasonal reference, but yours do not have to for this prompt. Haiku can follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable form or short-long-short. Ideally, a haibun should be more than observations; they should evoke some sort of feeling.

I found this essay on writing haibun, which you may want to look at.

https://poets.org/text/more-birds-bees-and-trees-closer-look-writing-haibun

Here’s a haibun called “Time Traveler’s Haibun: 1989” by Maureen Thorson. The Poetry Foundation link includes Thorson reading of her poem.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/149728/time-traveler39s-haibun-1989

Your haibun does not have to resemble this one, but for this prompt, I’m asking you to do some time traveling of your own. You may write about your own past, imagine your own future, invent an entirely fictional time-travel tale, or do something in-between.

Optional
I’m adding some paint chip names to use like random words. You may use them for inspiration, include the words in your poem, or just ignore them! It’s totally optional. Sometimes reading a word or phrase is helpful to start the poetic flow.

Big Dipper, Black Magic, Caviar, Cruising, Danube, Dew Drop, Full Bloom, Fresh water, Golden Fleece, Greek Villa, Grasshopper, Golden Plumeria, Homburg, Landmark, Nebulous White, Nightwatch, Nocturne, Only Natural, Raucous Orange, Repose, Ripe Berry, Shamrock, Storm Warning, Wall Street, Wave Crest

Remember your haibun should include a short prose piece with a haiku.

**Watch for an exciting announcement from dVerse coming very soon!**

If you’re new to dVerse, here’s what to do:
*Write your haibun according to the prompt
*Post it on your blog
*Add the link for your blog post to Mr. Linky below
*Read and comment on others’ poems