Horror Haiku Contest
So we are running the Halloween Horror Story contest over at EWR: Short Stories. We do this every year, and it leaves a sad place in my heart for horror poetry. We always leave it out. We never worry about poetry at Halloween. It turns out horror poetry isn’t as popular as you might think. I mean people like Poe, but after the Raven, not much horror poetry makes the news, if you know what I mean (if it did I would watch). So I miss the horror poetry thing every year. The year and season pass, and I think, it would have been nice to do something, at least something with poetry.
So this year we are running a small, small Halloween Haiku Contest. The only prize is publication on Every Day Poems, but we publish a lot of really good poets over there on our poetry page, so you know, a good haiku can get you published over there and a spot on our front page.
Best 3 haiku get published on Every Day Poems. Best poem gets our front page. They also get (all 3) published in Every Writer the Magazine. Haiku has to be traditional form, but we are not going by conventions. Five 7 Five is ok here. Also the Haiku must be Horror. Scarier the better. We want scary, ironic, terrifying, monstrous, but not gross. I don’t like gross poetry it makes me woozy. Gory is ok, but not graphic, if you can walk that line.
Anyway quick rules:
- Haiku
- 5 7 5 form
- Scary, freaky, ironic, not gross
- Deadline is October 20, 2014
- Post the Haiku in the comments below
If you have any questions the only other answers I have is this example. I wrote it. It’s not fantastic or anything. Also, I’ve screwed up the count many times on these things, so if it is off, you let me know in the comments:
Ex-lover
The transformation
left her naked, shivering
beside the remains
I know it’s not traditional to put a title with it, but I think it’s a nice touch, so feel free.
Something under bed
Bulbous head, too many legs
Moonlight unveils nest
Zombie wants my brains
Busted my ankle, he’s close
Lucky I’ve got none
Unique perspective
Things appear strange upside down
Swinging from a rope
Here is a new entry
HOUSE by Clarissa Simmens
Pink insulation
Leaks from mouths of screaming walls
Abandoned horror
Clarissa was having problems posting, so she emailed us. If you have problems posting here, please do the same at eds@everywritersresource.com
This is a test comment to see if a post is possible…
Cold, empty, dark room
Smell of iron in the air
She’s standing right there
She smiles for them
They can’t handle the raw truth
Shut from society
Shes Walking alone
The Cold,dark,cemetery
Wakes up 3 feet under
Screams please,no,please stop
Realises there’s no hope
She Smiles and laughs
Chills ran through your spin
Children’s laughter fills the hall
Abandoned nursery
Field of grass and rocks
Field of souls of young and old
There it waits for you
Pale,cold,eyes staring
Mouth open waits silently
Behind your closet
Arms stretched welcoming
Into the mutalation
His cold broken heart
A beautiful day
awash with laughter and joy
eyes hiding in the shrubs
Moist breath harvests neck.
Phantom-frozen-air; sunken
teeth. Don’t close your eyes.
Hyde amongst chewed bones.
Ricocheted breath on blunt axe
stunned: he turns around.
Still Birth in Dreams
Forgotten child
Incorporeally lost
Sobs echo in void
Horror Haiku make me very happy. Also, I wanted to make it clear that you can write as many as you like. It’s better on our side if you write 1 per comment, but enter as many times as you like. Really enjoy readings these.
Rusted chains cradle
neck. Whispers suffocate her.
Now, I’m not alone.
Bedlam’s beds breach sane.
Therapy breaks crippled mind.
I rock, patiently.
Baby’s cries wake her
from the nursery next door.
He was never born.
What is this. gasp sound
Come from the closet. He see me.
Too bad, he will die.
Tooth in inner tube
No blood in the swimming pool
Sea beast lies in wait
No moon, windless night
Dogs howling in the distance
Will you find your way?
Footsteps in the hall
No earthly feet to make them
She prays it can’t speak
Something wakes me cold.
Into a mirror I stare,
The reflection blinks.
Girl dancing in woods
makes town worry. Ladder twists
roped neck, and she chokes.
“They will take their breath.”
“Nonsense. Whiskers loves Tommy.”
Then, gasps come from crib.
“Go to sleep now, child”
Scold parents who have succumbed,
Blind to the monster.
The veil is so thin
I could reach through and hold you
Only for tonight.
Bat wings at window sill
Seems safe enough to open it
Once inside, fangs unfurl
(repost without typo)
Bat wings at window sill
Seems safe enough to open
Once inside, fangs unfurl
You never believed.
But I knew, in time, you would.
Don’t squirm, this will hurt.
While cutting off her
air supply, he had no clue
her kind didn’t breathe.
I’ll just kill one more.
A nice, young red-headed boy.
That will end my urge.
The last thing I saw
was a sharp sliver of glass
flying towards my eye.
The clown worked his sponge,
removing the caked make-up
revealing his scars.
I’m really enjoying these! Thanks to everyone. Please keep posting. You should know too, if you want to know the winner show up here Oct 27th and watch a Horror Movie with us. We’ll talk about the site and pick a winner. For Details: https://www.everywritersresource.com/halloween-movie-night-every-writer/
Her pumpkins drew them
Always the best on the block
This year, razored treats
Toads boiled, claws added
She wants to add his name but
Can’t kill her own dad.
Her nurse costume fools
Especially this dark night
All the blood she wants
Dia de los Muertos
Milk poured on the grave
Cabaleras by the door
Will I see you, love?
The Dog in the Door
Snarling teeth hiss black
Nightmares come back, I try
But hands can’t pat Death
The sea never
throws out the bones
of the shipwrecked!
If you would be ok with us using these Haikus for Every Writer the Magazine and or to put on tiles to be shared on our new FB page, please email at eds@everywritersresource.com, and let me know. Really enjoying these…
Observe the dreamer,
ignore the breathing body.
Doppelganger vigil.
The fan hums, alone?
A thin film slicking my skin
this dream clings darkly.
Never to escape,
I see his steel blue shadow
Even with eyes closed.
Note: I know you said to post only one haiku per comment but I really feel that these three need to be together.
His left eye droops some
Right arm mangled by stitches
His maker, monster
a drunkard shot dead
his wife who refuse to give
more money for drink
A boy at the corner
Beautiful, tall by the shadows
At the corner, he grins at me
He is holding a saw
Naked
Curves shaded at shiny skin
Her body is emboidered by the shadows
A knife in her throat
Naked
Curves shaded in shiny skin
Her body is embroidered by the shadows
A knife in her throat
Mistaken Identity
Heaven’s light awaits
We knock upon the large gates…
Forget Hellfire’s bright
Aging
Frankenstein’s monster
Put in storage for winter
Skin wrinkled by spring
Dark Autumnal Magic
Falling leaves dance, spry
The sorcerer gifts them eyes
To spy, through windows
Louisiana Pastoral
Spectral Spanish moss,
empty plantation abodes,
petroleum pyres.
Life Mask
Grandpa’s hunger strike!
Ever since my grandma died,
Death stares back at me.
Fireworks
We kids run and scream
from our neighbor, the Crab Man,
all straps and pincers.
sometimes i see ghosts
Other times I hear spirits
Rarely together
Demon is summoned
Here and heated for nothin
About to burn you
it slivers like a slivering snake,
it is risen to conquer,and your bones may break!
deformed and ugly is this demon?
is heck what he gives without reason?
it is the Satan’s wrath,
in blood he’ll bath.
you are dead,
your covered in red.
Our current haiku contest: https://www.everywritersresource.com/betcha-cant-haiku-2023-contest/