I have been accepted into the Cthulhu Haiku collection

I submitted a bunch of haiku and Sijo to Popcorn Press for their upcoming poetry collection, “Cthulhu Haiku” and they have selected six of my poems to be included in the collection.

I love haiku and all of the related forms of the 17 syllable poem. It is so much fun to write. Sijo is a Korean form that has three lines of 14 to 15 syllables. I learned about it by following the link that was included from the description of the anthology. I am glad I did, this is a great way to put an idea on paper.

Poetry, for me, is a fun way to approach a single idea. I am by no means a scholar of it and I couldn’t identify very many of the forms. However, I would say that writing poetry is a very good exercise. Following rules about rhyming, structure or syllable counts forces you to dig into your vocabulary and search for the way to say what you want.  It forces you to find the way to fit an idea into a different container than what you might have tried otherwise.

For me, it makes me write outside the box.

Here are the sijo that were not accepted. I look forward to being able to provide a link to the collection.

L. E. White

Sijo

We sat in velvet chairs. Sipping brandy and smoking cigars.

While reading ancient books and practicing forbidden arts.

But when you search for something in the dark, the dark finds you.

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I thought I knocked on the doors of heaven when I spoke the words.

Given to me by a man who I thought holy and inspired.

After saying the words, after seeing, I was wholly mad.

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The wind whipped over mountain stones to whistle around my ears.

As I flew on wings of imagination made real by dreams.

Without knowing the horizon I sought was made of nightmare.

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I sit at my keys and write down the ideas that pass my mind

Each one, a fleeting image as if I look at passing birds

Yet some ideas will only soar in the darkness of my night

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