Tag: haibun

A beautiful villa

Chris Hall48 Comments

What a wonderful villa, as she smiled to herself. Is it all for me, for a week and a half? But no, just a couple of rooms at the top. Still, that’s fine, as she climbed up the outside steps, while lugging her big bag and her rucksack.

She opened the door, and dumped her stuff on the bed, then flung one of the windows out and looked. Wow and wow… what a vista! This was absolutely perfect. She grinned a lot, but just to herself.

she is a writer
and sometimes she’s a poet
so what will she do?

~~~

Image credit: Ryan Spencer @ Pexels

This image shows a small villa in a Mediterranean island. There is a light blue gate and we can see stairs going up on the side of the house. Flowering vines can be seen on one side of the gate.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #356 photo prompt.

What do you see # 356- 31 August, 2026

Tread with trepidation…

Chris Hall31 Comments


Tread with trepidation

It’s so, so dry. Look at the grass, it’s brown. It’s dying or dead. Ridiculous! Actually it’s not just ridiculous, it’s rather worrying. I have never known a summer as scorching as this. Although 1976 was pretty similar. Gosh, that was a long time ago.

The worrying thing now though is this. It’s El Niño effect. And that is going to be brutal. It’s already beginning. There is drought, wildfires and heat waves too. Then on the other side there will be torrential rain with floods.

Now we need to think. Crops, livestock and infrastructure will reduce food production and disrupt markets. As supply falls, prices rise and food becomes less affordable. When combined with existing pressures such as conflict these climate shocks can quickly increase hunger.

so brace, brace and brace
many things will be required
let us keep alert

~~~~~~~~
145 words

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #100

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 78, Tread with Trepidation! 8/18/26

Holiday!

Chris Hall55 Comments

It was very quiet, she thought, there was hardly anyone around, and it was almost lunch-time. Most odd, she felt. She had been pottering around as usual, in the tiny town. She loved this place, and she had been there several times, since she saved up her money for two whole weeks, and now she was on holiday.

She took her small sketch book with some pencils. That’s what she does for pleasure. Noticing a nice café, she sat down.

But where is everyone?

The waiter appeared and grinned. “You don’t know what happened a couple of hours ago?”

so she shook her head
football? she looked all around
that lot England won!

~~~

Image credit: Waldemar Brandt @ Unsplash

This is a scene from Kokkari, Samos, Greece. In the morning hours, you can walk alone through the empty streets. Kokkari is a small and nice village without big hotel resorts. This image shows an empty street, lined with small shops and a cafe/ restaurant.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #348 photo prompt.

What do you see # 348- 6 July, 2026

Snow in June?

Chris Hall65 Comments

Snow in June? Surely not, as she peered from her window. No, it can’t be snow, it doesn’t look right. As she moved closer, almost sticking her nose on the windowpane.

Clouds on the ground? Most odd, since the sky all around is bright blue. She would even call that sky cerulean, such a pretty name. So those clouds can’t be clouds, but what in the world are they?

So she opened her door. Bizarrely the ground was made of candy and bubble-gum. And she was now holding some flowers.

She must be dreaming… surely.
Ah well, back to bed!

~~~

Image credit: Mehrab Sium  @Unsplash

This image shows an open door from which a hand extends holding a bouquet of pinkish white flowers. This image is superimposed on an image of a cloudy sky, giving the impression that the wall with the door is resting on the clouds.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #344 photo prompt.

What do you see # 344- 8 June, 2026

A library

Chris Hall56 Comments

A library, a library, how exciting! Magnificent isn’t it. Beautiful, beautiful books, and so many too. Some of them are pretty old, and there are some rare ones as well.

We must be careful though. We don’t want to bend a book and we don’t want to crack a spine. Gosh, no!

So we will browse and wander around, and this will take a morning, or even longer if we want. There’s no problem, since we are pensioners, although we will need some lunch!

we are bookworm fans
it is such fun, all those books
let’s just read and read

~~~

Image credit: Ahmet Yüksek @Unsplash

This image shows a section of a library, with multiple bookshelves stacked with beautifully bound books. There is a window next to the bookshelf with a white filmy curtain.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #340 photo prompt.

What do you see # 340- 11 May, 2026

Chicago!

Chris Hall67 Comments

Chicago, Chicago! What a wonderful city. We know it’s called the Windy City, but from here in this lovely hotel it seems blissful. Such a gorgeous view. We can see for miles and miles. All those striking skyscrapers. What a joy!
So we crane our heads at those views to see the river. The river? No, we mean that huge lake. Ah yes, Lake Michigan. That’s the one.

Okay, so what are we going to do now?
Well, we’ve dropped our stuff in this very nice room.
I’m saying, food.
We could go to get a couple of Chicago-style hot dogs… Downtown Dogs?
Or let’s push our boats out, what about ‘Girl and The Goat’. It’s a very good restaurant, apparently.
Now you’re talking!

so let’s leave them there
since we know some good new facts
anyone else to go?

~~~~~~

Image credit: Alessandro Guarino @Unsplash

This image shows the view from inside a hotel room out of the window. High rise buildings present a calm scene. According to the photographer it is; Nobu hotel-Chicago; the city never asks to be let in. The bed is made and the room seems unoccupied.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #336 photo prompt.

What do you see # 336- 13 April, 2026

Sunday Roast

Chris Hall33 Comments

It was a big Sunday roast, and all the crowd were here, since it was Granny’s birthday. I was the youngest, and I giggled out loud when I saw those bloomers from everyone. She also laughed, in fact, she had to wipe her eyes, using her pretty hankie, which always had the scent of lavender.

I had a little job on Sunday. I would walk down the long back garden, passing the huge fig tree – what a brilliant smell – then I picked some spearmint leaves, and brought them back to the kitchen.

Then soon it was lunchtime and all those smells were divine. There was roast spuds – just a half one for me though, and a little lamb, but best was the mint sauce, not too much, not too little, just the right amount – just heaven!

such a lovely day
we had eaten gorgeous food,
but gosh, those bloomers!

~~~

It’s a haibun – lovely memories!

Written in response to this week’s Tanka Challenge hosted by Willow

TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 29, Memories, 09/09/25

Walking around the Castle

Chris Hall42 Comments

She’s wearing her red coat, which is warm and long, and it’s perfect. She wonders what she should write today, since she has a small notebook in her pocket. She strides across the ancient bridge; she stops in the middle. She surveys the large loch, pulls out her pencil and paper, and scribbles a few lines: it’s a haiku – from Scotland to Japan.

from heather
to cherry blossom;
just divine

~~~

Image credit:  Christian Crocker @Unsplash

This image shows the back view of a woman dressed in modern day attire, and a red coat, walking towards an ancient castle in Scotland, over a stone bridge.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #299 photo prompt.

What do you see #299- 28 July, 2025

What’s for lunch?

Chris Hall42 Comments

in my fruit basket
there’s plums, tangerines, avos
it maybe winter
but toms are still ripening
and sitting in the sun room

What to eat for lunch? Maybe use the avocado – definitely ready. Opening it up… mmm, perfect. A little mayonnaise with some tuna, or even better, make some guacamole. So mash the avocado mixed with tomato, a tiny bit of chopped onion and a little chilli pepper. Now we could go really mad. Let’s pile everything in to some tacos, and hey presto… it must be Taco Tuesday – just like Tanka Tuesday (well, it’s only a couple of days late).

~~~~~~

Thanks to Colleen for the inspiration to write syllabic poetry. 
The challenge for this week is all about fruit!

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 18, Fruit, 6/24/25

The Little Lighthouse

Chris Hall65 Comments

The little lighthouse sits proudly just beyond the beautiful bay. Mostly it is sunny and bright, where the sea and sky are blue and bluer. The waves dance with the white foam, ebb and flow, ebb and flow. But sometimes the wind and rain lash around the rocky promontory, as it clashes and moans. It goes dark and there is no moon, but the little lighthouse flashes boldly around, keeping the boats and ships from harm. And then, in the morning, it is light and sunny again.

dear little lighthouse
you shine gaily day and night
keep us safe always

~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit: Elias Kipfer @ Unsplash

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a lighthouse located on a tiny piece of land near a rocky coastline. The sea around it is misty and gray.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #256 photo prompt.

What do you see # 256- September 30, 2024.