3/25/06: The First Month of Horror Haiku

I'm surprised I've managed to keep this going for a month. When I reviewed the 30-35 I've written from February 25-March 25, I only found a couple I thought were poorly conceived.

Phew.

A few things strike me about my output so far:

1. What I'm really aspiring to is the experience of the "elongated paintings" at Disney World's Haunted Mansion. Check them out.

When you enter the Haunted Mansion's foyer, you see several portraits depicting generally pleasant scenarios. Slowly, the pictures elongate, exposing a more macabre truth.

That's pretty much my world view. :)

2. I've been all over the map. Necrophilia, granny-philia, murderous stuffed animals, virgin sacrific, Lovecraftian monsters, infanticide, cannibalism, infanticide by cannibalism, godlessness, greed, plane crashes, car wrecks, unfulfilled dreams, insects, pedophiles, quicksand, being buried alive, menstruation, domestic violence, arachnids, homeless guys, loneliness and voodoo...

I think that about covers it. I'm scared I'll run out of topics...oh, that reminds me! There are a couple in there about failure, too.

3. There are some in the "Faces of Death" - style. Just straightforward descriptions of a morbid scene. I think that I'll stay away from this type ~ while evocative, they're witless and, by nature, I think successful horror haikus need to either a) have some wit to them or b) strike an emotional truth.

Otherwise, it's just 17 syllables of snuff-ku.

4. A lot of them have sex.

Yep.

5. I think I'm OK at writing these, but I also discovered that my friends are all pretty damn good. Thank you all for your submissions for Friends and Family Fridays. Remember, those that slay together, stay together. Also, most of the haikus start with a fear of my own, or a fear that a friend has confided in me. So please, all of you, alert me to your deepest darkest fears, your inner turmoil...it helps me craft these things.

Plans for Horror Haiku in April

I'd like to add some links to horror blogs and friend blogs, get a better URL to direct to blogger (one without the blogspot, although horrorhaiku.com is taken), and do a bit more advertising and promotion. I'd also like to read some of the Japanese Horror comics that my friend J.W. Hastings says are similar to these haikus.

So finally, here are my 5 favorite from the first month.

I can't fall asleep.
Oak eyes stare, evil knots grin.
The walls are watching.

Tears of joy stream down.
Finally she’s a woman.
The wolves smell her blood.

Oxygen masks fall.
People cry and pray aloud.
Won’t finish Shark Tale.

Awake now, but where?
Dark, cramped...my favorite suit?
This doesn't look good.

An English boy asks,
“What’s in my granny’s knickers?”
She’s asleep. He peeks…

And my favorite submission from a friend:

Margaret Mary Kilcourse presents...

Jane's blindfold tied tight;
Tommy and the boys grab knives.
Party games are fun.

Horror Haiku returns on Monday. See you in April...fools!

Braccia