I had a look at Contemporary Haibun Online (CHO) yesterday. It is always worth a read, and I make a brief appearance. Regular readers may recognise the events from last year when Julia’s stumble in the garden became the subject of legends at the hospital, with one of the junior staff saying “Yes, I’ve heard about you.”
This month I only have one submission marked. Sometimes the calendar falls like that. I intend using the time writing and catching up with myself. The journal in question only accepts one poem as a submission so the pressure is on to produce something really good. It always feels like only having one chance makes acceptance less likely, as does their policy of using guest editors.
Old habits die hard, and I am still inclined to write for an editor to increase my chances of acceptance. It’s hard if you don’t really know them, or their work. It often worries me when I search and can’t find anything they have written. I can normally find something online but not always.
The other problem, and the one which meant I missed submitting last time, is that the submission window is only two weeks long 1st April to 15th April. Last time I forgot that and switched on about a week too late. I’d better get on with some work.
Tomorrow I have blood tests. I hope they do them this time as taxi fares aren’t cheap.
Meanwhile, having let my hair grow for a couple of weeks I couldn’t decide on a trim, an electric shave or a wet shave. I went for electric shave. Bad choice. I really must go back to a regime of two or three shaves a week.
I enjoyed your haibun Necklace of Thorns! I remember Julia’s accident, and the slow painful process of healing up, with horror. I am not surprised she has become legendary among staff at the hospital. I assume she is not suffering any after effects of that accident now?
It is all healing well thanks and there seem to be no problems.
I love the Necklace of Thorns and the fact you are on first name terms with Diego and Frida. I hope the blood test went well. I have one on Friday at 8.54 am. Please note – not 8.53 or 8.55.
8.54? What manner of time is that? Good luck with it. Why not write a poem while you wait? You only need a handful of words. It will be the thin end of the wedge you need to get started . . . 🙂
Hmmm . . . 😀
🙂
I’d never heard of a haibun before, but quite interesting. I just read a couple of excerpts from The Narrow Road. Enjoyed the Necklace of Thorns. Very brave ideas for the garage doors 😂 Good luck with the blood tests 😀
How difficult can it be, I thought, to take blood. Turns out it’s a lot more complex than I thought. First you have to get on the list . . .
Who could forget that very scary period?
It was frightening how little I had actually taken in from the first aid courses I had done. If it had been a little more serious we would have been in trouble.
I still don’t understand “haibuns”. Could you send a link that I can save and keep as a reference and if I try what is the best place for a beginner to send his effort?
https://quercuscommunity.com/2024/01/07/tanka-tanka-prose/
Start with this link. You can get to the haiku/haibun explanations from there. It’s probably easier to start with tanka prose as the tanka is a more forgiving form.
It’s late for me here and I have two days in he hands of he medical profession. I will get back to you with a better answer as soon as I can.
I trust that the medicos know what they are doing. But in case they don’t best of luck.
Nothing complicated, just time consuming and annoying. A trip to hospital for blood tests they should have done last week, which would be a doddle for a man who could walk, or if they had decent car parking, become a logistical trek that swallows half a day and annoys me for the other half. Then measuring, monitoring and stuff on Wednesday and the week is already in decline . . .
A very timid decision to stick with green. 🙂
The choice of greens is quite intimidating for a simple man like me. 🙂