Fire dances at night
crisp air brings out other ghosts
wisps across the moon
Fire dances at night
we hold our sticks to the flames
careful not to burn
Crisp air brings out other ghosts
stories told at night
relived in our dreams
Wisps across the moon
swerving of a hunting bat
adds to the night’s chill
This was written in response to Frank J. Tassone’s Haikai Challenge #5. The challenge word is Hallowe’en. While technically not one of the ancient and accepted Japanese forms (at least in its totality), the Troiku feeds off the first “stanza,” a traditional Haiku.
Back in 2012 (or 13?) Chèvrefeuille, the host of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, introduced the form he called, Troiku. Follow the link for more information on this form. It’s an interesting twist on an ancient and revered poetry form. It’s also a lot of fun!