Hello everyone, hope you’re all having a good month so far. Things are a bit tough in Japan at the moment with lots of corona virus cases here in Aichi (Nagoya) where I live. I’m an ESL teacher so all my classes are cancelled this month as a precaution–but the shops are all open, I have a good stock of toilet paper, and I really can’t complain about all the bonus writing time, can I? 🙂
But, I just realised today that I’ve messed up my schedule for INSTINCTS. I wrote the following haiku series last November I think, but then forgot to post it in February when it was actually setsubun! Doh!
Setsubun is a Japanese festival celebrating the coming spring. People like to wear masks and/or throw dried beans at ‘demons’ to chase away evil spirits.
Anyway here we go–my attempt at ‘horror haiku’, with 3 linked pieces.
SETSUBUN
Kelly Matsuura
Every Setsubun
Real demons, stalking children
Hide behind craft masks
Demon out! Luck in!
Roasted beans scatter the ground
Missing true evil
Spring comes imminently
Blossoms adorn the victims
Of demons’ delights
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About the author:
Kelly Matsuura grew up in Victoria, Australia, but always dreamed she would live abroad. She has lived in northern China, Michigan USA, and over ten years in Nagoya, Japan, where she now lives permanently.
Kelly has published numerous short stories online; in group anthologies; and in several self-published anthologies. Her stories have been published by Ink & Locket Press, A Murder of Storytellers, Black Hare Press, Harbinger Press, and many more.
She majored in Asian Studies at university, and (sometimes) studies Japanese, Chinese and German. Her other hobbies include cooking, knitting, sewing, and traveling.
As the creator of The Insignia Series, Kelly aims to promote the quality and diversity of Asian speculative fiction/poetry by indie authors from around the world.
Kelly’s blog/website: www.blackwingsandwhitepaper.com
Facebook: Kelly Matsuura-Author
Twitter: Kelly Matsuura
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Would you like to contribute a poem? Check out our Submissions Page.
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*Photo of Japanese masks by Finan Akbar on Unsplash.com
INSIGNIA STORIES 
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