Asian Fantasy & Science Fiction
Hello friends, hope everyone is doing well! After a 6-month break, I'm pleased to be able to relaunch our poetry series, INSTINCTS, with a fantasy poem by Japanese writer, Yukari Kousaka. The Divine Beasts Yukari Kousaka The Azure Dragon shook the Kiyomizu Temple After one tail-wag, extinguished the forest The spiritual creature flew with great... Continue Reading →
New haiku (with illustration) by John H. Dromey! Enjoy 🙂 Equipment Checklist (for a Yōkai P.I.’s Stakeout from behind a High Privacy Fence) John H. Dromey Sticking her neck out. The rokurokubi said Scratch the periscope John H. Dromey was born in northeast Missouri, USA. He enjoys reading—mysteries in particular—and writing in a variety of... Continue Reading →
A new poem today, by Filipino poet Alton Melvar M. Dapanas. Enjoy! Mebu’yan Writes a Letter to an Old Friend You are here with meas a daydream in a languagelong gone, like poetry, a birdsong, or a ritual to appease. Mapping you out in inconstant terrains—a looming mountain range,the still mangroves from a distance,the ninth... Continue Reading →
Time for more poetry! This is the second piece by Malaysian poet, Ismim Putera. Read his previous poem, 'Si Tenggang the Sailor' and other excellent Asian speculative poems on the INSTINCTS Poetry page. No Man Is An Island Ismim Putera I am an islandI float using the air in my balloon-like bellylegs and arms straighten... Continue Reading →
Our last entry for Women in Horror Month is a piece by Sri Lankan poet, Anne Silva! This poem will also be listed as part of our online poetry series, INSTINCTS. 'The Legend of the Devil Bird' is based on a folktale about the Ulama (devil bird) that sounds like a women screaming in terror.... Continue Reading →
It's my pleasure to introduce the work of first-time Insignia Stories contributor, Ismim Putera. Please enjoy his poem, 'Si Tenggang the Sailor', inspired by a Southeast Asian folktale. Si Tenggang the Sailor Ismim Putera Si Tenggang yearns for the seawater washes his thighssalt encrusts on his facesands in his eyeshe is a weeping statuefossilised from... Continue Reading →
First INSTINCTS poem for the year! Please enjoy another haiku (double) by regular contributor, John H. Dromey! Hot Pursuit Goes Underground, Hostage Unharmed John H. Dromey His sweetheart kidnappedA spelunking samuraiRushed to her rescue With his katanaHiro slew the abductorInter the dragon ~~~ About the Author: John H. Dromey was born in northeast Missouri,... Continue Reading →
This week's poetry piece is a speculative haiku by regular contributor, John H. Dromey. This year, John has work featured in Horror Matsuri 2020, Castles & Kimono, and both drabble anthologies. He also has 3 drabbles accepted for our open call, Mythical Creatures of Asia! Check out John's Insignia Author Page for more links to... Continue Reading →
Happy November everyone! This month's INSTINCTS poem comes from Malaysian writer and recent Horror Matsuri contributor, Deborah Wong. Enjoy 🙂 Bloodwork Mandarins Deborah Wong for the executed wandering spirits I’d weaved too many ancestors dreams,succulent and salty blood in drips,land being stolen, drenched in mad fears,the fate is to erase history—colossal of wishesin flames and... Continue Reading →
HORROR MATSURI #9 / INSTINCTS (POETRY) #14 It's Week 5 of Horror Matsuri, and sadly today is the last poem, but it's a good one! This is John H. Dromey's second poem for the month. The first, 'Spooky Yuki-onna' can be read here. A Yōkai's Haiku Halloween Abroad John H. Dromey Just one day... Continue Reading →
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