Clerihews for Haiku Editors—Past

First published in Prune Juice #22, July 2017, on pages 21, 38, 61, 82, and 103. I originally wrote most of these clerihews in November and December of 2005, with additions in 2006, 2013, 2014, and 2017. See also “Clerihews for Haiku Editors—Present” and “Clerihews for Haiku Editors—And Then Some.”       +      +

Past Editors


                                                                                                Stephen R. Addiss

                                                                                                used to like haggis;

                                                                                                now he loves haiga

                                                                                                except in the taiga.


David Bingham

wears no gingham

while choosing ku

to share with you.


                                                                                                Jeanne Emrich

                                                                                                has a new trick:

                                                                                                planting haiga seeds

                                                                                                with her journal Reeds.


Lorin Ford

fills a gourd

a hundred times

with ku sans rhymes.


                                                                                                Terri L. French

                                                                                                is one feisty wench—

                                                                                                sending her prunes

                                                                                                causes her swoons.


Carolyn Hall

stands very tall

in the haiku crowd—

she won’t be cowed.


                                                                                                Christopher Herold

                                                                                                never imperiled

                                                                                                a haiku submitter

                                                                                                whether happy or bitter.


William the Higginson

is fond of each season,

and wherever he goes

it rains . . . or it snows.


                                                                                                Dorothy Howard

                                                                                                is no coward—

                                                                                                sunbathing when its hailing,

                                                                                                printing haiku that are “failing.”


Ken Jones

holds the phones

when haibun reading

consumes his evening.


                                                                                                Martin Lucas

                                                                                                reduces mucus

                                                                                                in haiku submissions—

                                                                                                among his missions.


A. C. Missias

rhymes with Tobias—

it’s gender we don’t know

. . . so on we go.


                                                                                                Paul Pfleuger, Jr.

                                                                                                is surely a senior

                                                                                                at gendai haiku

                                                                                                that make it new.


David Priebe

may give you a freebie

of his monthly haiku journal,

so consistent it’s infernal.


                                                                                                Bruce Ross

                                                                                                rides a hoss,

                                                                                                proclaiming the nature

                                                                                                of haiku nomenclature.


Alexis Rotella

writes no novella—

it’s just haiku

she’d rather do.


                                                                                                Robert Spiess

                                                                                                loved to increase

                                                                                                the quality of ku

                                                                                                written by you.


Ebba Story’s

never sorry

for choosing quality

—it’s her prerogaty.


                                                                                                George Swede

                                                                                                smokes no weed

                                                                                                unless his honey

                                                                                                says it’s funny.


Charlie Trumbull

likes the rumble

of modern haiku—

if it’s fresh and new.


                                                                                                Cor van den Heuvel

                                                                                                never called for removal

                                                                                                of “tundra” from his books—

                                                                                                gaining sad and happy looks.


Dick Whyte

holds no spite

for those who won’t write you

topical haiku.