All Hallows Festival in Second Life

Shin Tao Haiku Retreat is holding the All Hallows Festival on Saturday 10/31 & Sunday 11/1. There will be many events, including the Great Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt, performance of “A Lantern for the Crane Maiden” written by DanteOsaka Deschanel, Haiku contest winners, Halloween Dance, Poetry Reading and Dia de los Muertos celebration. Come join us or drop by any time to see the Haunted House or read some haiku in the Library.

The Ugly Duckling- Kabuki performance

The Shin Tao Theatre presents "Le Vilain Caneton" the ugly duckling, a kabuki performance by the Shinmachi Kabuki Group.

Everybody is welcome at the Shin Tao Haiku Retreat on Tuesday, October 6th, at 6pm SLT.

The Shin Tao in motion

Watch the Shin Tao Theatre Haiku Play & Kabuki performance at last week's Obon festival on youtube. “The Haijin Tea Party” is a play written by DanteOsaka.
Thanks to the performers and everyone who joined the play and the Obon festival!

Shin Tao Theatre

Shin Tao Haiku Retreat is celebrating the 2009 Obon Festival with lanterns, poetry, plays, dance, fireworks, and more, August 7th - August 9th in Ophelia, Second Life.

Make sure you catch the world premiere of The Haijin's Tea Party, a haiku drama with dialogue straight from the masters. Happy Obon!

"Spirit of Obon" haiku contest

Announcing the "Spirit of Obon" haiku contest for the Obon Festival at the Shin Tao Haiku Retreat, to be held August 7,8,9. The deadline for the entries is August 2nd at Midnight, slt. Haiku, Haiga, Senryu and Tanka are all welcome for this contest. Please contact DanteOsaka Deschanel, Pomona Writer, or Sunnie Beaumont in Second Life if you have other questions. Happy writing! -- Dante

Flying Insect Haiku Contest Winners

Many thanks to everyone who helped out and attended our Sakura Mushi Festival, which was a great success. Congratulations as well to our Flying Insect Haiku Contest Winners.


Zen meditation
I must try to concentrate
But the mosquito!

by Inarra Onmura


I tap the cold glass
but the trapped fly does not care.
He keeps crawling upward.

by Rosarie Alecto

a moth leaves
a young girl's grave...
only moonlight now

by Dalloway Palianta

small squashed mosquito
you wanted so little
now both our blood's spilled

by Mudpie Mornington

afternoon sun -
a honey bee greets
his eighty-first flower

by Dalloway Palianta

shortening day
the lonely sound
of a cicada

by Ngagpa Writer

Rondeau Short Poetry Workshop, Tue - 4/7 - 7 pm SLT

DanteOsaka Deschanel guest hosts this week’s Rondeau Short Poetry Workshop. This French style of short poetry is similar to the Rondolet, which was also one of our previous workshops. This 15 line lyrical poetry style has refrains, syllables, and rhymes. Dante will teach us all about it, so join us at Inksters to learn, write and share your Rondeaux.
Rose Garden. Inksters Rose Garden Classroom (212,135,21) in Second Life

Sakura Mushi Festival

The Sakura Mushi Festival of Blossoms and Insects will take place on Saturday, April 18,2009, all day.
There will be poetry readings, the awarding of the flying insects haiku contest winners, opening of the Flying Insects Display in the Shin Tao World Room, music, dancing and a lot of fun.

Oh and don't forget to submit your insect haikus! The deadline has been extendet to April 10. Contact DanteOsaka Deschanel, Pomona Writer, or Sunnie Beaumont in Second Life.

The Basics of Haiku-season words

Shin Tao Haiku Retreat presents an installment of The Basics of Haiku, wherein we examine many of the key components to writing haiku in English.
This week we will be taking a look at Season Words. Please join us in the courtyard of the Library of Haiku for a discussion on the importance of the seasonal element in the history of haiku, and how you can use it to better your own poems. Friday, March 20, 7.30 pm, slt. Come help us explore the world through haiku.

-- DanteOsaka

Insects haiku contest

Shin Tao Haiku Retreat is accepting entries for its current haiku contest on a theme of flying insects. If you have any haiku about butterflies, wasps, flies, bees, beetles, mosquitos, moths or any other flying bug you can think of, send them to us! There will be prizes for the winners, and all poets will also be eligible to have their entries accepted for our flying insect display which will debut in SL on April 18.

Deadline for the contest is midnight, SLT, April 4. Poets may enter as many times as they like. Haiga may also be entered, which will not influence the chance to win in the contest, but will likely increase the chance to be selected to appear in the display.

The flying insect display will be a featured part of our Sakura Blossom festival to be held on the weekend of April 18.

All poets are welcome to participate. Send submissions on a notecard with your name, or as an object with Modify and Copy rights, to DanteOsaka Deschanel, Pomona Writer, or Sunnie Beaumont. Contact any of them for further information.

--DanteOsaka

Short Poetry Workshop 1st Anniversary

Shin tao proudly congratulates our own Sunnie Beaumont for the completion of one year as head of the Short Poetry Workshop at inksters.

Endings and Beginnings

Shin Tao has awarded NGAGPA WRITER our first place in our Endings and Beginnings Haiku Contest. DALLOWAY PALIANTA is our second place winner (please visit Dalloway's blog Australian Haiku), and honorable mentions go to LEZLIE LATTE and INARRA ONMURA. Thanks to all of our participants for making this a fun and exciting contest.

2009 Shin Tao Haiku Retreat
"Endings and Beginnings" Haiku Contest winners and entrants.

Judge: DanteOsaka Deschanel Assistant Judge: Sunnie Beaumont

Icicle water
drips drips drips, upon
green spring shoots.

Black suits with white shirt,
winter faces, ladies weep,
a life on earth ends.

Summer love, now
inside within a week
new heart starts beating.

Acer leaf turns red,
memories of summer sun
fading like the days.

Crisp uniforms all,
new pencils and books and bags,
new term time begins.

Red pen on answers,
the wise teacher smiles and frowns,
exams are over.

© 2009 Lezlie Latte

In stillness ripples
echo the invading thought
...disturbing the mind

Sunshadow Skye

The Cycle of life.
Comes with the cycle of death.

It's the cost to live.

Vera Jonson

fine chopped ginger

fresh lime on seasoned fingers
cookbook aired at last

by Dalloway Palianta

final thrust
breath released
rolling eyes

aching chill
abandoned bus stop
desperate prayer

puffer fish
bead of sweat
exposed intent

peircing strike
rebellious fist unclenches
dreams to dust

by Conundrum Aristocrat

New Years Day
a blackened wick
stands in melted wax

by Ngagpa Writer

leaving

silently she left
what does she see and feel there

the crows all cry out

~inarra onmura

seppuku samurai

she cries with sharp pain
seppuku samurai gone honorable mention $L100
but yurei returns!

- inarra onmura

passing

a friend passed today

he who flew high and swam low
leaves drift peacefully

- inarra onmura

autumn

a chill breeze passes
a shower of yellow leaves
dances to the ground

~inarra onmura

Adio

When was the ending of our love?
Yesterday I saw you in a mirror
Keeping the flowers so close of your heart,
Today I see the flowers in a stranger's vase ...
by Lumi Michinaga