in foreclosure
the dream house
we didn’t buy
Published by
Julie Bloss Kelsey
Julie Bloss Kelsey discovered haiku through reading scifaiku and fell in love with both short forms. She is the author of three short-form poetry collections: The Call of Wildflowers (Title IX Press, 2020), Grasping the Fading Light: A Journey Through PTSD (Sable Books, 2023), and After Curfew (Cuttlefish Books, 2023). She currently writes a bi-monthly column, New to Haiku, for The Haiku Foundation, where she is on the Board of Directors. You can find her on Instagram (@julieblosskelsey) or X (@MamaJoules). Her first book, The Call of Wildflowers is available for free through her website. View all posts by Julie Bloss Kelsey
Like your dream house poem!
my own backyard
I forget
to love it
Mike, I hope you are sitting out there tonight, writing poetry. :)
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Intriguing how important is the addition of the preposition:
in foreclosure
the dream house
we didn’t buy
—JULIE BLOSS KELSEY
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Without 'in' the poem would be almost spiteful, but with 'in' it's more a sad financial fact of the dreamer; the owner; and economic situations locally, regionally, and nationally.
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A deeply poignant senryu. I''m currently running an online senryu workshop (sold out), where the examples being workshopped show how equally powerful well crafted senryu are; and can certainly be on an equal pegging with haiku.
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warmest regards,
Alan
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Thanks, Alan. That's an excellent point about the use of prepositions, and one that I didn't consider when I was writing this. I did come from a place of wistful sadness rather than spite.
Dear Julie,
It was very clear you were wistful, thinking only good for the owners, and sad that it had been a dream house for you, but realising even for someone else, it was too much.
It's not just haiku and senryu, but single words can make or break longer poetry, or even important opening lines for short stories, and novels.
Well judged writing.
warmest regards,
Alan
the last chapter
in foreclosure
my dream, deferred
That's probably a better way to approach things – a dream deferred rather than a dream denied.
Thank you, Julie! Your poem is very beautiful, with many layers of meaning, thought provoking. I love it!
I like the twist in the last line – well-written
Thanks! :)
I loved it! It has happened to me and I was sad I didn't get the house. Mom
Love you, Mom!
Thanks, Julie~~~
Last week relaxing @ Atlantic Sea:
afternoon ocean waves~~~
the falling sun
burns the sand
Time flies and world changes. How soon the change happens it's a reminder of the same. Hope, dreams and expectations are part of life and will remain in life as long as life remains. Bottomline is never give up in life.
The narrator was not destined to own this house and, sadly, neither was the previous owner. A dream denied in different ways. For some the desire is too great and they just have to go for it, whatever the risk.
marion