SenHai Saturday #18

Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!

The image depicts a sky with a setting or rising sun, water, and a beachline; all reflecting hues of mauve, lavender, cream, and white.

Please create one senryu and one haiku to accompany this image prompt. Remember that a traditional haiku describes nature or a season, while a senryu focuses on human nature and emotions.

Then, provide a link in the comments below or ping back to this post on your blog.

Here is a wrap-up of last week’s prompt. I appreciate each of you for sharing your thoughts!

Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday – 9/13/25

Heather – Autumn Winds

Nolcha – Disappearing

Carol Anne – Sen-hai Saturday #17

Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #17

Sarah – Pathway

Lisa – Welcome

Sadje – Enlightenment

Violet – Breath

Ben – 19.9.25 — Haiku/Senryu

Reminder – The Short Of It Submission Cycle Is Open

Just a reminder – if you know how to make a big impression with a few words – I WANT YOU to submit your original work to The Short of It!

I’m accepting creations through the end of December, but will close it when we have reached 52 accepted submissions. So you are aware, I have already received roughly 60% of the features for next year’s publications. Do not dally in getting in your work!

Please feel free to share this with anyone and everyone you know who is interested in creating micro-poetry or short pieces of writing. More information about the submission guidelines can be found by clicking this link.

Looking forward to reading your masterpieces! 

Who Am I

descriptors label
we’re complicated humans
i am all these things

Wonderful prompt, Reena! Thanks for always hosting interesting ones for us! I did dig deeper and Googled the word as I’d never heard of it. Fascinating info…

AI Overview

An otrovert is a newly defined personality type, coined by psychiatrist Rami Kaminski, for individuals who are well-adjusted and friendly but consistently feel like outsiders, resisting absorption into groups or collectives. Unlike introverts who turn inward, or extroverts who turn outward, otroverts “turn elsewhere,” prioritizing independence and clarity while maintaining empathy and connection on a deep, individual level rather than in large groups. They are comfortable with their non-belonging, preferring one-on-one interactions over group settings and often finding their unique perspective a source of strength. 

Key Characteristics of an Otrovert:

  • Resists Group Identity: Otroverts question abstract group ideas and don’t feel a deep connection to ideologies, religions, or other large-scale affiliations. 
  • Prefers Individual Connections: They enjoy deep, one-on-one friendships and prefer individual activities over group ones. 
  • Observational and Independent: They are often observers who remain grounded in their own values, rather than conforming to group norms. 
  • Friendly but Not Merged: While empathetic and capable of engaging with groups, they never fully dissolve into the collective, maintaining their emotional autonomy. 
  • A “Foul Weather Friend”: They are reliable and deep friends who help others without expectation of reciprocity. 

How Otroverts Differ from Other Types:

  • vs. Introvert: Introverts are energized by solitude, but otroverts are not necessarily alone; they simply don’t thrive in group settings. 
  • vs. Extrovert: Extroverts gain energy from being around people, while otroverts are comfortable standing apart from the crowd. 
  • vs. Ambivert/Omnivert: These terms describe a person’s ability to balance introverted and extroverted tendencies. Theotrovert focuses on the deliberate nature of non-belonging and the preference for individual connection. 

“Otrovert” and the Concept of Otherness:

The term “otrovert” is derived from the Spanish word “otro” (other). The concept emphasizes the strength in being an outsider and highlights that feeling like an outsider is not a flaw but a distinct personality trait that can lead to unique creativity and insights. 

Delectation

kisses burnt into my psyche
lingering hot in the air
the afterglow palpable
and instincts left wanting
pleasure and delight once more

Stylish Story

Redux

Pixabay.com

Time for bed, long day over.

her thoughts slow
tired
needs her bed now

slides under clean sheets
sighing now
her nerves easing up

last minute thoughts swirl
one more solution eeked out
returning to calm

tiny drips of rain
nature’s language speaks outside
lulling her to sleep

wind
wafting through
the open window
caresses her blonde hair
sweetly

But this woman named Bocks
mightily tossed and turned her locks.
Diligently tried to get settled,
to feel tucked in and nestled.
Shouldn’t have had whiskey on the rocks.

She
wishes
for a quick
turn into the
void.

It’s
slow to
happen though.
Turning, tossing
She asks “When will this sleep finally come?”

slowly
but surely, dear
your dreams are calling you
today becomes a memory
drifting

Finally, she sleeps!
Eyes fully closed and relaxed.
Slight snores can be heard
escaping from her moist lips.
Little tics move her fingers.

dreaming
floating on air
meeting her younger self
the mini-me says hi to her
hugs, kisses, joy, and fun to be had now
playing high in the clouds with glee
such a good time they had
with each other
dreaming

But
now it’s
time to go
back to the real
world again. So sad.
Wake up, says the alarm!
Time to get up for work now.
A new day to do it over
again, only to head back to this
bed once more to slumber very deeply.

Can you identify all the styles?

Originally published April 1, 2019, on I Write Her.

A Broken Heart

Inspired by What do you see #306

crisp conversation
with a visceral response
we are over now

Unknown Destiny

The fence stood crooked, weathered by time; his hand grasps the cold wire, trembling. From the distant tower, a light flickers—hope, or warning? Beneath, a bone lies half-buried, frosted by morning chill. Luring whispers drift through the trees, bound to no tongue. It’s a trap, he knows, but still, he steps forward. The earth cracks underfoot. A fan hums somewhere unseen, steady, mechanical. His chest swells with dread as the fog thickens. One slip, and he’s lost. Still, he walks, drawn not by bravery, but by something older—curiosity, or perhaps fate. Behind him, the fence closes silently, sealing the path.

**Full Disclosure: I used ChatGPT. ** I had the idea and asked them to create this story, which I then modified. Interesting what it came up with!

SenHai Saturday #17

Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing!

This image depicts a dark forest with what appears to be a lighter path or opening leading out of it. The scene shows the trees empty of many of their leaves, scattered mostly on the forest floor.

Please create one senryu and one haiku to accompany this image prompt. Remember that a traditional haiku describes nature or a season, while a senryu focuses on human nature and emotions.

Then, provide a link in the comments below or ping back to this post on your blog.

And here is a wrap-up of last week’s prompt. I appreciate each of you for sharing your thoughts!

Eugenia – #SenHai Saturday – 9/6/25

Nolcha – Smoking

Cheryl – Senhai Saturday

Carolyn – SenHai Saturday #16

Lisa – Mighty

AJ – SenHai Prompt

Sadje – SenHai Saturday#16

Violet – Fiery

Fulgent

birthed from love
new arrivals give rise
to exquisite excitement

clutching on for dear life
our existence fills our numbered days
the highs bright, and the lows dim

a promised end
gives utterance to last words
remarking on a praise-worthy, shiny human being

I Sway, I Laugh, I Cry

without art, music, or writing
how does one convey
the nuances of existence
or fine-tune the feelings we all experience

those creatives born to this world
strive to master understanding
through story-telling with words, music, and images
they heal, they evoke, they help soothe the aches of living

we celebrate and can laugh with what we hear, feel, and see
artists are precious gifts in this world
their perspectives do add so much to our day-to-day
they can uplift us as well as empathize with us

and the world is a better place because of those who give us—with their words, notes, and arta deeper meaning to our existence