Some moments don't end when the room empties. They linger in the quiet that follows—the chairs left slightly askew, half-finished conversations, the warmth of laughter still hanging in the air. After everyone leaves, what's left behind isn't just silence, but everything that silence remembers.
For this month's Haiku Feud, we invited poets to explore After Everyone Left. In just 17 syllables, they captured the quiet aftermath of gatherings, goodbyes, celebrations, and ordinary days. Some found solace in the stillness, while others uncovered echoes of love, loss, relief, or longing waiting beneath the surface.
What emerged were haiku that remind us that endings are rarely empty. They hold traces of those who were there, the emotions that remain, and the stories that continue long after the last goodbye. We're honored to share this month's collection.
🏆 Winner — Courtney McAllister
I walk to witness
the city's tarnished splendor
Stars could not compete
🥈 Runner-Up - Kourtney Jones
crumbs sang time alive
what is left is evidence
we danced the kitchen
Each submission felt like stepping into a room after the voices had faded—finding traces of what was shared, what was lost, and what remained unsaid. Here are the haiku that best captured the heart of After Everyone Left.
Haiku Feud Submissions
Balloons drift like ghosts.
Tissue paper tumbleweeds.
A snuffed flame longing.
by Lisa-Anna Maust
Deafening silence
Social battery empty
Forgot how to be
by Shinae Galli
Taking a break now
Gone to smoke a cigarette
Inhaling black smoke
by Tyrike Brown
Desert whispers taunt
No bodies- no witnesses
Alive and Alone
by Tina Sanchez
Looking at the mess
Memories of all my guests
Time to tidy up
by Cristina Cullen
Conversations end
As thousands of thoughts creep in
And memories form
by Kyle Parker
closing the garage
I loosen from the sockets
a black cherry moon
by Cassady O’Reilly-Hahn
the bar-back and me
buzzing with the night’s gossip
after the last call
by Sari Grandstaff
Four in the morning
The crowd left but the laughter
and love linger on.
by Peter Freeman
spilled rice drifts like snow
dried rose petals scud beneath
the disco ball moon
by Ariel Boswell
Sigh, kick your feet up
Your thigh, the dog’s new pillow
(Until next Friday)
by Rin Dunleavy
half-empty glasses
my own eyes red-wined bloodshot
so sure you would stay
by Wendy Grossman
Open windows breathe
Peace fills their occupation
The oak tree grows back
by Sara Beth
Join the Next Haiku Feud
Want to see your words featured next time? Follow us on Instagram @haikuists for the next Haiku Feud prompt.
Bring Poetry to Your Next Event
Imagine this same magic live at your event. Our typewriter poets create one-of-a-kind haiku for your guests in real time.
Perfect for:
✨ Weddings
✨ Corporate events
✨ Birthday parties & anniversaries
✨ Brand activations
