Chen-ou Liu's Translation Project: First English-Chinese Haiku and Tanka Blog

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Empty Basketball Court Haiku

empty basketball court
the faint sound of a swaying net
in smoky twilight



FYI: The haiku employs ghost imagery: rather than depicting action directly, it evokes what remains after the action has vanished.

Ghost imagery captures the instant after action disappears, emphasizing what lingers rather than what occurred. It evokes absence through residual cues—sound, motion, light, and atmosphere—forcing the reader to perceive the aftermath instead of the event itself. 

For more examples, see "To the Lighthouse: Ghost Imagery"


Added:

her side of the bed
a hollow still visible
in moonlit dust


Added:

moonlit playground
swing chains sway in the echo
of far laughter