Spiral Knights - Halloween Haiku [Winners posted Nov. 1, 2012]

Halloween Haiku [Winners posted Nov. 1, 2012]

97 replies [Last post]

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:12

Eurydice

Community Manager

Happy Halloween, everyone!

This here is an impromptu haiku contest! Write a haiku about the Punkin King and/or his gourdlings and submit it as a comment to this post, and you might win a prize!

First prize: Haunted Aura
Second prize: Jack o' Bombhead Mask
Runners up: Dark Harvest Prize Boxes

Rules:

- Haikus must conform to the 5/7/5 syllable format.
- They do not have to contain the words "Punkin King" or "gourdling."
- Spelling counts!
- You may submit more than one entry if you like, but we're looking for quality over quantity.

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, October 31, 2012 (i.e., tonight)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:26

Vifig

Treats are rewarding,
Tricks, quite fun! The best thing though?
Why, making them run!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:31

Daoutlaw

Be Still Heart Trick Or

Be Still Heart
Trick Or Treat?
IT'S A TRAP!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:33

Vifig

Follow him- he's big
(and tricky!) And when knights fall
We'll get the candy!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:38

Thisisrobot

First time at haiku

what is haiku?

Cold step through graveyard.
Hope the trick worthy the risk
but I prefer treats

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:48

Moonlight-Flower

The last hours of

The last hours of fears.
Clinging to the bridge of the haunted.
Explode into treats.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:42

Deluxeloy

My entry

No one said it had to be in English...

Een plant met humor
Koning van de pompoenen
En vrees van ridders

EDIT: Due to popular request, I translated it from Dutch to English. Mind you, it's not a perfect translation.

A plant with a sense of humor
King of the pumpkins
And a knight's greatest fear

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 09:51

Artistbma

Are we allowed to use

Are we allowed to use contractions?

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:00

Eurydice

Community Manager

> Are we allowed to use

> Are we allowed to use contractions?

Yes! Do some haiku contests not allow contractions?

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:10

Artistbma

@Eurydice

Yeah. I've done a few where they weren't allowed.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:10

#10

Artistbma

I hear the loud king, And

I hear the loud king,
And charge at him with my sword.
I swing, and he's dead.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:11

#11

Cyberdwarf

Might as well try!

Grim gourds' winter dance
Orange grins haunt the thicket
Blithe celebration

(Happy halloween!)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:13

#12

Egpnd

canceled.

EDIT2: nvm I made too many broken laws.

But, hopefully this one works.

I use my shiver
The bombs are exploding big
I was dead after.

(tricked)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:47

#13

Coolemoboy

(dont fear it good things happen)

Hallow Hallow Halloween,
the color orange you see,
attack attack !

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:40

#14

Gnomesrock

He rests in

He rests in shadows.
Mysterious candy man.
Trick or Treat my boy.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:41

#15

Caelifer

Tricked!

A bomb Gourdling trick!
Glacius can't freeze them all.
No candy for me...

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:44

#16

Kenshin-Kaze

i try it too

It's a pumpkin
His eyes are burning
Uh something sweet

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 10:56

#17

Deluxeloy

I'm on a roll

Tiny little vines
Smiling pumpkins for faces
Somehow explosive

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 19:55

#18

Yirumi

Weeeeeeeee~ Goes the bouncing head

Encounter
Knights surround the king.
As they await his verdict,
Tensions arising.

Treat
Cold night did we meet,
The elusive king of treats.
Royalty so sweet.

Trick
Bouncing evermore.
Grinning, cackles of mischief.
Explosions galore.

I enjoy poems, so I wrote three. c:
Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

EDIT: There's a few people whose haikus seem to connect into one story so... I would like to point out that mine are 3 stand-alone poems and are to be read separately :)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:01

#19

Deluxeloy

Stop it brain. That's enough Japanese poetry.

Behind the graveyard
We find the punkin king's lair
Candy awaits us

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:05

#20

Guiltz

Like the Cheshire

Like the Cheshire
At haunting, he waits
Grin frozen, like the cat, grim.
Find him, if you can.

An attempt at a slightly darker poem.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:31

#21

Xplor

Haiku on punkin king

Punkin King says Trick!
Gourdlings come out to play Boom Boom!
The knights meet their doom.

Punkin King says Treat!
Candy on the ground like prize.
Pick them up and go.

Candy Tokens kept,
Gathered twenty five alive.
Please, Dark Harvest Prize!

Trick or treat Punkin,
Tricked his nogging a flogging
Treated it with sweets.

Time for Hallow Fun!
In SK we do our runs,
Tokens, I have none.
=(

Ghoulish masks galore,
What we trade our tokens for,
masquerade party.

Cold fog seeps Haven,
Punkin King we go meeting,
Lucky got candy!

Haiku Punkin King,
no grace, no honor to win.
Want Haunted Aura.
=P

IGN: Tedming

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:35

#22

Ramorri

What goes boom boom crash in the night?

Find treats— it's easy!
But be wary when you do...
Gourdling dynamite!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:39

#23

Ailment

Here are a few.

Despair, a callus, trick!
Yellow smiles, all round. A fright!
Sleep well. Who's up next?

(I hate those bomb gourdes...)

A chuckle, a question.
A surprise: Pleasant, or cruel?
He gasps, we draw swords.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:47

#24

Deluxeloy

The christmass-ish nightmare

The king chuckles at
A few shivering gremlins
Halloween for all

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:38

#25

Yirumi

The monkey chased the weasel~

Round and round the graves~
The knights chased the dancing head~
Pop goes the Punkin~

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 11:50

#26

Nickiam

hElloween, muha-ha-ha-ha

So many creatures,
Creatures what can not sleep
Beware only one

He's roots upstairs
Eyes are red, scary face
And horrible scream

You horrible scream
Hear, it is scream of dead souls,
Souls, what have taken roots

Roots of king,
Punkin king - the scariest monster of Halloween
But not for us

We can defeat,
Defeat our fears, monsters and shadows
Because we'r knights

scary punkin king ;D

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 12:32

#27

Tevokkia

Typical Day in Dark Harvest Festival

Doing my own thing
Tell from a friend: "Want candy?"
Join their party quick!

TRICK from Punkin King!
Hope the Gourdlings don't explode ...
We keep getting punked

Finally, candy
Can I get a Prize Box now?
Nuts! Just one Sweet short!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:18

#28

Bookdrake

Unsecurities and Treasures Untold....

Unsecurities,
And Knights in the flaming fray!
What Shall Be YOUR Fate?

Glory and Treasure,
Epics yet to be told,
Trick Or Treat? Your choice!

Wait and behold him,
The mysterious Overlord,
Ruler of Gourdlings,

Father of dark tricks,
Perhaps a benefactor,
To those with great wit.

"Knight, who do you seek?"
"You, Punkin King, Giver of Sweets!"
"Thine fate lies with me!"

"I declare that you...."
"Shall recieve A TREAT this night!"
"Onwards, Knight, enjoy them!"

You become confused,
As the Punkin King drops sweets.
You ask, "What is this?"

He responds, "My gift!"
You quake with rage, feeling duped!
"This MUST be a trick!"

"Not at all, Dear Knight!"
The King quite quickly retorts,
"Tis my sweet treasure!"

"That I share with all."
You think [Well this sucks alot!]
Then you try a sweet,

And think [Maybe not!]
Excitedly, you decide,
Candy IS Treasure!

What a revalation!
Another audience you seek.
But now, its a TRICK!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:24

#29

Xxpapaya

The papayas application

Submission 1:
A Dark Hallow Night,
Appeared the Punkin so grim,
Even Snipes took flight

The knights all shivered,
As Haven was surrounded,
By a mist, so cold

They thought they were doomed
As the punkin lent forward,
And reeled back his head

But they all thought wrong,
The punkin was here for fun,
Not to cause any harm

He laughed his grim laugh,
And disappeared with a "poof",
Leaving Candy Behind

What he left behind,
Turned the knights' feelings over,
And laughter arose

So my dear Knightys (Pronounced Knight-ees, is that allowed?)
No need to fear the punkin
(Unless he laughs trick)

Submission 2:
Small Gourdlings pass by
The Punkin is here tonight!
The harvest is here

Submission 3:
Oh, candy candy candy!
They ruin our shiny teeth
And clog our gears too

But we shrug it off
Cause Stranger Maskwell is here,
To give us all gifts

Submission 4 (I hate the number 4):
Snipes see the shadow
Its eyes purple, like dark flame,
And asks "trick or treat"?

Sweet candy is sweet,
Hard candy fills up tummy,
Sour sticks on feet

Gifts for all of us,
Gourdlings walk down streets, laughing,
Happy Halloween

That's all, and good luck to everyone else participating =)

Poem of encouragement:
Contests bring fun and joy
But also act as a decoy,
And hides the true purpose

Jealously follows
Madness next,
People go wild,
Desperate to be best

But please don't forget,
What contests are for,
Not the prize or pride,
But for the laughter and joy =)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:49

#30

Bookdrake

Length might be an issue, so here is a relatively short one.

Tonight, we shall feast!
On the Bounty of the King!
Onward to victory!

"We are defeated..."
The Punkin King starts laughing.
"Gourdlings, FINISH THEM!"

You stop to wonder,
[Where did I go wrong this time?!?]
As you die, you say...

"Knights, get up, REVIVE!"
All but you, get up and win.
Regret fills your soul.

Why even try this year?
You fail every every single time!
But the Spookat mask!

You want it, NEED IT!
Yet have never gotten it.
"I must KEEP trying!"

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 13:56

#31

Bookdrake

A single verse in a sea of epics...

A final attempt,
At catching elusive victory!
A single haiku...

Try we must, this day!
To achieve what we strive for.
Sweet Candy Tokens......

That is all.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:00

#32

Irishespeon

Time to open...

Time to open what
You have worked for in these gates
...Another Pith Helm...

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:04

#33

Jazelock

Stay still, you

Stay still, you pumpkin
brain, so I can hit you. Worst
piñata ever.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:12

#34

Xairathan

Entry

IGN Xairathan

My two cents

The chilling tempest
Costumed October draws near
Draped in memories

I hear the pulses
Of knights opening boxes
Aura hunters, all

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:18

#35

Phantis

Submission

Gourdlings in the works
Tier 3, pure shadow damage
The stuff of nightmares

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:30

#36

Kevin-Wolfsbane

Haiku

Explosive minions...
What will he think of next year?
Perhaps squash turrets?

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 16:39

#37

Artistbma

Searching deep below Kill the

Searching deep below
Kill the king, get some candy
Joining the next party soon.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 17:24

#38

Dirathiar

Hopeless and Mercy

Submission 1: Hopeless

Hope does not abound
When the Punkin King shouts “Trick!”
Gourds are all I see

Submission 2: Mercy

Candy fills the air
Jubilation lifts our hearts
The king had mercy

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 18:10

#39

Remiliaoftheearth

The Temper

Orange knights, then ghosts
And tempers swiftly rising
This is Halloween

Why all these tempers?
For it is his fault, his fault,
He, the Punkin King

Once he will shout "Trick"
And your chances are quite slim
Yet you might prevail

Or "Treat" perhaps, but
Tempers don't like "Trick" and that
Is more likely now

For we want our prize
And we will fight against him
Yet with little luck

And you won't get it
If you fail, then all is lost
For you have temper

And this is why, friend,
Tempers rage on Halloween
You know this is true

Orange knights, then ghosts
And tempers swiftly rising
This is Halloween

-Remiliaoftheearth

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 18:26

#40

Bromulus

Worth it?

Come play a dark game.
Trick or treat, death or candy.
Worth it? You decide!

If you dare..

Come, come challenge me,
The great king of Halloween.
Face me if you dare.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 18:49

#41

Nechrome

The first of many haikus

Gourdlings, once easy
Last year, they were Zombies things
But (BOOM!) Bombies now

Flat on dirt and grass
Wondering what I'd done wrong
How'd I die on TREAT?

It's the Dark Harvest!
I wonder what's harvested
Those Gourdlings, Perhaps?

Punkin King, much like
An organic pinata
Break him, get candy.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 18:56

#42

Rating

Rating's Entries

IGN: Rating

Entry #1:

One half a heart left
Oh how we hope for a treat
Trick, he says...Bomb-ies!

Entry #2:

Let us slow him down,
I will use my stagger storm!
DON'T DO THAT! ...too late

Entry #3:

// This one needs a bit more context to be better. Imagine Line 1 being the subject of the 2012 OOO Halloween event planning meeting, Line 2 being the prevailing suggestion, and line 3 is a summary of the player base's input //

"How to celebrate?"
"Let us bring back pumpkin king!"
"Banana Hammock."

That's all for now. This was fun to work on though! :)

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 19:15

#43

Tantarian

Yo ho

No treat but a trick
Look at all the cute gourdlings!
My knight exploded?

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 21:11

#44

Bromulus

Sweet treat to eat

A trick for a treat?
Shall I have your soul to eat?
Death can taste so sweet.

Last stand

A king and his ghouls,
He shouts "no remorse, no mercy.
Come knights, die like fools."

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 20:59

#45

Wingedsnake

Haikus

See the green candles
now excitement fills my heart
good luck brings candy

run passage again
warp to third tier and gear up
it's stuck on the keep

I planned a haiku
but someone found Punkin King
when over, forgot

unlock the prize box
flip the latch to reach inside
and see what you've won

The dark harvest box
I opened mine on that king
and got some nice wings

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 21:16

#46

Bromulus

My trade chat

Tier three Punkin King,
Six hundred crowns each person.
Message for invite.

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 21:31

#47

Sergeantwrench

Haiku

Eyrie atmosphere
Deathly gates, this long path leads
To him, and to fate

PK, is the cry
What does the king have for thee?
Trick? Or is it treat?

Facing him, ready,
Keeping steady, and of course
Throwing confetti

IGN: Sergeantwrench

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 21:44

#48

Raspberry

Dark Harvest

Dark Harvest candies
Make fat tasty sweet knights slow
Punkin King happy

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 22:33

#49

Yttriu

Haikus

This year spelled demise
For the Punkin King and his minions
By the Coral Queen

Candies on the ground
From the guts of the Gourd King
Those cannot be clean

Trick, I sure hope not
Treat would be best, I just want
A Haunted Aura

A head goes flying
Gourdlings run wild and crazy
All just for candy

It's time for a treat
A most wondrous time for knights
Hallow party on!

Wed, 10/31/2012 - 22:52

#50

Cookiebatter

truthfully the King's partial

truthfully the King's
partial to boeuf bourguignon
and diabetic