Beyond Rejection in Haiku
Allow me to indulge a tongue-in-cheek fantasy: In my wildest dreams, every haiku or senryu I write would be welcomed with open arms by the editors of the journals I submit them to. The poems would be accepted for publication, showered with praise, and perhaps even showcased in some way. It is slightly embarrassing to expose my extravagant flights of fancy, but I suspect more than a few poets (or writers in general) harbor some variation of this exaggerated ideal.
The mature poet or writer is amused by the persistence of such wishful or magical thinking and leans toward more realistic expectations when it comes to their submissions. Yet I do want to highlight one distinct shortcoming associated with the fantasy of unconditional acceptance: it not only eliminates the specter of rejection; it would effectively obliterate the importance of quality and standards.
In real life, journals have standards, which are upheld by their editors however imperfectly or, rather, subjectively. This is how it is in the world of journal submissions, and poets need to make peace with this literary fact. Making peace with this means familiarizing oneself with the style, format, and kinds of haiku or senryu each publication prefers. Have you subscribed to the journal, checked out what they publish? Editors do have preferences, which they are entitled to, and some publications are independent while others are the outlet of an organization or society.
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