Haunted Quarters
written by: Christina Chin
Five years old.
She said her father
was called up
to a remote district
police station to oversee
for two days. He had to bring her along—
No one at home
to watch her.
The barracks quarters
seldom occupied,
except when big chiefs
went on assignments.
Alone
in the living area,
a door to the kitchen
ajar…
A small zombie
with open mouth
peeped
and disappeared
each time she tried
to look behind her.
She froze, heart thumping like drums in the empty hall.
“Daddy?” she whispered,
but the station echoed
only in silence.
Christina Chin is a painter and haiku poet. Four-time recipient of mDAC Top 100 art contest. She is 1st prize winner of the 34th Annual Cherry Blossom Sakura Festival 2020 Haiku Contest. 1st prize winner in the 8th Setouchi Matsuyama 2019 Photohaiku Contest and won two City Soka Saitama's 2020 haiku prizes. She is published in numerous journals, multilingual journals and anthologies including Japan's haiku monthly magazine, Haikukai (俳句界).
Latest posts by Christina Chin (see all)
- Haunted Quarters - December 2, 2025
- Parisian Riffs - November 8, 2024
- Slow World - July 2, 2024
