Thanksgiving

a family day

to ponder all your blessings
happy thanksgiving

Carpe Diem Goes Back to Its Roots #4

The goal is to write a classical 5/7/5 haiku with interchangeable first and third lines, a seasonal word, and a kireji, or cutting word, describing a discrete moment in time.  More detail at the link below.  The keriji is difficult to express or even to define in English.  When used at the end of the first or second line, it implies a pause, or caesura.  I'm taking that to be the basis of phrase and fragment construction.   I like to leave my haiku unpunctuated, but for this example indicate the kireji with a colon.

I experienced this haiku moment every time I looked out the window today.

twelve inches of snow:
as the temperature falls
no sound but the wind

~:~

in the brittle cold
my house makes cracking noises:
as if it's in pain

Carpe Diem Goes Back to Its Roots #4

 

 

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #19, Garry Gay's "Halloween Night"

Halloween night --
the fisherman
dressed as a scarecrow                           (Garry Gay)

under the halloween moon
the fish scatter like scared crows           (JzB)

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge #19

Carpe Diem #302, Nowaki (windstorm, field dividing wind)

 Image source

~ 1 ~

shutters blown open

through the window i see them

rapt in their passion

~ 2 ~

nowaki

could you sail the beautiful

moon fairy to me

~ 3 ~

too much wind

broken kite tangled strings

the birds are on foot

~ 4 ~

straight line wind

threshing grain before its time

farmers dismay

~ 5 ~

all you haijin

write again of nowaki

re-gale me

 ~~~::~~~

Once I lost a tree in my yard to the wind

You can see it here and here

 ~~~::~~~

Carpe Diem #302

Carpe Diem #297, Kiku (chrysanthemums)

Hoisted from the archives

bright chrysanthemums

reflecting the sun's orange

last flowers of fall

Carpe Diem #297

Carpe Diem goes back to it's roots #1

Hines Drive last October

leaves fall in the north
goose migrates to mexico
moose sheds his antlers

\|/
/|\

green leaves turn orange
amid the colors we see
cold raindrops falling 

2nd verse inspired by Maggie Grace

in the japanese tea house
orange leaves swirl on my cup

\|/
/|\

Carpe Diem goes back to it's roots #1

Carpe Diem #287, Shinryoo (new coolness)

~ 1 ~

how we long for nights
without air conditioning
those breezy windows

~ 2 ~

passing on the street
he sees his new ex-girl friend
ice on her shoulders
 
~ 3 ~

never quite with it
following last year's fashion
chasing the new cool

~~::~~

Carpe Diem #287

Carpe Diem #286, Risshuu (coming of autumn)

My Hero

~ 1 ~

the mournful music
of cicadas playing taps
at summer's demise

~ 2 ~

among autumn leaves
old man takes time to ponder
his loss of color

~ 3 ~

in mating season
proud moose displays his antlers
goose escapes southward

~ 4 ~

in mating season
male spider is on the prowl
hopes to not get snared

~ 5 ~

yes mating season
for both moose and spider
falls in autumn

~~::~~

Carpe Diem #286

Carpe Diem # 108 -- Birdsong

 
Birds rising early
Sing aloud - we have no need
For an alarm clock

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

First robin of Spring
Arrives in January
Too cold for singing

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Cuckoo calls at night
Robin and sparrow take note
Stare hard at their mates

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

 Hear the caged bird sing
It's song unlike the free bird's
It sings of freedom

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Carpe Diem # 108

Carpe Diem # 106 -- Wolf Moon

WOLF MOON

Image found here

For tonight's prompt, Kristjaan tells us this about the wolf:

The Wolf is regarded as one of the most powerful spirit guides of all, and it's presence is a message of guidance. If the Wolf spirit has appeared to you, seek wisdom from those you respect and pause to learn about the subject that faces you. Once the Wolf spirit equips you with knowledge you may take action with confidence.

In January
Stark Moonbeams shine on the wolves
Winter has now come*

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Full moon in winter
First bright orb of the new year
Frost forms on wolf fur

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Powerful spirit
Guide me  ~  Teach me  ~  Light my path
Bring me your wisdom

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

If you fear the wolf
Do not enter his domain
Under the moonlight

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The grey light beckons
Siren to Wulfsarkergang
I howl at the moon

 ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

* Couldn't resist a Game of Thrones Reference

Carpe Diem #106

Sensational Haiku Wednesday + 3WW CCCXIII

Only one day late.

The SHW theme is a traditional nature themed haiku.

Though the sun shines bright
The cold is biting today
Winter has arrived

It's unusal to see a haiku in upside down pyramid geometry.  Somehow, that shape pleases me.

And for 3WW

Icy and polite

Old lovers meet in Winter

And brag in silence

~  ~

In January

It is not polite to brag

Of icy feelings

3WW CCCXIII

Carpe Diem Special #15 - Winter Trees

Source

WINTER TREES

Shorn of their raiment
These proud ladies stand naked
Waiting for first Spring

~  ~

Waiting for first Spring
In cold shimmering moonlight
Their long arms reach up

~  ~

Their long arms reach up
Leafless to the Winter sky
Silhouettes on clouds

~  ~

Silhouettes on clouds
Tracery of bare branches
In the gray moonlight

~  ~

In the grey moonlight
Searching limbs reaching skyward
Shorn of their raiment

Carpe Diem Special #15

Carpe Diem #82 - Withered Mums

Photo by JzB

Also used HERE

Before withering

WITHERED MUMS

Even without snow

These once bright blossoms collapse

Faded and wrinkled

Carpe Diem #82

Carpe Diem #77 - Icicles

 Source

ICICLES

Spies at my window
Glistening with star secrets
Those cold evesdroppers

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

A clear frozen flow
That reflects the round worldscape
Dripping in sunshine

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

In desert winter
No icicles to stick you
Just cactus needles

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Piercing Icicle
Deep in my left ventricle
As cold as lost love

 ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 Cold flowing sadness
As you drift away from me
Ice blade in my heart

 ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Icicle prison
At the universe's end
Doom of entropy

~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

[And for a touch of the macabre]

It melts in the sink
Perfect to bludgeon or stab:

Murder implement

Carpe Diem #77

Carpe Diem #76 - Quilt

 

Source

My grandmother made
This patchwork quilt - work of love
Keeps me warm tonight

Actually, my mother has the quilt, and it might have been her grandmother who made it.  More than a little poetic license here.  The pattern isn't like the one in the picture, but it is that intricate.

With needle in hand
She carefully crafts the quilt
With love in her heart

There's no direct reference to nature or weather here, though one may infer the season from the topic of the warm quilt.  I'm mindful now of first-third line interchangeability, and am trying to achieve that feature with these haiku.  I think they work pretty well.


Update:  I like what Bjorn did, so I did this.

A party for two
Under grandmother's old quilt
Sharing body heat

Carpe Diem #76

Carpe Diem #74 - Fireplace

For Thanksgiving we had all 11 grandchildren [and their parents] together at our house.  This only happens one or twice a year, so it's always a special time for all involved.

Above our fireplace

With the wood duck print all of

Our grandchildren framed

The stockings were hung

By the chimney not with care

With childish chaos

Carpe Diem # 74  -  Fireplace

A Winter's Tale

A brief story written in Hay(na)ku

Inspired by the writings of Luke Prater

Had
A job.
Didn't like it.

Had
A wife.
Couldn't keep her.

Had
Kids too;
Where are they?

I'm
Not sure
Who I am

Come
Sit closer
To the fire.

No
I don't
Eat much anymore.

Yep
I'd sure
Love a drink.

Thanks
Friend that
Was damn good.

Now
I'll just
Curl up here.

Not
Sure if
I'll wake up.

Not
Even sure
If I care.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Mellow Yellow Monday

When we went to Black Lake in July, Nate and his dad went salmon fishing in the Straights of  Mackinac.

Nate caught this one

Back on shore - I think dad got this one

A summer highlight

Remembered now and for life:

A boy and his fish.

Link to SSS II

Shadow Shot Sunday - Mellow Yellow Monday

Hines Drive Colors

The Lovely Wife and I took a little jaunt down Hines Drive, near Nankin Lake on Thursday.  I got a few pix, then we had a nice lunch at the Senate, and drove out to Parmenter's for cider and donuts.

 Fall Color

 A Leafy Canopy

 Autumn Leaves

Winter is Coming

The colors of Fall

Warn us of blizzards and sleet:

Winter is coming

Link to SSS II

Shadow Shot Sunday -- Frost

March this year was extremely warm.  April was a bit cooler.  On the morning of April 12, I took this picture, showing the frost on my lawn.  This was probably the frost that damaged the Michigan fruit crop, which will be in very shot supply this year.