clouds rift in honour
golden star shines
on passion flower
© Tournesol ’14
golden star (haiga)
Author: Tournesol
A little bit about moi:
I am a mom, a nana, a sister, a woman, a friend, a human being…a youth counsellor, Family Life Educator.
I have been working in the helping profession for over 25 years and volunteered in various capacities from youths to seniors.
Tournesol is my nom de plume for haiku and other Japanese form poetry here at Tournesoldansunjardin https://cheryllynnroberts.wordpress.com I hope you enjoy reading through my daily waka.
I also have another blog "Stop the Stigma" where I may stand on my soapbox now and then and hope it will become a place to drop in and share or comment on issues important to you. In that vein this could be a great way to learn from each other.
http://stigmahursteveryone.wordpress.com
in quest (haiga)
hymns breeze at dawn,
abbey lauds in quest of
the Holy Spirit
~
(American Sentence)
Be mindful of your quest, for you may be chasing only at the wind
© Tournesol’14
a lost race (cherita)
cycling
at the break of dawn
beware of the traffic
cycling through the viaduct
competing for space
a cyclist lost the race
~~~
loss of a cyclist
a sister mourns her sister
a mother mourns her daughter
a city of cyclists and citizens
form a vigil for Mathilde Blais
a ghost bike hung in memory
© Tournesol ’14
Montreal Gazette: Death of a Cyclist
Written for BJ’s Shadorma and Beyond at MindlovemiserysMenagerie
montgolfière (haibun)
Every August there is a festival of hot air balloons in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, called Festival International de Montgolfières. The first hot air balloon was developed by the brothers, Michel Montgolfier and Jacques Eitienne Montgolphier from Annonay, France, in 1782.*
Our family lived near this St- Jean. Hot air balloons depend mostly on calmer winds, 10 miles an hour or less. Therefore just after dawn or late afternoons near dusk generally have less wind speed. We would sometimes see a shadow cast over the field behind our house during dinner just before sunset.
It is always a thrill to see them up in the air when they take off as a fleet with the varied burst of colours in the sky. Last year I stopped on the highway to look at five balloons floating over Mont St-Grégoire. Such a calming effect when they float over you and you can hear only the puffs of air blowing into the fabric of the balloon.
In this prompt of Heeding Haiku with HA at MindLoveMisery’sMenagerie, we are given two words, chestnut (autumn) and balloon (spring). What came to mind was the festival a month before autumn. August is considered early autumn.
L’ombre d’une montgolfière
plane au vent doux du mois d’août
mulot fuit le chat
© Tournesol ’14
August wind casts
shadow of a hot air balloon
mouse dodged the cat
© Tournesol ’14
child in me (tan renga)
bright autumn moon
bare branches moving like arms –
the first snow © Yozakura
bright autumn moon
bare branches moving like arms –
the first snow
dream of making snow angels
awakens the child in me
© Tournesol ’14
poachers (haiku)
fiery outburst
notoriuous for
a mother bear
poachers slyly
lure her cub with honey
in their van
in their van
through rough roads to sell the cub
nearby toxic zoo
© Tournesol ’14
escape (haiku)
There are several ways to escape from the rat race, busy days and worries. Depending on what time I have available will determine what I do. Speed walking, cycling or sitting by the lake, the river or allowing the river rapids to drown my thoughts and worries away, they all can do wonders, the latter is my favourite.
One does not always have the time or opportunity to get out, however, nor does the climate permit this. But, I can always depend on music. And that is what I am doing tonight at my work break…no problems on my mind…just me and ivory keys.
relaxed heartbeat
ripple of ivory
my sanctuary
© Tournesol ’14
brush strokes (haiga)
© Clr ’14
© Clr ’14
© Clr ’14
© Clr ’14
light of setting star
brush strokes blend
on blue canvas
passionate artist
showers radiance
on blue canvas
artist cleans his brush
sky blends into twilight
lovers’ in the night
© Tournesol ’19-03-2
cold bedding (haibun)
Ten days passed since I had been to work, and since I had marched on that footpath…my shortcut to work. Today I walked through the bush on this cold sunny day, slipping on the icy patches mourning the dormant shrubs…all I could see now, were patches of brown leaves and branches hugging the snow surface. I did not take a photo of this new image. No, looking around at the huge change, I needed to mourn the life trampled on by heavy wet snow. Tomorrow will be another day…then, and only then, perhaps shall I photograph this newly treacherous footpath.
sluggish bushes
disheveled on white
cold sheets
© Tournesol ’14
dawn ascends (haibun)
Last night we experience strong winds and in the middle of the night it kept me awake. Tossing and turning, my mind was composing a poem, so I decided to write a poem which I posted entitled “Awaiting dawn”.
intermittent flash
signs of ill-health
power lines crash
eminent for sure
if these gusts continue
chorus of howls
like military troops
haunting yowls
beyond depths of
eternity
blow blow
blow wind blow
keep me awake
all night long
visions of buildings
crashing, floating,
hiding for cover
broken wail sounds
blow, blow
blow wind blow
you’ve not won
in destroying my home
power’s still on
I’m safe, I am warm
then why do I fidget
why can I not rest
in the dead of this night
blow blow
blow wind blow
the chorus has grown
no longer wind sound
but high giant waves
like tsunami like moan
blow blow
blow wind blow
fear not
I stand guard
awake thru the night
fear not
I stand guard
‘till the sun
shows its face gold
I shall wait for this dawn
neither tired or cold
I shall wait a bit longer
eyes open, alert
breathing slow , belaboured
suppressing a yawn.
© Clr’14
It is interesting how strong winds seem more frightening in the night and yet in the day would it not be more dangerous? I remember walking to bus some mornings on wind days and I felt pushed forward…and I am not a skinny person! I hate to see young children waiting for a bus how scary that might be or crossing a busy intersection…yikes!
In any event, I wrote this poem not really thinking the wind would die down but I knew at the break of day I would not be so frightened. At six am. I took my shower, while coffee was brewing and had not thought of the wind for I was preparing for appointments today.
Sitting down to check my email, I noticed the only sound I could hear were the cars on the boulevard in front of my apartment driving towards the bridge to get to work. I am including two haiku to complete last night. I think the second one is better but the first was my first thought…what do you think?
new dawn
gusts sank beneath the skyline
sunshine smiles
or
dawn ascends
gusty winds expired,
forgiven cool breeze
© Tournesol ’14
