Poetry ~ Waka
change
spring is coming
sense of hope
Change can destabilize and make one feel less secure at times. Imagine how worried Mother Nature must be with the drastic changes in the environment. No, we are not alone on this planet walking around with this sense of insecurity.
can the earth forgive?
that is the question –
only time will tell
© Tournesol ’16/02/01
Daily Moments – February 1 2016
The Secret Keeper word Prompts are: SENSE SECURE WALK TIME ALONE
Her mother was a hairstylist and hours were not accounted for in those days. Saturday could finish for dinner or as late as midnight depending on the influx of clients. Money was “notre gange pain” to survive in those says with only her mother who was reliable.
Her mother was a hairstylist and hours were not accounted for in those days. Saturday might have ended just in time for dinner or as late as midnight depending on the influx of clients. Money was “notre gang pain” to survive in those says with only her mother supporting the family.
There were times when her mother was not ready Sunday mornings for mass and she would ask her daughters to walk to church ahead of her so they would not be late for services. She promised she would get there in time before the consecration when the bells would chime, “Lord have mercy,” “Christ have mercy”. Later, she would hear her mother arriving …
scent of Youth Dew soothes,
clicking of mother`s stilettos
echoes of her cough
© Tournesol ’16/01/31
She enjoyed tea especially in her old porcelain cups. On her father’s side of the family, the O’Donnell’s had enhanced their tea rituals with porcelain sets imported from their homeland. Over the years her great-aunt’s collection had grown so much only half was housed in the antique china cabinet she had inherited from her parents.
When tea was growing in popularity, teas produced in Assam were imported to Ireland from British East India Company offering a more robust flavour.
lips on porcelain
robust in flavour, yet
elegant and pure
lips on porcelain
transforming humble customs
extraordinary
robust in flavour, yet
tender traces –
generous
elegant and pure
demanding – subtle
arrogance
©Tournesol’16/01/29
She looked beside her on the bench beside where her feline friend was falling asleep all comfy in her bed. Just as she raised her phone to show off her friend, it was as if she had antennae…
respect is key
feline courtesy when asleep,
do not disturb!
She resumed her reading and glanced now and then, envious of her little friend who had drifted back so easily to another world…
dazed and confused
catnap’s treasured dreams
three blind mice
© Tournesol ’16/01/24
Daily Moments Jan 24 2016
Sitting on the shore, she ponders on life. Flashes of her youth, her marriage and promises kept as long as she could, for the sake of the children. Guilt weighed her for years wishing she could have controlled happiness for those she loves until she finally learned. Happiness is an attitude. One can get caught up in the happiness trap, hanging on to misery, self-effacing tapes repeated in our minds or letting go and letting be. Hanging on to “feel good” thoughts and images, mirroring the goodness within is her guide now for the rest of her journey.
Mother Nature soothes
cradling her stellar babe
tranquil surrender
compassion embraced
warmth slipping into deep sleep
© Tournesol ‘2016/01/20
When I saw these breathtaking photos at LivingLearningandLettingGo, I could not help but see a mother cradling her infant, the way the sun seems lulled on the horizon. Karuna was generous enough to allow me to post her photos for my reflections here.
In their twenty’s they became friends with their neighbours downstairs from their duplex. Finally, she met a Quebecois couple who appreciated her music too! They would spend hours in the “music room” listening to vinyl turning on their Technique blasting from their Pioneer speakers and later their Avid.
Hours getting drunk on the music…no need for drugs here. Hotel California was played over and over and over so many times. It’s a wonder the vinyl didn’t wear out but it wouldn’t , now would it with quality diamonds turning on that record.
The strings to this song lifted them to places no drug could ever bring them. RIP, Glenn Frey!
time has hastened
another legend dies
before his time
© Tournesol ’16/01/20
Daily Moments January 20 2016
Walking home was not easy with a sore shoulder, bruised knee and back that felt like her spine was made up of toothpicks. The chill was tolerable in her down filled parka but the weight of her backpack on that bad shoulder and bad hand resting her cane made coming home to a warm bath her only goal.
snow drifts
mounds of white block her path
wind at my back
©Tournesol’16/01/19
Daily Moments January 19/16
It snowed all night and continued snowing lightly as she left for work. The sidewalk had not yet been ploughed so the nice cushion of snow seemed nice and safe; she decided to brave the walk without studs on her boots. The snow was fluffy like talcum powder. She stops facing the sun that is trying to peak through the clouds and soaks up the beauty briefly.
evergreens
serene and chic
perpetual grace
Content with the view, she continues on her way to the bus and then she slips…where the heck that patch of ice waits mockingly under that pure whiteness. She could have been a clown at the Shriner’s Circus with flailing arms, wrestling with her backpack and wobbly knees…which would reach gravity first? It was a tie! Left knee crashes to the sneering ice and body is pulled by weight of her backpack crashing her shoulder to the ground. Not an easy feat to get up…Oh, yes, of course, she forgets to remove that 20 pound bag. She is whining now, from the pain, slightly feeling defeated and sorry for herself and then she remembers her collapsible cane is in her bag which saves the day. Onward and forward, she limps slowly.
mounting the bus
awkward but determined
with her cane
pokes a teen off assigned seating
deserving and pleased
© Tournesol ’16/01/18
Daily Moments January 18 2016
Interesting that today is Blue Monday the most depressing day of the year.
white carpets
under grey skies
arresting homes
Walking to the grocery store, she stopped now and then took photos of the landscapes. Her focus was the front door of most houses all adorned with their winter addition. Can you see the common theme here?
winter home
seasonal fixture rests
geared up for snow
Temperatures rose in the afternoon melting the snow in the streets adding puddles on the side that were not pedestrian friendly. She regretted wearing her white parka.
Yet, it was still pleasant walking in the mild weather just barely zero Celsius… no need to wear a hat was a nice treat to feel the wind blow in her hair; walking was slow due to the snow-covered sidewalks but still nice. Sidewalks are not plowed in most residential areas. A crow flew overhead and she noticed for the first time the thick winter nests for birds that were brave to stay here and not fly south.
snow dusted pine
cradling soft whiteness
dressed for winter
©Tournesol’16/01/16
snowflakes on his tongue
makes her quiver
licking white doilies
Although the cold is often avoided, once she gets her warm clothes to weather these frigid temperatures, she finds pleasure walking on fresh fallen snow. Watching the skaters on the new rink the city put up next to her work is sheer delight. Early evening, youngsters are playing hockey and late evening, older couples are skating hand in hand. It brings her back in time, long ago watching her uncle skating on the river under a full moon with is girlfriend. How corny of her to ask if she could tag along but, hey, they accepted, and she thinks the deal breaker for her uncle was that his niece accept this lovely new femme fatal. And boy was she beautiful with her natural blond hair and liquid blue eyes. (sigh) Her heart goes pitter patter remembering those days, long ago when she believed in love and a prince charming.
Skating, tobogganing, snow shoeing up Mont Rougemont, cross-country skiing on Mount Bruno take up so much time that by mid-March it`s a shock that spring is already around the corner. So much fun in a season commonly known for cold weather and shut-ins, well, not this year. Romance trickles over onto another season where relationships blossom with the scent of amour!
stroll among maple trees
feeling each other’s heartbeat
sap trickles promise
©Tournesol ’16/01/15
(232 words)
Prompt challenge with Heeding Haiku with Chèvrefeuille at MindLoveMiserysMenagerie:
We are to write a haibun inspired on the proverb “time flies if you have fun”. And (of course) here are a few restrictions to it. Here they are:
1. start with a haiku and end with a haiku
2. try to place your haibun (and the haiku) in one of the four seasons, you may choose the season yourself
3. your haibun may have a maximum of 250 words, including the haiku.
Tournesol dans un Jardin 