Category: Waka

Mister Winter (haibun)

© Clr '15
© Clr ’15

Walking to do some errands today was challenging but with the studs under my boots, my wool socks in my lamb wool lined boots (Saute Mouton), my warm Gortex mitts, cagoule and wool hat, long wool coat I was almost perfect…my cheeks and nose were so cold…my eyes cried…the wind so cold…brrrr at -20C. Fortunately, my son tells me it will go up to -2C tomorrow…yay!! It will be a lovely day to walk to work. I think I will take the longer route if it is this mild and maybe get some shots of winter scenes.

Mister Winter
stay a spell, drink a cuppa
warm up your innards

twenty below
bitter winds burned my cheeks
drink some hot tea

exhale that warm breath of yours
make me smile up at the sky

© Tournesol ’15

life is messy (haiga)

At Carpe Diem Sparkling Stars, our inspirational haiku by Shiki:

when I looked back,
the man who passed
was lost in the mist © Masaoka Shiki

wakeful moments
just mistaken reveries
rolling into days

day after day
lost in a sea of fog
life is messy

old woman
chips away at what was home
lost in whiteout

© Tournesol `15

TABLET - WIN_20131215_095140 whiteout

lines in the sky (Tan Renga)

trail of secret
woven into the clear sky
~ first spiritual journey (© Sky)

fused in contemplation
probe wit in broken lines

blue skies
hold the canvas
scrutiny

© Tournesol ’15

Photo credits: Dark Sky Diaries

CP Tan Renga Challenge

sans titre (haibun)

Walking home last night at the Métro Bonaventure Station, it was later than usual. It was passed eleven for I usually see several homeless persons lying on the marble sidings soaking up their last minutes of warm slumber. Between eleven and one in the morning, I am not sure if the police alert them of the time or if they have internal clocks but it was after 23:40 and I only noticed one man sitting by the door where late commuters rush off to catch their busses off the island of Montreal.

People kept walking by and the man was not holding out his cap nor mumbling anything as is usually the case when we go by some homeless persons…he looked so tired.  I felt bad no one was stopping…true it was late and many were coming home from work…not all late evening travelers are revelers.

I sat down for a moment putting down my backpack, rummaging through the mess looking for my change purse, searching for change to give to this man. I rarely carry money but change, mind you, here in Canada means $1 and $2 coins along with the quarters, dimes and nickles…we got rid of our pennies. Good I found enough to get a coffee and soup at Tims perhaps {I must pick up some coupons from Tim Horton to have handy}.

20150115_234334_Android smiling homeless

The man looked at me and I could not see he had a smile {without my glasses} but I did take a few photos} that I had noticed only after seeing the photo.  As I walked passed him, stopped to give him my coins, he thanked me so kindly with such a nice smile…the same smile I saw later on that photo.

20150115_234334_Android en tanka faded

Such a worry for the homeless people this time of year…last night it was dipping to below 20C and it snowed all night…a nightmare for anyone stuck outside in this bitter cold for more than an hour.

20150115_234334_Android fr tanka fading

© Tournesol ’15/01/16

Where do babies come from?(haibun)

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had stopped working six weeks prior to giving birth. The six weeks at home with my son was a nice transition before his sister arrived. He would lean on my huge tummy and asked me earlier on in the pregnancy how the baby got there. He was only 2 and a half. I knew you could tell children the truth about many things and they would retain what they could grasp…make it simple, I was often told. And so I told him that Daddy had a seed that he gave to Mommy to make the baby grow in my womb (tummy). “How did it get there?” he asked. I explained that Mommy and Daddy kissed and hugged each other very tightly. He seemed to be satisfied with that.

Two years later my step-father had passed and my son felt sorry for my mother being alone. “Nanny,” he started, “You should have a baby so you won’t be so lonely.” She explained that she had to have a husband to have a baby. He responded, “Well, I could give you my seed from my testicle and you could swallow it and then you would have a baby.” My mother was SHOCKED but we always got a kick out of that cute story of pure kindness and innocence.

seeding
pure and natural
lovers kiss

© Tournesol ’15

MLMM – Heeding Haiku with HA

Baby’s breath (Troiku)

Our host at Carpe Diem has given us a haiku by Iio Sogi to inspire us but he has asked us to try to also write a Troiku if possible.

Both grasses and trees
waiting for the moon
dewy evening   © lio Sogi

Here is my Troiku:

(c) Static Flickr

dewdrops
sparkle like diamonds
savannah gleams

dewdrops
mother nature`s kiss
baby’s breath

sparkle like diamonds
mother’s gaze at her newborn
tears of joy

savannah gleams
revels in transcendence
new dawn

(c) Tournesol ’15

Carpe Diem Special #127, Sogi’s third “dewy evening “

New Year’s Parade (haiku)

CP Lion dance (Shishimai)

© Wikimedia Lion Dance Shishimai

dance of the lion
Aunt Kaminari disguised
New Year’s explodes

© Tournesol ’15

piercing arrow (haiga)

piercing arrow
stabbed my heart
only time will heal

©  Tournesol ’15

riverdance (haibun)

© Clr '14
© Clr ’14

I really must go back home, mom’s home, to sit by the window and look at the dance of birds. So many different birds taking their turn pecking at the feeder hanging over la rivière Yamaska. What astonished me was the cardinal who is twice the size of the other birds not gaining control over these birds. I guess in the feathered world, size does not matter but cunning prowess and speed does. Why who would have thought that “foxiness” reigns (grins) among birds?

Rival cardinal,
hummingbird wins the contest
dancing on the feeder

© Tournesol ’15

CP Timeglass “Dance”

dancing interlude (haiku)

bitter cold winds
pirouetting midst the old oak,
scarf on a branch
~
winter promenade
dances on mirrored street,
the old man falls

**or**
winter promenade
hobbling across mirrored street
tap dancing
**or**
winter promenade
leaping across mirrored street
break dance

© Tournesol ’15

CP Timeglass “dance”