Heaven’s fragrance (Troiku)

© Clr ’14

Snuggled in the trailer with a good novel, she heard the tap dancing on the tin roof.  After the rain, she walked through the garden and allowed the fragrance to wash over her.

(Troiku)

after the rain
fresh scents from heaven
sparrows chirp

after the rain
birds bathe in puddles
children giggle

fresh scents from heaven
garden lily beguiles
rapt butterfly

sparrows chirp
concert in the elm tree
after the rain

© Tournesol ’15

My dear friends Justine and Karuna mentioned this poetry writing course they are taking at The Daily Post – Writing 201 Poetry . Although I know I  will not have time to follow daily prompts, I will certainly enjoy reading from their blogs. They are already gifted writers. Since the first prompt of the day suggests writing a Haiku, well, I had to play with this for fun.  I have written a haiku and then continued on to form a Troiku which is a form created by our host Chévrefeuille at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai who offers daily Haiku guided prompts and shares Haiku form great masters such as Basho and Issa. The Troiku can be explained better by Chévrefeuille but as you can see I used a line from the first Haiku in each successive haiku. You really need the story explained in a lovely historical Russian story by our host about the Troiku, at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Café St-Valentin (Haibun)

(c) 'Clr 15
(c) ‘Clr 15

 

I seem to be truly enjoying this new form of sets of haiku created by Chévrefeuille here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai called the Troiku.  As I sit here at a Café in the warmth looking out at the snow, I hesitate to leave. It is cold and I have to take a bus to get home and I also like the atmosphere here. It is so pleasant writing in this ambiance, hearing the saxophone blaring in the background with  uninterrupted jazz melodies.   I am a sucker for saxophones and base…it isn`t live music but the sound system is a good quality to drown the chatter of the patrons so I feel the company of jazz musicians and my thoughts percolating before my fingers dance on my keyboard.

(Troiku)
evening idles
at the coffee shop
sipping un café

evening idles
swimming in my mind’s eye
writing

at the coffee shop
jazzy tunes fill the room
saxophone blares

sipping un café
gazing out the window
a poem trickles

(c) Tournesol ’15

evening train (Troiku)

Here are three haiku composed by Stevenson all three are about trains and we are to write a haiku trying to stay in the same mood of this sparkling star our host has chosen.

the train picks up speed,
in a paper coffee cup
concentric waves

the river always
out there in the dark
late train home

coming home
on the train
… the backyards

(c) John Stevenson

I’m not sure I stayed in the mood but I tried to also capture moments living by train tracks. I grew up by the train tracks in Farnham, Québec  and the first few years I was married we lived just below the main train station with at least 10 tracks. Needless to say we would hear trains passing through, shunting and changing tracks most nights and we could actually feel the vibrations when trains sped by.  I chose to write a Troiku and tell a brief story at the same time. The Troiku was created by our host, Chévrefeuille.  To see more about this form click here

Farnham, Québec Railway Station – Wikipedia

cooking supper
kitchen window shakes
evening train

cooking supper
called children to the table
train whistles

kitchen window shakes
pot of stew boils over
train screeches

evening train
children squeal with joy
Daddy’s home!

(c) Tournesol ’15

Carpe Diem Sparkling Stars

a prayer (Troiku)

poppies
say a prayer
in remembrance

poppies
put them all to sleep
but the Tin Man

say a prayer
soldiers now in heaven
blessings

in remembrance
poppies on all lapels
bugles sound

(c) Tournesol ’15

Carpe diem Poppies

echoes of her son (troiku)

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – Poppies

pins a poppy
looking in the mirror
echo of her son

pins a poppy
children dancing in the street
wonder why the tears

looking in the mirror
ghosts from battlefields
tears on her cheeks

echo of her son
whispering soothingly
I’m okay.

or

echo of her son
tear not for me
I’m okay

© Tournesol ’15

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai “Poppies”

Our host shows us how to write a Troiku (a new form of Haiku)  here

pleasure tokens (haibun)

“But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, it’s bloom is shed; Or, like the snow-fall in the river, A moment white, then melts forever.” Robert Burns …………Photo credits: Chris at The Muscleheaded Blog

I read this quote at The Muscleheaded Blog.  A lovely quote by none other than Robert Burns. What a nice segeway into Valentine’s Day, non?  Must one be in love or in a relationship at this time to be reminded of past loves, paramours and blissful pleasures of the past?  I don’t think so. And so I decided to write a Troiku  about those pleasure moments that are sometimes short-lived.  Now look deeply into that photo as you read into his thoughts:

adream
© Chris at Muscleheaded Blog – Letters and Dreams

 

poppies spread
pleasure tokens prised
I shan’t forget

poppies spread
imprints a mark of love
and then it scars

pleasure tokens prised
precious moments revisits
blushing every time

I shan’t forget
tomorrows shall be laced,
those yesterdays

© Tournesol ’15

Quote & Photo credits: Chris at The Muscleheaded Blog

Troiku a Haiku form created by Chévrefeuille at Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – Poppies

When Georgia mentioned this was the theme at CP yesterday, I read the prompt, thought about writing another haiku (which I still may) but liked the theme of forgotten love rather than war in this troiku as well.

wandering at twilight (Troiku)

bare branches

Wandering alone

dark quagmires freeze

lost in time

wandering alone

deep in thought

I get lost

 ~

dark quagmires freeze

scattered trees look like ghosts

with skinny arms

 ~

lost in time

bumped into ghosts of bygone

tears freeze on my cheek

© Tournesol ’15

Winter gems glow (Troiku)

Haiku is a image of a moment in time, put on pause… examined, dissected and most important, felt.  This was my moment in time when I got up this morning. My first day off for the weekend, like most people, a well needed rest in our long winters here.

golden glow

glistening charms melt

teardrops

I set that haiku aside for two hours and wrote another post and came back to edit it until I thought it “felt” like my moment. It did. Afterwards I decided to do a Troiku with this haiku which I learned at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

golden glow

blinding baby blues

mouse squeals

~

glistening charms melt

shallow puddles form,

strays lap

~

teardrops

softened by whispers

from heaven

© Tournesol ’15

Heeding Haiku with HA MLMM

le show off (haibun)

On my way home last night I walked from work very slowly. Cutting across the bushes in back of our office was actually nice with the leaves all gone, it was just wide open snowy space.  It was snowing again but it was very mild compared to the day before. So I took my time relishing the fact that I didn’t have to walk briskly to stay warm.

20150118_222530_Android (2) Walking thru bush

When I got on the street it was  really nice to see the cars covered with snow, and quiet…it was late…so all I heard was the soft crunch crunch underfoot and the snow…you can hear it falling if you pay attention.

20150118_222928_Android (2) lamppost near alley

I thought the street lamps looked so pretty and took a few photos hoping to catch the falling snow…but alas, my smart phone is not a professional camera.

20150114_161645_Android-001
This photo was taken Jan 14th with the blind closed;thought that was a pretty nice effect.

As I approached the lamp at the corner of an alley, I noticed a dark blob…not sure what kind of animal until I realized it was a cat sitting stoic; he looked like a statue and we stared at each other for a a good two minutes. I didn’t budge safe for my thumb on my smart phone. I was relieved I had turned off the clicking so that would have scared him off. Sneaky, huh? I did that last year so I could take shots of sunsets from the office window like the one above taken last week.

20150118_222955_Android (2) matou

(troiku)

twilight walk
stops in snowy tracks
alley cat

stops in her tracks
staring down at each other
winner takes all

alley cat
show off in the night
photo shoot

Well, monsieur le chat did not stick around too long and ran by me and just took off. I realized he may have just been waiting to get around me all that time. When I didn’t budge, I suppose he thought, silly old woman has a few loose screws, I’m outta here! and off he went.  Or perhaps he was late for a rendezvous…the little matou!! (matou also means a player, have called buys matou many a times as a teen)

silly old woman
few loose screws
scardey cat

20150118_223026_Android (2) RV de minuit

félin d’ruelle
poursuit une trôlée
chattes en chaleur

le gros matou
rendez-vous de minuit
chez minette Latour

© Tournesol’15

Haiku Horizons

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