compassion rules (tanka)

The Tear at Deviantart.com © Paul Shanghai

crazed gnats buzz
seek prey by the riverside
stunned
they all turn away
saw a tear roll down her cheek

tiny but strong
even gnats have compassion
despite small bellies
tear filled face
message of true chagrin

https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/haiku-horizons-prompt-tear/

sundown’s last act (haiku)

At Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #49 at the seashore (Vision Quest reprise) we are to write a series of haiku interrelated and the three prompts are:

Waves — seagulls — sundown

Having written a few posts in the past few days about the beaches of Maine, I found this easy to put myself back in time to moments like this.

mere gourmands
sift through catch of the day
against the waves

seagulls hustle
before high tide
wipe out

sated at last
mooning over royal sky,
sundown’s rest

le vent pleur (haiku)

sur sa pierre tombale
verse des larmes pour son père
le corbeau muet

vent doux souffle
écoute ces paroles d’un être cher
le silence cri

birthday ritual (haiga)

Times change since her passing. On this 22nd day of June, a new birthday ritual will be practiced, today and each year thereafter…

Ripples tickle
feet float on rapid currents
birthday giggles

a place among pine trees (haibun)

The family would pile in the Chevrolet Impala and drive up the windy roads to Old Orchard, Maine. She loved camping in that pine forest despite sweeping the tent twice a day (or more!) of those dried up pine needles.

The only thing she could not do which was such a natural part of her being, was walking barefoot on that bed of pine needles. She could walk on gravel and dirt roads but never on that blanket of prickly pine needles.

Their father would leave the girls and their mother for a week while he drove up further to PA on a business trip. Those were the best of times…just the girls, relaxing. Rising only when the sun warmed the tent; toasting bread on the fire and then walking a mile down that shady road surrounded by old wooden cottages and pine trees…so many gigantic pine trees leading up to the beach where they listened to the sounds of rolling waves, seagulls and youngsters giggling…except of course for the odd melodies on their transistor radio…

Salt water beckons
scent of pine interrupted
seagulls greet

Cleansing of her feet (haibun)

June 22nd, first day of summer, the day after summer solstice, she sets out to the rapids. Today is a tribute to her departed mother who was born on this day in 1926. She will also cleanse her feet in the waters of the rapids of la rivièvre Richelieu marking her mother’s first anniversary in her eternal resting place…christening this new beginning.

Waves roll with force

declare birth of an angel

in heaven

She sits on one of the rocks by the rapids, allowing the waves to splash and wet her feet and then she dunks them in the busy rumbling water marking a new tradition en homage pour Colombe, sa mère.

Ripples tickle

feet float on rapid currents

birthday giggles

stargazing (haibun)

She remembers her father pointing to the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper; she would scrunch up her nose, squint, trying real hard to see what he could see. Those were times she still looked up to him as her hero. Thank goodness for fond memories of star gazing nights with him.

Heeds directions
unravelling star shaped bears
gazing at the stars