compassion rules (haiku)

It is such a pleasure to read this Tokubetsudesu episode at Carpe Diem today. We are honouring Milan Rajkumar who was the runner-up of the “new life” kukai. He lives in Impal, Manipur, India. I am tempted to visit there someday if ever I am fortunate enough to visit India. ..perhaps one day before heading more south to Kerala.
This is the haiku that finished second in this kukai

lifeless for a season
pupa inside the ocean
spring gives life and wings
© milan rajkumar

What a beautiful haiku with many underlying messages on life.
In my mind, Milan is number one and I am often inspired by his beautiful haiku. Wrapped in humility, he writes thought provoking and evocative poetry. A teacher by day and poet and thinker tween times…and yet, does a haiku poet not think each moment of the day, savouring and locking into one’s heart and soul?
Here is another haiku filled with eloquence…

across the lake
a skipping pebble
kingfisher
© milan rajkumar

And the poem that inspired my haiku is this wonderful tanka written in response to the Latifa Prayer episodes.

frog on lotus leaf
sitting and admiring
lotus bloom
does it care the snake
which looms behind
© milan rajkumar

When I read this lovely poem, it reminds me of our widowed GrandMaman who took my mother, sister and me into her home. Regardless of how little she had, her love for boundless.

burgeoning love
une grandmère spares little
worm curls in rich soil

worm curls in rich soil
bed of fruitful promises
compassion grows

compassion grows
like a field of golden rod
ruling God’s earth

©Tournesol’16/06/07

Daily moments of reflection – Compassion rules  June 7 2016

le coup de foudre (haiga)

herouard

Postcard from Chris at TheMuscleheaded Blog – Artist: Chéri Hérouard

ému par sa force
cœur fébrile
soupir d’abandon

©Tournesol’16

This retro postcard I saw at The Muscleheaded Blog inspired me…thanks, Chris.  This could have been my maternal grandparents after WWI in a town near Montréal, Gervaise regard dans les yeux de son bien aimé, Elphège. 

Daily Moments ~ Mother’s Day (haibun)

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Flowers and scented creams, bubble bath and loving company …to start with! Almost four hours setting up her elliptical exerciser, she has set in front of her patio window and then off to a Brazilian restaurant where meats are served on a stick …sirloin, lamb, bacon turkey, pork loin, chicken, filet mignon and roast beef…over and over and over they serve and just around dessert time… warm pineapple with brown sugar and cinnamon on a stick two dancers perform on each floor inviting patrons to join them.

©Clr'16
©Clr’16

a special card
words that melt a mother’s heart
would have been enough

©Tournesol’16/05/08

Daily Moments Mother’s Day May 8/16

swings in spring (troiku)

© CLR 2014
© CLR 2014

parks come alive
melodies of springtime
swings squeak

parks come alive
children giggling
shouting “tag, you’re it!”

melodies of springtime
birds sing their tunes
echo through the trees

swings squeak
lovers swaying to the tune
rhythm of their hearts

© Tournesol’16-05-01

Haiku Horizons “swing”

Carpe Diem “passing of spring”

X is for Xeranthemum (haibun)

http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/95149.html
Planetarium.ru

Running in open fields, they skip and giggle trying to play tag. Suddenly the young girls stop to pick some flowers.

soft petals drop
Xeranthemums
one by one
-he loves me,

he loves me not

© Tournesol ’16/04/28

Blogging from A to Z

NaPoWriMo Day 28

lovers’ dreams (troibun)

Walking with a spring in her feet, she chanted softly feeling so free.  People sitting on park benches…couples confabulating

(troiku)

golden glow
love is in the air
faces flushed

golden glow
radiance
at is best

love is in the air
l’air du printemps
amour du jour

faces flushed
fanaticising
erotic bliss

© Tournesol ’16/03/30

Daily Moments ~ March 30, 2016  lovers’ dreams

coming home (haibun) flash fiction 99 words

Twenty-five men left five days ago. The jeep left a trail dust riding over the hill where they were stationed. Today only twelve men returned but only five in one piece. It was their last mission before returning back home. They were anxious to see their family back in Canada but dreaded delivering the tragic news to more grieving families. Sergeant Harvey drove the jeep behind the compound and their mascot ran to greet them. Amir was a black Labrador mix and his loyalty was genuine.

Photo Prompt: FlashfictionForAspiringWriters

dropping to his knees
savouring a gesture of pure love
man’s best friend

(c) Tournesol ’16-03-18

(99 words)

Daily Moments March 11 – Friday’s best (haibun)

Friday turned out to be a lovely sunny day.  The wind was cool but that is the best kind when you have a long way to walk and still feel refreshed. The fast melting snow had created mini ponds on sidewalks, you had to walk on the soppy grass but even a little water in your boots was not enough to be upset. It was such a delight to feel spring in the air.  She passed an elm tree and heard birds chirping.  She stopped to  look up but could not find any bird, no nest, no bunched up leaves …where on earth could they be? she thought.

This entire day was like creating a chocolate sunday.  The ice cream was the melting snow, the chocolate were huge glimpses of the earth, finally!! The whipped cream was her daughter and son-in-law, and three grandsons having her over for a birthday celebration dinner .

love, hugs and kisses
brightens a red cherry heart,
uplifts the soul

© Tournesol ’16/03/11

Daily Moments March 9-16 ~ My Day (haiku)

savouring this day
my children and their children
filled with so much love

(c) Tournesol’16-03-09

🎈🎉happy birthday nana🎉🎈🎁🎊

Daily Moments March 9-16 ~ My Day (haiku)

a mother’s love (haibun)

He was ten years old, who did quite well in school. He was third in his class, captain of his soccer team and the light of his mom’s heart. Right after school he would sometimes pick up a book for persons who were visually impaired, at the local library , for his gran; she was usually chatting with the neighbours downstairs.  He’d hug his grandmother and rush up to the fourth floor to their one bedroom apartment.  His mom and gran shared the bedroom and he slept on the pull-out couch which was fine by him so he felt like the man of the house watching the front door…just in case.

His mother was sitting at the kitchen table with her first cup of black coffee of the day and smoke was  curling from her cigarette up to the ceiling.  He loved her long auburn locks that fell down the middle of her back.  He kissed her on both cheeks and munched on his after school snack, chatting with  her about his day.  She always seemed so interested in every word he said…smiling with her heart-shaped lips.

a mother’s love
stencils her son’s face,
ink of her heart

Someday, he hoped to graduate and get a good job to take care of his family, so his mom wouldn’t have to work at that factory all night long.

a mother’s love
shielding like a lioness
genuine and strong

© Tournesol’16/02/08

Written for: Carpe Diem Special #196 Hamish Gunn’s 2nd “on the street corner”