child in me (tan renga)

bright autumn moon
bare branches moving like arms –
the first snow © Yozakura

bright autumn moon
bare branches moving like arms –
the first snow

dream of making snow angels
awakens the child in me

Carpe Diem

brush strokes (haiga)

light of setting star
brush strokes blend
on blue canvas

passionate artist
showers radiance
on blue canvas

artist cleans his brush
sky blends into twilight
lovers’ in the night

dawn ascends (haibun)

Last night we experience strong winds and in the middle of the night it kept me awake. Tossing and turning, my mind was composing a poem, so I decided to write a poem which I posted entitled “Awaiting dawn”.

intermittent flash
signs of ill-health
power lines crash
eminent for sure
if these gusts continue
chorus of howls
like military troops
haunting yowls
beyond depths of
eternity
blow blow
blow wind blow
keep me awake
all night long
visions of buildings
crashing, floating,
hiding for cover
broken wail sounds
blow, blow
blow wind blow
you’ve not won
in destroying my home
power’s still on
I’m safe, I am warm
then why do I fidget
why can I not rest
in the dead of this night
blow blow
blow wind blow
the chorus has grown
no longer wind sound
but high giant waves
like tsunami like moan
blow blow
blow wind blow
fear not
I stand guard
awake thru the night
fear not
I stand guard
‘till the sun
shows its face gold
I shall wait for this dawn
neither tired or cold
I shall wait a bit longer
eyes open, alert
breathing slow , belaboured
suppressing a yawn.

It is interesting how strong winds seem more frightening in the night and yet in the day would it not be more dangerous? I remember walking to bus some mornings on wind days and I felt pushed forward…and I am not a skinny person! I hate to see young children waiting for a bus how scary that might be or crossing a busy intersection…yikes!

In any event, I wrote this poem not really thinking the wind would die down but I knew at the break of day I would not be so frightened. At six am. I took my shower, while coffee was brewing and had not thought of the wind for I was preparing for appointments today.

Sitting down to check my email, I noticed the only sound I could hear were the cars on the boulevard in front of my apartment driving towards the bridge to get to work. I am including two haiku to complete last night. I think the second one is better but the first was my first thought…what do you think?

new dawn
gusts sank beneath the skyline
sunshine smiles

or

dawn ascends
gusty winds expired,
forgiven cool breeze

dream of blossoms (haibun)

“IMAGINATION IS THE TRUE MAGIC CARPET”

~~ Norman Vincent Peale

I read this quote while visiting a new blog at Moon over Spumoni. It spoke to me. Quotes do that to us, don’t they. You may have heard countless quotes, proverbs, prayers or poetry most of your life and then, for the second or thousandth time you read it and it actually draws you in.

Imagination is the true magic carpet…indeed! Like the caring doctor at Cedar House Rules, read bedtime stories to the children at the orphanage, bedtime snack feeding dreams on their magic carpet.

Can you imagine not being able to drift off to dream land when you were a child? What if you were going through a difficult time in your life? You are perhaps grieving the loss of dear pet and you are too young to grasp the concept of “forever”. But you can imagine times you played with that pet, hugged him, shared your deepest secrets with him. Perhaps it is the loss of friend or relative…be it through death or a long long absence, the lack of his or her presence is heartfelt. Nothing can fill the void…that darn emptiness can never be replaced BUT in time it will be healed by filling it with those memories you can imagine anytime you want and room for more amazing memories to bless your heart and your soul with joy.

Imagination is like nourishment…no medicine healing moments of despair. I see imagination synonymous to hope because it enables one to feel there is always hope. Have you ever had a dream for a very long time? Have you ever had a dream realized to some extent it felt like déjà-vu? Some will say, “Pinch me! I must be dreaming!” That is how I see imagination related to hope. What would life be like without hope? Without hope there is no faith, so little room for trust…

A hungry baby cries in the night and is nursed, however, unanswered cries in the night, a child no longer tries.

Imagination are not only the making of fairy tales but the remedy for the disheartened.

In springtime

butterflies in a garden

imagine blossoms

© Tournesol ‘14

winter symphony (haibun)

It is 22:35 and the building is quiet. Most folks are getting ready for bed for an early rise, children are sleeping and the only sound I hear is the muffled roar of snow plows. It is almost a humming sound to me. Last year I remember referring these melodies as my winter lullaby. These huge impressive machines usually run in the middle of the night when only nighthawks like me are up, night-shift workers, or mothers nursing their baby.

To me it is a symphony of sorts for nighthawks. The scraping of the huge metal plow booms onto the snow covered pavement drumming and shaking the earth; the motor roars and hums pleasantly putting me in a mellow mood…feeling safe and comforted in the wee hours of the night.

massive metal

imposing, yet gently

lulls my nature

© Tournesol ‘14

safe at night (haibun)

When I was very young before I even went to school, I remember making a space in my bed for my guardian angel. I just believed there was someone special because my mother told me so. Those were years when it was quite turbulent at home with my father when he was inebriated. I believe moving over in bed to keep that space available for my angel made me feel safe.

When I was six my GrandPapa died. I have spoken many times about my maternal grandfather. I was living with him the year he was dying. After he died, I never made room in my bed for my guardian angel for I always believed GrandPapa was always with me. I would cram for exams at the last minute too many times and just before the test, I would ask my grandfather to help me remember the answers. All through elementary school, I would close my eyes at difficult questions and see the spot on the page in my science , history or geography book…I believed GrandPapa sent me cheat sheets because so many times I did not study enough in those earlier years.

When there was thunder and lightening, I was always very scared. GrandMaman would be so calm and look out the window at the lightening. She would comfort me by telling me that GrandPapa was bowling up in heaven and that was the sound of the thunder. He was playing for money, she said, which he would send her. Perhaps she was trying to explain that her widow’s pension came from him.

I have a fan club up in heaven now, with many other relatives. But I always feel my grandfather is looking out for me and still pray or chant visualizing the face of my grandfather.

child in the night
felt a nudge and made room,
guardian angel

snow kissed cheek
wind whispers his presence
guardian angel

message from heaven
first snow covers the ground
guardian angel

Carpe Diem

Golden glow (tan renga)

mystic purple flames
arise from the spirit’s stalks
chill my autumn heart © Panchali

bringing offerings to the gods
grateful for pointing the way (Chèvrefeuille)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycodon_grandiflorus

sunflower with golden glow
spreads a hint of warmth

blowing hope
through barren trees
whispers thanks in gusts

Carpe Diem Tan Renga Challenge

I decided to add a haiku underlining American Thanksgiving.

Climat d’automne (haiga)

© Clr '14 fleuve St-Laurent — **© Clr ’14 fleuve St-Laurent**

autumn gusts
shudder ripples
on the river

rafales d’automne
frémissent des risées
sur le fleuve

20141016_135116_Android 1_2 — © Clr ’14 November

seasonal rains
turn muddy paths into
frozen puddles

~
heading home last night
my cane slips on a patch,
leaves had turned to mulch

Carpe Diem Ghost Writer #33, Richard Wright on Autumn by Jen of Blog It Or Lose It

moon salute (haiga)

Carpe Diem Special Thomas Transtromer

Oak trees and the moon.
Light and mute constellations.
And the frigid sea

© Clr November 2014 — © Clr November 2013 to the East

These two shots were taken on my way to my mother’s place last November. I stopped my car on the highway to take a shot on my left, this is the moon and on my right the sun was setting in splendour…cold evening but stayed out long enough to get a few shots.

Early moon rise
salutes shimmering star
through naked trees

© Clr November 2013 — © Clr Novmber 2013 to the West

A slight change to place “through” at the last line. Thank you, Kristjaan:) It flows smoothly.

daisies for life (tanka)

Daisies are my favourite flower for reasons I have shared in the past. I relate to this flower in so many aspects. It is not especially stunning compared to so many other exquisite floras but it is still attractive and strong. Multiple petals show many facets of my personality…and still many to discover over a lifetime.

Sowing more seeds has allowed me to have daisies for life…children and grandchildren and it all starts with that first born. At that time I thought I would never have enough love to spread…I remember how much I loved my godchild before I ever had children and it worried me a bit. “Is it possible to love a child more than that or as much?” I quickly saw that it was certainly possible and when I had my second child, the love was still in abundance as there is more to spare for my grandson. Recently I’ve had two more grandsons added to our family and the heart seems to just swell more and more. How wonderful to see how the Great Spirit created our hearts and souls.

Today we celebrated the birth of my first born…
(tanka)

daisies for life
meadows seasoned with love
birth of a child
mother’s never-ending love
a family is born

Tag: photography