Home sweet home (haibun)

Sogi’s haiku that our host so beautifully translated gives me such a beautiful image of hope.

abandoned house
the garden taken over –
butterfly home © Iio Sogi (Tr. Chèvrefeuille)

I get expectant feelings as I imagine butterflies,insects, stray cats, rodents and birds making a home wherever they can especially during our cold winter months. Even a homeless person who may find a “good spot” shielded from bitter cold winds and rain appreciates our view of “nothing” as “home”.

Verger d’Emilie
winter’s hostage
free rent

abandoned kiosk
finch and sparrows
moving in

~
moving in
cats and mice playing nice
catch me if you can

~
padlocked fruit stand,
awning offers shelter,
beggar’s castle

Carpe Diem Sogi’s Butterfly Home

first full moon of the year (haiga)

cold winter night
hidden by the old elm tree
first grown-up kiss

hidden by the elm
old woman blind to carnal sins
full moon beams

thriving souls (haibun)

This prompt made me think of the tall golden grass in the autumn. I wonder if I could have collected some and braided it, somewhat like our autumn decorations at Thanksgiving with dried corn cobs and long braided husks.

Walking in the freezing yesterday, I noticed the long golden grass had frozen as if promises for Spring were frozen in time during the cold winter months. Perhaps winter is a time to percolate ideas and spring is to put some of these into action and fruition.

As we begin a new year, the Japanese culture adorns their front doors with sacred rope to ward off evil spirits…somewhat like protecting the hibernation of treasured thoughts, hopes and prayers.

braided rice straw
hangs at the entrance
barring evil spirits

hangs at the entrance
open to abundance
budding souls

barring evil spirits
faith in the new year
holding treasures

Carpe Diem Sacred Rope

last year (haibun)

http://www.freewebheaders.com/wordpress/wp-

It’s been a challenging year personally and professionally. I can’t hide behind a cloud and pretend the New Year changed that. However a new year offers opportunities to continue processing areas that need attention somewhat like housekeeping. I need to look at what I want to keep among all the dusty clutter before I can find balance in my life. That is the longest part.

Think about when you are clearing out a closet and all the things you find at the bottom way at the back. You take out a box for example, that is covered with dust; you open it and look at the contents. It brings you back many years to a moment in time. You feel the emotions good or bad; you may weep a little, you may get angry and even kick that box around…again the feelings resurface and another layer is removed. You may feel you are done with this and trash the box or you may dust it off, put it back securely at the back of your closet for another year or so. There is no right or wrong way…but your own way.

There are good things I want to topple over to this year. New and old friends I have encountered near and far, the relationship I have with my children and grandchildren is my duvet for the cold months and stroke of soft silk in the warmer months; my poetry and the past six or seven months training in Japanese poetry at Carpe Diem with our host and mentor/master Chévrefeuille, his followers who inspire me and the amazing WP community that inspire and support me. And my amazing colleagues who are the strength and foundation that serve youths across this country and allow me to love my work.

like a gambling debt
stays too close for comfort
last year’s loss
~
spilling over
like turkey leftovers
last year’s grief
~
a new year
good housekeeping
feng shui
~
last year’s haiku
shadow into the new year
time to excel
~
my heart beats
to the love my children,
flame of a candle

Carpe Diem Kozo

colour orange (haiga)

(c) clr - Tournesol '14 — (c) clr – Tournesol ’14

transfixed am I
burnt orange sky
before it bleeds
~ or ~
transfixed am I
orange strokes on canvas
bleed
~
sun dips
below orange skyline
bleeds farewell

orange
zest to life
a new year

Carpe Diem

Words hurt!

National Bullying Week passed 3 weeks ago but the issues are still alive unfortunately. Every day is a time to create more awareness of what goes on month after month, year after year especially with children, youths and young adults in school, high school, college and university. We know it goes on at work as well. If it is not addressed in schools, why wouldn’t it continue at work? Right?

Sexting, cyberbullying, bullying and making a youth`s life a living hell is NOT what being a youth is all about. Students, parents, school staff, bus drivers, cafeteria employees, janitors, daycare workers, school principal, school counsellors, school nurses…we are ALL in this together. It is systemic and each person is part of that fabulous puzzle.

I know I wrote about this on my blog Stop the Stigma, but it merits to be repeated; sorry to those who read, heard it and are doing something about this…just click on to another fabulous post on WordPress {smiles}.

– Please, do not forward any email or social network posts, that can hurt another person, even if you think it’s funny at the time. Just ask yourself, “How would I feel if this was shared?” BEFORE clicking share.

– Always pause and think before you post and click “enter”.

– Adjust your settings so you have to actually point your mouse on “reply” rather than just “enter”. That can save YOU and another person lots of grief. This is good advice to adults too by the way. How many times have you accidentally hit the enter button by accident? I have clicked it by mistake and half my message went through before I was actually finished. So lesson learned, right?

– Always report cyberbullying to network administrators.

– If you see any sexting (photos of a sexual nature etc.) forward to http://www.cybertips.ca to prevent the spread of child pornography. Did you know that even if the person is a teenager, spreading any photos of a sexual nature is STILL considered Child Pornography. Do you want your teen to be involved with this? I didn’t think so {smiles}

– If you are a Bystander / Witness to cyber-bullying, take a stand.

– If you click “like” or “share” you are actually part of the problem and only perpetuating the bullying. So think TWICE before clicking.

– Even adults can report. I reported a few times to Facebook for “hate comments” , “racist” and pages that use the “R” word on public pages as a joke. If you see something that is offensive, try not just ignore it…report it.

– Parents, kindly sit down with your children/teens and show them how to remain safe from predators but also how to be respectful and learn on-line courtesy. Granted your teens will probably NOT want to have this little causerie (discourse). Check the links below and have them check it out. Better still ask them to come up with at least 2 or 3 sites that offer advice on internet safety. What Teens Need to Know by PrevNet (the Guru of bullying training, they trained counsellors at Kids Help Phone, work with the Red Cross and Scouts Canada)…have a great page on this.

Here is my humble attempt of saying this in rhymes.

Don’t click share
If you care,
Think before you click
on ANY of those pics
Clicking LIKE is very serious
Clicking SHARE spreads like a virus.
Sometimes silence,
translates compliance
If it’s cruel don’t add to the pain
by clicking SHARE again and again.