Sunday’s Concert (haibun)

Our host, Chèvrefeuille, at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai explains that “Tengri” means ‘sky worship’; haiku is part of Tengrism … look around you …. see the signs of nature and read them … just read them.

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On her walk Sunday, she was attracted by the sounds of hundreds of birds chirping in several trees. Her head up she sees flocks of birds flying south. What were these birds doing in the trees. It was nippy that day as well with very cool winds. She regretted not having brought an extra sweater to put under her spring coat, better still, her winter coat would have been a much wiser choice.

So many birds were flying past this tree filled with birds. “Perhaps they are resting before flying further south,” she thought. She stopped to take in the concert and listen to the birds harmonize. Such wonder to stop for a moment and breathe in nature’s richness, even in a big city!

A collective
birds plan their long journey
gathered together

gathered together
sort out their pecking orders,
sing in harmony

sing in harmony
she listens with reverence,
nature’s grace

First day of spring (haibun)

The prompt last Wednesday is a lovely narrative of spring and why our host, Chèvrefeuille loves this season. I, too, love this time year, filled with fresh new beginnings. The promise of life, rebirth, flowers blossoming, birds nestling and nature finally coming alive after a long peaceful rest.

Our host wrote this haibun on the first day of spring. There is still snow on the ground here in Québec, end of March with a few risks of snow storms. What gives one hope is seeing those tulip bulbs that were planted in the fall, burgeoning in March and April. Well, unless of course a rabbit or squirrel munched on the bulbs during the winter. One must plant double the amount to make sure a floral harvest. My favourites are red tulips.

one tulip stretches
budding red peaks through white quilts
first day of spring

first day of spring
sleeping beauty awakens
blushing promise

first snowfall (troiku)

***© Clr First snowfall Nov. 24, 2014***

Inspired by Ese’s haiku at CDHK
inevitable
the dance of a falling leaf
with a snowflake

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first snowfall
finally
sorrows veiled

first snowfall
leaves,
grief to rest

finally
lifts weight of shadows
balance restored

veiled sorrows
giddiness of snowflakes
pretence of joy

running late (haiku)

running late,
circles the Ovoo just once,
crossing herself

in the darkest hour (troiku)

This was inspired by Ese’s “in the darkest hour”

in the darkest hour
wishing upon the morning star
just like years ago

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in the darkest hour
melancholy calls –‘til dawn
chases it away

in the darkest hour
whispering rhymes
playing into prayers

melancholy calls – ‘til dawn
softly warms the heart
morning beckons hope

chases it away
darkness runs not far,
playing hide and seek

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai “Ese’s int he darkest hour”

taste of summer (haibun)

Sitting at the picnic table near the chip wagon, she sprinkled vinegar and salt on her fries. Taking that first bite of her fry was delightful. Another bite and she winced at the slight burning sensation on her lip. Salt can do that but no matter how unhealthy they say it is, she could not go without salt on French fries.

She remembered when she was a child playing kick the can with friends in the summer. Her mom would call her in when it got dark and she was all sweaty. She loved the taste of salt on her arm.

chaleur torride
sueur luisante
goût d’été

sweltering heat
sweat glistens
taste of summer

They met on the beach. It felt so natural. They walked hand in hand as the sun was slowly dipping in the horizon. The tide was out. How delicious to feel the cool sand between their toes as they walked what seemed, forever.

taste of sunset,
waves roll in softly,
salt on her lips

Haiku Horizons “salt”

scent of a rose (haibun)

She brushes her hair with her brush, the one with the ivory handle, Papa brought her on his last trip. Staring into the mirror she makes faces like she did when she was a child. How she loved playing this game with Papa. They would take turns making faces and the other had to guess who or what they were imitating. For her it was usually insects or birds and that was where she got her nickname. Papa always called her, “Ma petite Luciole, you are the light of my life.”

Five years have passed since then but she wonders if l’avarice has taken over her Papa, she has started to call monsieur l’étourneau. He says he is still looking for that special treasure and when he finds it, he will return for good. She looks out at the birdfeeder near her bedroom window. She huffs out of frustration. That starling is stealing all the seeds again…such a greedy little thing it can be!

She misses her Papa and especially since her Maman died in childbirth three years ago. She still has a difficult time to be happy around la petite Colibri. They nicknamed her after hearing her moan in her bed at night putting herself to sleep. Pauvre petite Colibri, she thought. She had the same emerald green eyes of Maman. How she craved for the long ago laughter of her Papa.

They had all they needed, she reasoned. Her father had inherited le Manoir des Chèvrefeuilles as well as their maison de campagne in Marseilles when maman passed and yet…

She would write to him later this afternoon, she thought, gazing at her silver pheasant feather quill pen. She would ask Colibri to paint a huge soleil to bring Papa back home soon. She sighs and drapes the silk lavender shawl over her bare shoulders and runs down for le petit dejeuner sur la terasse with her Grandmaman and sister.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/82464638/silver-pheasant-feather-quill-pen-for

Searching for scents
no fragrance compares
this lonely silk road

Carpe Diem The Silk Road

Translations:

luciole = firefly
avarice= greed
étourneau = starling
colibri = hummingbird
maison de campgagne = country home

rhythm of the moment (haibun – haiga)

Have you ever noticed when you are driving in a town or city and listening to music in the car, people walking by seem to be walking to the beat? Sometimes the music is fast paced and you can’t help but notice the hips sway, the arms doing their one-two,one-two movement. Perhaps you have changed channel a few times to see who moves best or the most to the rhythm. Maybe you are with a friend and he or she points some people out…heck, even dogs are walking to the beat!

Then you may be strolling through a park with your ear-buds, listening to your tunes and you cannot help but move to the movement in time with the music floating in your ears. If it is upbeat, and you are walking on a city sidewalk, that could actually be a risk to the safety to you and others. Better tone the music down to something more mellow and mosey along ready to stop, walk around or step off the sidewalk at times. Yes, yes, you have met those friends who walk three and four in a row refusing to break their group of four.

Even if you do not have music to carry you when you go for a walk, you can certainly hear something that will have a beat that can carry you at a certain tempo. The beeping at the red light for visually impaired to cross has a nice honk to it and even when it stops, it still echoes for a few blocks as you walk to that beat. The rattle of a three wheeler down the street, the repetitive clang of a loose hub cap or the click click of those nice pumps across the street. I prefer the steady thump of my favourite boots when I’m in a good mood.

The best of all of course, is walking either just after dawn or before dusk, the conference of fowls who play, chatter, talk about their day, mother robin singing her bedtime stories to her nestling. It is a cacophony of chirps of various intonations and if you close your eyes you can imagine you are in the woods somewhere alone just you and nature. Your heart beats quicker at first until the tones simmer down and you watch the sun set…