Our host, Chèvrefeuille from Carpe Diem Haiku Kai shares a passage from The Pilgrimage for this prompt “Beyond Control”:

Beyond control … that’s the title of this episode …. And it refers to something I read in “The Pilgrimage”. During his journey, his pilgrimage, Paulo encounters several difficulties beyond control. One day he is attacked by a horrible dog and he remains with wounded hands. That same dog encounters him many times and one day he goes to a gypsy fortuneteller to ask her why this dog is so many times on his path. It turns out that this dog is his demon, his back-pack, he still has to carry. That dog will leave him alone only when he conquers his fears, his pride, his greed and more. CDHK: Beyond Control

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Life has been strained lately. Thank goodness, her passion for her work in serving is still alive and well. However, day to day life is tainted with should’s and should nots at so many levels; it feels like walking in a maze where only rats seem to know there way around. She tries not to bump into any toxic pillars in her daily life.

And so, she decides to imagine herself an innocent caterpillar on a tree branch trying to rest peacefully until a flock of crows decide to have a cawing party in her tree! It is getting fairly loud listening to them try to out caw each other. She is trying very hard to blend with the colours of the branch so she is not part of their party snacks. She is feeling a bit too exposed yet nowhere to go.

caterpillar halts
powerless and trapped
fear prevails

She then decides to fight the good fight and confront her fears. Her sword is laughter that turns later to beauty. She shares humorous scenarios with some friends and together their laughter breaks down the power of her fears. No longer feeling threatened, she retreats into her own world of beauty.

(troiku)

caterpillar crawls
dreaming of butterflies
suckling sweet nectar

caterpillar crawls
pausing with anticipation
metamorphosis

dreaming of butterflies
all living things imagine
patient blossoms

suckling sweet nectar
taking pleasure
a hummingbird too

©Tournesol’17/01/28

Daily Moments – thoughts and reflections on fear

A troiku is a new haiku form created by Chèvrefeuille from CDHK. To learn more, click here.