freedom at last
hot summer night
skinny dipping
~
blue mist
ocean fog rolling in,
flippers splash
© Tournesol ’14
This was my response at the first prompt in June ’14 “By the River”
Poetry ~ Waka
freedom at last
hot summer night
skinny dipping
~
blue mist
ocean fog rolling in,
flippers splash
© Tournesol ’14
This was my response at the first prompt in June ’14 “By the River”
I rarely have the opportunity or privilege (I should really say) of dining with a colleague from work. Since we work on a 24 hour crisis line, our breaks are never together. Yesterday by chance, it was. I introduced my friend to my favourite vegan restaurant, The Green Panther. I have written about this place before and even taken photos with my notebook next to my plate of yummy falafel.
My friend was telling me about how she had gone out for a run the other day and came back with bites on her legs and it swelled tremendously within a short time. The next day when the swelling went down, she noticed 4 little stingers all in a row by a very hungry wasp.
After reading Chevrefeuille ‘s lovely introduction to Carpe Diem’s prompt today #523 Basho (5), ”How Rare!”, I thought of my friend’s running incident.
I also enjoyed the background of Kristjaan’s blog name. Honeysuckle was his seasonword chosen in his very first verse 25 years ago. Translated into French that would be Chevrefeuille and the rest is history.
That inspired me to choose a title for my Blogspot blog. I had originally chosen le jardin de Cher and then I thought about flowers that I love. Daisies are my favourite because they are also easy to purchase any time of year. But I have always loved sunflowers. I remember the giant sunflowers that grew next to our garden shed at our family home when my children were little. Golly!! They were ginormous! And so with jardin still as the theme of my “short form poetry” blog, I chose Tournesol dans un jardin…so Tournesol will be my nom de plume on that blog. Merci, Kristjaan, for the inspiration!
{Basho was host of a renga party at the home of Nagayama Shigeyuki, a military man of the Shonai Clan. This was the greeting verse and it was used as ‘hokku’ for the renga. He had visited Mount Hagura for seven days and was glad that he could finally eat fresh vegetables. It was published in his ‘Narrow Road to the Deep North’, his most well known haibun. © Chevrefeuille}mezurashi ya yama wo ide ha no natsu nasubi
how rare!
on leaving the mountain
the first eggplant
and Chevrefeuille’s offering:
the sweet perfume
of the Honeysuckle
makes me drowsy
Now for my humble haiku with the image of my friend in mind travelling running.
cool spray mist
dreamlike beachy feel
city park
~
smell of fresh-cut grass
running through parc la Fontaine
a wasp stings
© Chery-Lynn ’14/07/24 Submitted for: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, # 523 Basho (5) “How Rare”
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Photo credit: Bonfire in Finland
Kids giddy with joy
staying up late to play
Summer Solstice.
All night bonfires
singing, dancing, having fun
Summer Solstice.
Tilling the soil,
cultivating the earth
life renewed.
Mother Earth
bestows sustenance
life renewed.
Rejoice in life
fires blaze and celebrate
promising season.
(Tanka)
Sleepless children
longer days, shorter nights
full-house in the summertime
parents miss intimacy
steeling quickies now and then.
© Cheryl-Lynn 2014/06/09

© CLR June 2013 rivière Yamaska, Farnham, Québéc.
Lazy sunny day
sunbathing by the river
drinking lemonade.
*
paddle boats sculling
kids wading in the river
splashing, gurgling.
*
bullfrogs, motor boats
transistor radios
echoes of laughter.
*
scorching summer night
sitting on the balcony
hear the crickets sing.
*
sitting on the balcony
untying her kimono
gentle breeze caress
*
summers may promise
moments of delight and bliss,
desires quenched.
.
© Cheryl-Lynn 2014/06/07
Submitted for: Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – #486 – Satisfaction
Photo taken by my family home growing up where there were row boats, paddle boats and motor boats as part of the scenery all summer long.