tangled
in holly and ivy -
a fallen angel's wings
Presence #30 Sept 2006
Ingredients - my published haiku, tanka, haibun and the occasional piece of writing that fits none of those categories.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A life in birds
A pheasant standing
in the furrows
a hawk's swerve
over the sewage works
magpies flying
low across a field
a pigeon
in the mouth of a dog
in the furrows
a hawk's swerve
over the sewage works
magpies flying
low across a field
a pigeon
in the mouth of a dog
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Dreaming in colour
the ladies with a red attitude
the man who spoke in splashes of yellow
even the white room
that was not Hugh's
the man who spoke in splashes of yellow
even the white room
that was not Hugh's
Friday, April 15, 2011
Poem written when I didn't have time
If I only had five minutes to write
I would have to write about this flitter
from one thing to another that I do
and how, now, I'm trying to slow right down
and stop the days from flickering past me
like the view from the window of a train
I would have to write about this flitter
from one thing to another that I do
and how, now, I'm trying to slow right down
and stop the days from flickering past me
like the view from the window of a train
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
How to resist tyrannical optimism
Be pessimistic
when disaster looms
pay close attention
at the darkening of each day
find time for sadness
months or years after a loss
admit dissatisfaction with your life
when you have less than you had hoped
be sure you're not persuing someone else's dream
during the programme or the ads
do not suspend your disbelief
when the fourth wall breaks
express your disillusionment
even if others disapprove
refuse to stay forever young.
when disaster looms
pay close attention
at the darkening of each day
find time for sadness
months or years after a loss
admit dissatisfaction with your life
when you have less than you had hoped
be sure you're not persuing someone else's dream
during the programme or the ads
do not suspend your disbelief
when the fourth wall breaks
express your disillusionment
even if others disapprove
refuse to stay forever young.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Gained in translation
Delighted by this translation of one of my haiku by Serge Tomé on temps libres
Satie -
the rain
eases
Satie -
la pluie
diminue
Satie -
the rain
eases
Satie -
la pluie
diminue
Friday, April 01, 2011
White
rain turns to snow
it's unclear now what lies concealed
within the radius
without, we suffer nocebo
unless we can
in rational clarity
disregard
the insidiously subtle flow
in air, water, milk
in the frost-white steam
in rain that turns to snow
it's unclear now what lies concealed
within the radius
without, we suffer nocebo
unless we can
in rational clarity
disregard
the insidiously subtle flow
in air, water, milk
in the frost-white steam
in rain that turns to snow
Thursday, March 31, 2011
NaPoWriMo
NaHaiWriMo was fun, and showed me that I could write a haiku a day if I tried, so maybe NaPoWriMo can be the next stretch I need beyond the comfort zone?
I'd like to use it to give myself a challenge to look out for different types of inspiration, not just the haiku kind. Longer things have appeared here before now but I've never really tried to write them, they just happened occasionally. If this goes to plan there will be some longer poems appearing here, among the haiku, over the next month.
Probably not much longer though, as I remain a dedicated minimalist!
I'd like to use it to give myself a challenge to look out for different types of inspiration, not just the haiku kind. Longer things have appeared here before now but I've never really tried to write them, they just happened occasionally. If this goes to plan there will be some longer poems appearing here, among the haiku, over the next month.
Probably not much longer though, as I remain a dedicated minimalist!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
NaHaiWriMo
I did it! A haiku a day for the whole month of February. I know I said I was aiming for two a day. Somedays I did that, other days the extra verses helped fill what would have been gaps. The thing is when you aim high, even if you don't make it every time, you tend to hit higher overall than if you aim low.
I've not posted yet in March. I can't keep it up. It's not that it was hard. It was a matter of focus and noticing things that are there every day if you just look. But there are so many demands on time and attention. I've tried simplifying life but still those demands are there.
The most important thing we decide every day - and we usually do it without the least bit of real reflection - is what we will pay attention to, what we will give our limited time to.
I've not posted yet in March. I can't keep it up. It's not that it was hard. It was a matter of focus and noticing things that are there every day if you just look. But there are so many demands on time and attention. I've tried simplifying life but still those demands are there.
The most important thing we decide every day - and we usually do it without the least bit of real reflection - is what we will pay attention to, what we will give our limited time to.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
NaHaiWriMo 23
first days of spring -
the sound of a crowd of people
demanding change*
* line 2/3 phrase 'found' in a BBC radio news item
the sound of a crowd of people
demanding change*
* line 2/3 phrase 'found' in a BBC radio news item
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Upping the ante
I'm going to set myself a personal challenge. Not only will I write a haiku a day as part of NaHaiWriMo and publish it here but I will also write another which I will not post online. You'll just have to trust me on this.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Noticing things
Sometimes writing the kind of thing I post here comes ridiculously easily, sometimes it becomes impossibly difficult. I'm not sure of all the reasons but partly it's about a loss of focus. Being too busy. Sometimes I need to slow down to make things come back into focus. There's a plan afoot for a group of people to write a haiku a day during February and I'm hoping that taking part in that might help me get the focus back. I want to start noticing things again, not let them all go by in a blur of busyness.
spring moon
a burst of song
from a passing cyclist
spring moon
a burst of song
from a passing cyclist
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