Instead of seeking to be great, may Americans seek to be good!
boondocker sticker shock
30 Jun 2019 Leave a comment
in haiku series, tan renga, tanka Tags: cactus, cholla, desert, sunset, teddy bear
Renga series linked to weekend challenge at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai…
among dune grass
silver bleached logs
and a perfect day
we gather sticks for campfire
share stories of desert lore
desert sunset
cholla cactus sticks
to the light
gaze on painted desert sky
day ends in glorious flames
desert ways
branching all over
cholla cactus
slowly spreads across landscape
thick barrier to hikers
alone and asking
to be touched
teddy bear cholla
appears to be cuddly (not)
waits to stick barbs into you
overcoming rocks
a stream of cacti
slowly spreading
pieces fall to ground and sprout
sink roots down in desert sand
writing
desert poems
pencil cholla
words jump sharply like cactus
hope to make impressive point
Haiku verses © Jane Reichhold
Tanka responses © lynn__
written in wee hours of a restless night
28 Jun 2019 Leave a comment
in scripture Tags: desperation, disappointment, hope, quiet, rage, Skillet
we live sad
(a)pathetic lives of
(un)quiet desperation in
rage, regrets, disappointment
isolated in an individual world, we
desire to be loved but do not know how;
bravely smiling on outside, slowly dying inside
how are you? ‘i’m fine’ is our standard line (really?)
looks like we, our family, civilization may self-destruct
only a hero can save us now — our hope is that God will!
__________
“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling…Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
– Isaiah 30:15 & 18
summer synchronicity
26 Jun 2019 17 Comments
in quatrain, rhyming verse Tags: dusk, fireflies, garden, june bug, rhubarb, slug, snake
Wandering past my dusky wet garden
twilight meets me, dancing with fireflies
cicadas serenade blades of tall ditch grass
pink clouds palely kiss soft lavender skies
Wondering if snake stripes glow nocturnal,
i startle at whirred flight of june beetle bug
humid air oppressed by scant scent of skunk
rippled rhubarb leaf umbrellas sleeping slug.
See Laura’s prompt at dVerse Poets inspired by naturalist poet, Laurie Lee. He sought simplicity in his poetry; often written in 1st person, quatrain form, ABCB rhyme.
underwater wonder
24 Jun 2019 20 Comments
in haibun, Uncategorized
An amazing animal to observe is the North American river otter. An otter’s dainty ears, alert eyes and long whiskers give it an engaging appearance. Otters are curious and sociable creatures. Their antics entertain and they like to perform.
Otters are the only water-loving members of the weasel family and are perfectly designed for swimming. They have extra-thick fur that traps air between the under-layer and longer guard hairs to keep their skin dry. Their torpedo-shaped bodies with short limbs are impressively streamlined. Webbed hind feet prove efficient as flippers. Claws, speed and teeth equip this carnivore for proficient fishing.
My husband and I enjoyed watching the river otter dive, swim and spin in its tank at the Houston Zoological Park. I recorded a brief video which later delighted our grand daughters. Each creature designed by God reveals his wisdom and glory. Each plays a vital role in nature’s ecological balance.
river otter glides
zoos educate and research
discover wonder
caws and effect
18 Jun 2019 27 Comments
in ekphrastic Tags: defiance, girl, independence, moods, ravens, sassy
Linda tends dVerse Poets Pub today and invites us to write ekphrastic poetry inspired by the artwork of Jackie Hurlbert…
sassy young redhead named penelope
decides who in the world she wants to be
dark ravens perch upon each shoulder
speaking words that make girl feel bolder
independent defiance paints hot lips
her arms cross tight or hands on hips
fiery moods untamed, doesn’t give a care
determination steeps in eyes that stare
penelope’s ravens sing rebellious song
this teen believes ravens make her strong!
(but raven words may spell trouble
and raven beaks may burst her bubble)
“Conspiring With Ravens”
discipline
17 Jun 2019 17 Comments
in quadrille, Uncategorized Tags: child, cousins, fret, grandma, lesson, tantrum
little buddy red-
faced, setting the stage
to fly into kicking and sweating rage
wiser granny said-
stop your fretting, my child
there’s no use getting unruly riled
now go to bed-
buddy, until lesson you learn
to let kissing cousins have a turn!
Quadrille (44-word poem) including the word “fret”… with Kim at dVerse Poets
tickled pink
14 Jun 2019 8 Comments
in haiku, troiku Tags: color, grand daughters, peonies, pink, smiles, summer
My haiku/senryu/troiku written for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai challenge…
hot pink peonies
sweet gift from my grand daughters
picked fresh this morning
hot pink peonies
bloom on daughter-in-love’s bush
color of summer
gift from grand daughters
to surprise beloved grandma
sweet smiles are enough
picked fresh this morning
fragrant blush on lips, cheeks
happiness in bloom
photo by lynn
hanalei market
11 Jun 2019 21 Comments
leisurely saturday morning
vacation stop to photograph
picturesque wooden church
park jeep on emerald lawn
off nearby malolo road
white tents reflect sunshine
organic taro fields and
lush mountain peaks serve
as backdrop to lively scene
wander past exotic fruits
and fresh juice samplers
to sounds of ukulele music
admire woven baskets and
printed aloha fish onesies
try on designer canvas hats
taste pineapple shaved ice
sample fresh mango salsa,
buy longan “eyes”, star fruit
sudden clouds darken sky
thank friendly island vendor
sprint laughing in warm rain
youth’s days numbered
10 Jun 2019 23 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: bull, elk, miner, moon, pack, wolves
Inside a rustic cabin deep in Yukon territory, an old miner seasoned a simmering pot of venison stew.
Stroking his grizzled chin, he thought about the majestic elk herd he’d encountered migrating through a mountain meadow late that afternoon: one dominant young bull calling a large group of cows and calves to follow. After the herd disappeared over a ridge, a straggler came stumbling out of the trees: an old bull, wild-eyed and abandoned. Somehow he’d felt a kindred spirit to the animal…
Later, eerie howls of wolves on their twilight hunt woke him. He stirred the fire’s embers before going outside in the dark to check on his pack mule. Under waning moon, he was fumbling with the cabin latch on his return when far away an interrupted cry of the lone elk was heard as the hungry pack took him down.
An exercise in “prosery” for dVerse where Bjorn challenges us to write flash fiction of 144 words (exactly!) and include the phrase (from Robert Frost) in italics above.
tearful nights
04 Jun 2019 24 Comments
in music poem Tags: cry, flute, letters, love, nights, satin, tears
Linking to dVerse poetics where Amaya asks us to “cry me a river” with music.
why do i love you still
so deeply it hurts?
cry of man’s solo voice
breaks lonely hearts
sigh of flute’s minor-keyed
lament clearly haunts
try to release emotion in
sealed letters unsent
nigh insane from promised
satin nights unspent
fly to LOVE himself, the
primal truth unbent.
For me, this old song is crying put to music. To love is to be vulnerable and to risk not being reciprocated…but we love anyway and love is real; powerful, often painful.
The Moody Blues first recorded this song in 1967 and here they reunited to sing it again years later.
In my youthful innocence, I first thought the words were “knights in white satin” 🙂 I play flute so I’m drawn to the instrument’s mellow sound.
For believers, love songs can also reflect God’s amazing love for us!
a poem in my pocket 
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