full moon calls softly,
“come outside on deck tonight,
shadow dance with me…”
who can resist her silver?
moonstruck orcas leap with glee!
night tides
08 Sep 2025 9 Comments
in tanka Tags: dance, full moon, orcas, shadow, silver, whisper
prognostications
03 Feb 2025 27 Comments
in haibun Tags: groundhog, hibernate, shadow, sleep, winter
Yes, the calendar says that February 2 is Groundhog’s Day. So what’s that to me? I may be a German groundhog but I am NOT getting up for any festivities, especially for Candlemas. I must finish hibernating and am feeling all tuckered out…now please, just let me sleep!
What in tarnation is all that commotion atop my burrow? Stop ringing that #punxsutawney% bell up there! I thought Gobbler’s Knob was a peaceful neighborhood but it’s gone to the prairie dogs, I say. There’s no shadow of a doubt, I’ve had my phil of winter in these parts already!
winter’s soft shadow
falls upon snowy landscape
seek comfort of hearth
Frank hosts haibuns at dVerse poets in observance of Groundhog’s Day…
shadow tales of cedar
01 Aug 2019 11 Comments
in ekphrastic, poem for children Tags: bears, bells, cedar, hood, shadow, wolf, wood
Goldi wander in wood?
Red Cedar by Emily Carr
beware of three bears
see them growling!
is Red in the hood?
big bad wolf out there
hear him howling!
scare Peter but good
should tinkle bells wear
stop them prowling!
Link to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads‘ prompt inspired by Emily Carr’s art.
dark shadorma
03 Apr 2018 2 Comments
in shadorma Tags: death, double, hate, lovers, shadow, suicide
A shadorma is a 6 line poem with 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllable counts.
in shadow
motivation comes
suicide
double death
why two lovers hate themselves?
asphyxiation
Many years ago, a teenage co-worker, Barry, and his girlfriend died together in his car running inside a garage. I still sadly wonder…why? Tonight, we discuss suicide at NAMI support group.
sunset bridge
05 Aug 2017 6 Comments
in haiku Tags: bridge, citrus, city, shadow, sun
city silhouette
citrus sky ripens slowly
shadow swallows sun
photo by lynn
foreboding
06 Mar 2017 24 Comments
in haibun Tags: camping, forest, hikers, night, shadow, trail
How are we wandering Americans to know it’s Canada’s provincial parks camping weekend? Of course, all campgrounds from Jasper to Banff are overflowing so we drive on. Sun is setting low over the pass when we find a lonely parking lot near trailhead where we can park our pickup camper for the night. Tired of riding, we decide to check out the trail as dusk settles on forest.
Light fades fast in the high country, exaggerating shapes and shadows. Full skirts of fir trees appear as dark illustrations straight from the Brothers Grimm. My apprehension only serves to amplify the crunch of pine needles and sounds of skittering. We meet last pair of hikers coming back down trail and I note they have walking sticks equipped with bear bells.
night envelops trees
alpine woods bathed in shadow
autumn falls early
Poets at dVerse are writing haibuns and “forest bathing” this week!
hidden in shadow
27 Sep 2016 14 Comments
in quadrille Tags: beloved, death, father, shadow
Dedicated to the family of Henry Wynia, who passed away 8-27-16.
Beloved,
bereaved by
an accidental fall
into valley of death’s shadow
dark night of grief
He bottles our tears
father’s life in our Father’s hands
He battles our fears
soul rests in relief
under his strong wings’ shelter
a providential call
comforted by
Beloved.
A quadrille/mirror poem linked to dVerse Poets.
divine chiaroscuro
25 Mar 2016 27 Comments
in octain, rhyming verse Tags: Good Friday, light, shadow, tomb
we mark a dark yet holy day
when Light himself was crucified
condemned by men, unjustly tried
son suffered, father turned away
wrapped up in gloom, laid in cold tomb
“now God is dead!” the demons say
to save from shadow’s curse, light died
we mark a dark yet Good Friday.
color / blind side (the movie)
09 Jun 2015 31 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: black, blind, color, shadow, white
black & white
piano keys strike
dissonance / harmony
depending on whose
muse-ic we choose,
both hands best
fingers caress.
moo-ve the blinds
watch the light with
shadows dance / JOY
sway rhythm in room
june bride & groom,
swirl of cream in
a coffee dream.
flavor-ful families
diverse by design
see adoption’s option
mix & matchin’ all
shades /// hues
rainbow of one
human race.
photo by lynn
In response to “black & white” prompt at D’verse Poets and in honor of special adoptive families: Bilbys, De Hooghs, De Jongs, Dekkers, Dudens, Gulkers, Jansmas, Koois, Postmas, Ribbens/Horns, Vanden Bergs, Vander Plaats, Wilsons, Wynias, Zomermaands (and others)!
elusive quarry
04 Feb 2015 2 Comments
in haiku Tags: flight, owl, shadow, silent, wing
broad heft of wing span
silent predatory flight
shadow of the owl
photo of Great Gray Owl by Alan Belford, lakeplacid.com
mysterious crossing
17 Jan 2015 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: cloud, coyote, moon, shadow, window
Shiki, one of the Big Five haiku poets, wrote this in classical style:
when I looked back,
the man who passed
was lost in the mist
© Masaoka Shiki
his haunting haiku inspires my attempt as follows:
glance out my window
cloud wisps pass before half moon
glimpse coyote shadows
© lynn
See Carpe Diem Haiku Kai for prompt and more information.
a poem in my pocket 
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