Sketch of life

the mist of time seals away the chance of love bedridden illness feathered acrobatics bare wisteria branches goldcrest entertains bright trumpet flowers in a musty sickroom rays of hope dashed

My haiku are based on the sentiment in those written by Masaoka Shiki, a modern haiku writer who died at the age of 35 in 1902. He struggled with his health and was bedridden and housebound for most of his life. Hence his sadness at never having been given much of a chance to find love. Looking back on his short life, his later haiku express great sadness, bordering on despair.

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

dreaming

kite circles overhead fingers at wingtips spread wide - nightmare or dream? hawk sails overhead wingtips open like fingers - fieldmouse washes face

Which one works best, and why, I wonder.
Or are they both rubbish.
I know the classic haiku don't have comparisons.
But....




Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

a little dab

a little dab fingers stroke your hair: a little dab'll do ya Brylcreem == “Well, I declare…. that greasy kid stuff" Bristol-Myers

Haiku are "a little dab" of life, of colour, of sentiment and feeling. They may end up more of a senryu than a haiku, as with these that come with a twist of icky sticky ooey gooey surprise.






Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

hot 'n cold

short-lived glory
petal snow falls at my touch
highlight of Spring



=====

hot 'n cold fever flu fingers touch winter snow plenty of fluids

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

daisies

Creatures are defined as living beings that can move. Daisies may be accused of running out of control underground on their rootstocks, but I don't think that is part of their job-description. Never mind, I love daisies, both the small ones that frequent our lawns or the larger ones from the herbaceous borders, so I'll be happy to conjure up a haiku or two in their honour.

weeding the lawn I spare the daisies- please, don't chain them daisy chains crown the hair of the pretty little girls --- little daisies stretch their necks to catch the sun myriads of tiny mirrors on the pond: flakes of sunlight --- on my knees I crouch over worm casts disturbed by moles string of beads sparkling white essence of daisies --- sunlight aslant gifts shadows two sets for the price of one in the garden patterns of white daisy chains anything else?

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

adonis

adonis amurensis a.k.a. fukujusoo bought in pots to be placed in the tokonoma This is the legend: princess kuno was to marry a mole faithless bride she ran away found hid in the grass where the mole dug her out returned to the earth became this beautiful flower these days grown in a pot.

adonis vernalis a.k.a. pheasant's eye like a buttercup adonis greets the year anew fresh yellow speared by a boar his blood drips on the ground turning yellow red

Adonis vernalis, a.k.a. spring pheasant's eye Adonis is a genus of about 20–30 species of flowering plants of the family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe and Asia. Adonis autumnalis - pheasant's-eye or blooddrops Adonis bobroviana Adonis chrysocyathus Adonis coerulea Adonis cyllenea Adonis davidii Adonis dentata Adonis distorta Adonis flammea Adonis microcarpa Adonis nepalensis Adonis palaestina Adonis pyrenaica from the Pyrenees, Adonis ramosa Adonis sibirica Adonis sutchuenensis Adonis tianschanica Adonis vernalis - spring pheasant's-eye Adonis volgensis

pale Spring sunshine lights up the grass - pheasant's eye in flower ray of sunshine brightens rays of pheasant's eye

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

verde - yo te quiero verde

Transition from winter into spring begins:
between the seasons.

wakanatsumi "a single lane open for sandal traffic green-plucking" summer green gifts itself in winter too when snows melt simplicity a wren nests in my garden using just a branch

End of New Year's wishes.
Final night of levity and fun

jollity within softened footsteps on fresh snow guests arriving paper butterflies hanging from the ceiling koshoogatsu

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

wisdom

many voices boom- wise man goes to his garden softly chirping birds pole vaulting with words writer hesitates plops in the water safest place fly sits on fly-swatter whoosh - whoosh

for CarpeDiem

Pining for poppies

As soon as I opened this picture from my Nikon last summer, it struck me that the dropped poppy petals had left a ballerina's tutu and I finally managed to do something to make that obvious.

winter on the wane little birds announce it spring on the horizon winter light and dreams flow into thoughts of dancing with poppies

---

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

butterfly fantasy

garden engulfs home abandoned by occupants nature moves in

mochi-white

mochi-white seedpods when seed layer peels off dropping dark promise snowdrop-white hides behind dark layer wind will blow

These seedpods are from the Lunaria annua var. albiflora - white-flowered Honesty - a.k.a. Money plant or Judas penny

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Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

mudpuddlers

butterflies grovel finding salt on a sunday colours belie blue butterflies dung beetles feed on cowpat dainty and delicate gradations of blue oak ash dissolves in water indigo dye feathered acrobatics bare wisteria branches goldcrest entertains born from a spark we are the dust of the stars the fire of the stars

Butterflies mudpuddling in the field, helping themselves to salt and other minerals. These butterflies, so dainty and delicate, behave like dungbeetles on a cowpat. Is this antithesis or juxtaposition? Juxtaposition is just the adjacent placement of two (or more) dissimilar concepts. Antithesis is more specific — it’s the placement of two concepts that are not only dissimilar, but polar opposites. An antithesis is used when the writer employs two sentences of contrasting meanings in close proximity to one another. Whether they are words or phrases of the same sentence, an antithesis is used to create a stark contrast using two divergent elements that come together to create one uniform whole.

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

Playing with sacred rope

kimono

no kimono I haven't a thing to wear wide sleeves and obi The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" (ki "wear" and mono "thing")

dainty and awkward maiko clip-clop down old streets arms in wide sleeves

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

winter sun

watery winter sun blackbird takes a snow bath flakes fly

oranje boven

feet run faster in orange merrills beating sunset feet of fire run a shining mile beating sunset...

the second one is Bjorn's and
his is a great deal better than mine :-)
but...I adore my Merrill running shoes and
wanted to get them in there somehow.
I have six pair of them and love them all.

Yoshizawa origami butterfly sparkling orange

Akira Yoshizawa was a Japanese origamist, considered to be the grandmaster of origami. He is credited with raising origami from a craft to a living art.

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

Anti-climax

New Year's Day falls flat celebrating in blue satin bubbleless champagne on rimed ivy pheasant clucks indignantly cold feet amaryllis finally unfolds petals owns up to scarlet

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

old and new

Truly an old end and a new beginning :-)
A ram of a self-shearing breed on our farm,
last summer, halfway through the shedding process.

self-shearing sheep summer’s moonspun dreams, soon ended. fleece even to the end new growth replaces old floating garment

blackbird turns over each and every unraked leaf laboriously but not in vain fresh growth beneath spent life promise and hope

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

Pop the corks and throw the streamers

Amidst the planets and the stars Shattered fragrance dances As strings of crystals whirl around Bright blue light enhances The dark Deep black but not stark No sound No sign of vapour trails I'm going all the way to Mars Exuberance prevails

I tried to concoct the haiku out of my earlier poem, but didn't succeed.

deep black but not dark strings of crystals whirl around exuberance floating on high with the planets and the stars shattered fragrance great outburst of fun people popping corks throwing streamers midwinter midnight fire vying with the sun outdoes the stars

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

peripheral

peach blossoms commuters in a hurry see only the road

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

stars by day

in the light of day stars evade our blinded eyes paled and unperceived

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

icy snow

iris reticulata

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

Xmas reds and gold

With best wishes for an enjoyable festive season.

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

chrysants and winter grasses

.

Buson: yoruno ran kani kakureteya hanashiroshi orchids in the night in their fragrance hidden -- the flowers white. == Kristjaan Panneman: samourai warrior enchanted by the beauty of orchids bows his head in praise in admiration he gives his beloved girl white orchids

hands shimmer with dew skin of nighttime ivory stroke the blossom snow

winter grass bows under the weight of snow pays homage

- -

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

skating

.

musical arabesques shiny steel slices through ice yuzuru hanyu he flies, he soars, he jumps, he spins, he glides he pirouettes yuzuru hanyu he makes music visible he IS the music regained perfection in an imperfect world yuzuru hanyu ice becomes his skates his skating becomes him a very becoming pair stellar bauble a glittery ornament in the skating sky yuzuru hanyu he brings tears to our eyes by just being there

If you want to see him win the grand prix final in Barcelona, take a look HERE
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Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

Advent candle

cedar branches glow azured by candle light warmed resin drips blue Candle created with cedar, cherries and rime melts the coldest heart melting rime of hearts love is an act of courage flame still burns bright

moon is on the wane croissant with yellow butter last treat before new

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem

misty mornings

foggy days

moisture drops congealed half the world concealed one of winter's woes autumn fog is light winter fog lays heavy on the mind fog and snow the big concealers hiding what is bad mystery cloaked the pheasant flies into nothingness the flying saucer not stopping passes back into the mist a nothingness slowly being unveiled by the winter sun

Written for a prompt at CarpeDiem