Snowflakes

The time it takes ---

for snowflakes to whiten

the distant pines.

Lorraine Ellis Harr

I enjoy this haiku because it so simply expresses the experience. Sitting in a quiet setting I too have been oblivious of time watching the snowflakes fall. Haiku finds a way to recreate the natural experience; it creates an image that triggers your emotions from a related experience.

Dancing

after the dancing ---

the wind in the pines

and the insects' cries

Sogetsu-Ni

When I think dancing, spontaneous rhythm comes to mind. How often do we dance? How often do we pause after the dancing and listen? Do we dance in the rhythm of nature or are we jerking along and working against the natural flow of energy?

I am reminded of some music genres. Some artists find this rhythm with the flow of energy more easily than others. I am also thinking this is true of all artists. Maybe this is what Julia Cameron is also attempting to help artists find. She has coined the phrase "The Artist's Way" and maybe this is the true secret, dancing.

Dancing

dancing on surface

sun rays play tag with the fish

light shimmers across

KJ

Light creates illusions. Sitting at the edge of a lake the images across the water changed so quickly. I find it peculiar how nature will spotlight events, and the perspective changes so quickly with one subtle movement of the sun's rays. In our daily lives, what our eyes focus upon is where we tend to exert our energy. Closing my eyes --- I wonder sometimes if that is when I see what is truth and how I know what is the illusion.

Watchful

brown racing stripes

watchful scouting stillness

perched upon a stump

KJ

How many of us are watchful? What do we zoom our watchfulness upon? My mentor once shared the idea of a bulls eye target and organizing our desk with the things we use most often close to us. She also shared the idea with me of identifying the different layers of people in our lives, those we are closest to to those just out there in the Universe. So, I ask myself, what part of the circle in my life am I being watchful at this moment? This haiku is again from my trip in the forest as I observed the behavior of chipmunks.

Learning

a warm full day,

learning from this rock

to do nothing

Paul O. Williams

Everything naturally created has a purpose. Naturally created objects always have a message for me when I choose to listen. This what I've learned. Even the desert has messages after living here 20+ years.

Reflecting

the spirit, the truth

of silent prayer ---

just the moon on the road

Kikusha-Ni

The quiet evening is an acknowledged time for reflection. The moon reflects the sun's light as we reflect upon the day's events. The seeker takes this moment to listen for the truths learned that day. The spirit patiently waits for us to understand its messages.

Petals

petals on the grass ---
you reach for the sun's light rays
only to fall back
KJ

Children are like petals on the grass. They slowly peek out at the world. They find the energy of the Universe and are fascinated. Like the stem and leaves, they grow and develop. A flower emerges. Then, the sunlight disappears. Sometimes the wind blows. They fall back for awhile and regain some strength. The stronger ones find within themselves the desire to again reach for the sun's light rays.

Wind

the wind

forced to blow

on concrete, steel, and glass

Jack Cain

Wind has a lot of freedom where I live. The northern pressure system from the Arctic and the air system just above the equator both enjoy traveling across northern Nevada mountains and valleys. Many times they love to converge along my latitudinal region. The force funnels through an opening towards the open Bonneville Salt Flats. My community rests on the edge of the mountain base with mountains running north/south on the west side of town and then east/west on the north side of town. I don't particularly care for the strong winds of winter but neither do I care for the stagnant air of summer. Of course, I like the perfect smooth air movement, the ideal of life's gentle changes.

Tall buildings here are minimal. The wind shaking the house's foundation and lifting off roof tiles is common.   When the wind has a destination, only the mountains have the power to hold their place. Yet, you can see the impact of the wind against the rock after a span of time. So, what does that tell us about the natural world? Even strong composites of life are forced to change from the invisible energy force.

The Rules

brave little chipmunk

feasting on the human's crumbs

breaking all the rules

KJ

We all break the rules sometimes. I believe breaking the rules set by others is a way we learn how to grow. We also break our own rules when needed. Have you ever watched children create a game and after a few minutes change their own rules so that the game works in their favor? We do this as adults also, we are just more subtle about it. We change the rules in relationships, in government, and how we manage our daily life. This is a necessary survival skill, I think. If we are not flexible, well...life becomes even more challenging.

Yack Yack Yack

yack yack yack yack yack

broken quiet in forest

solitude in trees

KJ

Have you ever noticed how sound can influence your mood? When I awake before the rest of the household I enjoy the quiet, though not as much as sitting in a deciduous forest without people talking. The house creates its own sounds of modern life. Then, when even one person is up and making noise the day has changed.  After experiencing a ruptured eardrum a few ago, I became much more attuned to the noises about me. Since that unexpected eardrum rupture, recordings designed for meditation became a necessary tool for relaxation. I continue to use them to focus my energy when writing.

Unafraid

hiding under the table

gathering food unafraid

looking straight at me

KJ

The chipmunk entertained me for an hour. I sat and watched it complete its daily chores of gathering food. It then raced back to its burrow and a few minutes later searched for more. Clearly it was cautious but not completely afraid of my presence. It tended to stay further away, however, when my family members returned to camp. I thought how similar this animal's behavior is to the behavior of some people I have met.

The Stick

a stick goes over the falls at sunset

Cor Van Den Heuvel

This poem is not formatted like the other haiku I've posted. Different ideas of the modern haiku are being discussed in poetry societies, I've learned.

I like this one because I immediately recall throwing twigs, leaves, and other natural objects into the streams. When I w was a child I was always drawn to the water when camping. Even now I love to stop at the pull-outs along the Idaho rivier highways and simply watch the water rushing along its path.

Perspective

subtle movement of

air across the water plane ---

life lives underneath

KJ

While sitting at the lake's edge I watched my family enjoy the cool mountain lake.  My position gave me a different perspective than what my children observed from their non-motorized boat. They jumped into the water sending ripples. Fifty yards from their location I notice differences in the water's movement. I find this experience as an example of how we can spotlight specific areas of life and miss what is happening somewhere else so close to us.

Big Fly

buzzing overhead

Why are you hovering me?

annoying big fly

KJ

It is summer. Flies are simply annoying. We wonder why they are part of the natural world. I recognize, though, that there must be some purpose. Events in life can be like a fly. And, unfortunately, sometimes I can recall a person who at particular moments I could label as a fly in my world. So, the real question is, how does one respond to the annoying big fly?

Charred Fields

across the fields of stubble

flame stalks flame

David Cobb

I have seen the farmer's deliberate field burning. I can also recall May 18, 1980, when the beautiful blue sky of a Sunday morning turned suddenly a new shade of gray. Ash from Mt. Saint Helens fell from the sky and I was amazed at the power of nature, probably really felt it for the first time, as the mountain was 400 miles from my existing location.

I don't claim to fall into the "wise old woman" category but my observations of life so far --- this haiku says a lot. After a field has given all it is capable, a burning season is needed so that things can grow again. In life, the flames usually don't feel too great. Sometimes, just when we think the flames are finished, more arises. I remind myself, though, of the before and after images of the contemporary volcano. Once charred, it now now flourishes with growth.

Dragonfly

dragonfly I see

now feasting on mosquitoes

tiny blue buzzing

KJ

Dragonflies can be annoying and I still like them. Something about them makes me wonder, if insects have an emotional element, would they say they like their role in nature? Dragonflies bring a balance to nature, I think.

Lotus

a white lotus ---

the monk decides to cut it!

Buson Yosa

As I explore the work of early haiku writers, I learn more about the Asian belief systems. For example, the lotus is a Buddhist symbol. The flower exemplifies purity and is found in muddy water. A key aspect of the Buddhist belief is the Enlightenment and the white lotus symbolizes this process.

Ancient Pond

ancient pond ---

frog jumps in

sound of the water

Basho Matsuo

Frequently I have come upon this haiku as a known example by Basho. Something about the essential life source of water connects to readers. We have hopefully all heard the sound water makes when something like a frog jumps in. I think a key word here is actually "ancient." We so easily forget in our more developed, modern environment that water and other other essential elements existed before human life.

Spirit

spirit carries you

through the thinly grown grasses

orange wings flutter

KJ

Again, I love the symbolism of the butterfly. The delicate and intricate details the Creator gave this creature is alluring to me. I think the words penned speak for themselves for this one.

The Doe

unaware of sleep ---

evening crackling twigs

doe explores the meadow

KJ

My family went camping and I have difficulty sleeping on the ground due to health issues. Our first night I discovered that my air mattress could not hold the air. So, sitting up I contemplated my options. I hear something outside the tent.  Then there is clarity of hooves. As the sound travels around the tent, I gaze out the open window and see a doe moving through the space we currently occupied.