Us

Lately, I’ve found myself wondering if animals in the wild behave as we do. I watch the nature show, and I don’t know. I often feel bad for the prey being chased. I yell at them to run!

But as that fails and prey becomes dinner and I see how many of them this one ‘kill’ feeds. I then have to remind myself that they too have to eat.

As my thoughts rounds back to us humans, I wonder – what is our excuse?

pummeling of hope –

out and about while being black

taunts mortality

Pat

2/03/23

Change

This was in a tree outside my house. A home for wasps, I believe. I never saw it coming, never saw them building. Then came autumn, the tree shed their multicolored clothing and there it was.

Fierce looking in size and demeanor. I didn’t touch it, I did not know if anyone was home; and I was not interested in finding out. So, I left it alone.

Now, this hive is no longer there. It seems winter and its high winds took care of the matter in its own time. A clean sweep. An inevitable change.

well hidden

until it was not –

natures roar

Pat

1/26/2023

The New Black

political strife –

fierce bubbles in the caldron

cruelty, the new black

Pat

1/18/23

For Tanka Tuesday where the specific form Senryu is the ask over at Word Craft with Colleen. To participate go here

Definition of Senryu

“Senryu is a short poetic genre which focuses on people. Men, women, husbands, wives, children, and relatives. It portrays the characteristics of human beings and the psychology of the human mind. Even when senryu depict living things such as animals, insects, and plant life, or when they depict inanimate objects, they are portrayed with the emphasis on their human attributes”, per the Senryu Circle.

A passing-

without warning

this unexpected loss –

an early december

This was read at the eulogy today. I am not sure if this belonged to the person who read it or if it was borrowed. In any case, it was fitting:-

“laugh when you can

cry when you must

apologize when you should and change the sphere of life if you will

dream big

take risks

study life’s plays feverishly

make the play

score the goal

volunteer your time

mend broken hearts

fall down but get up and learn from your mistakes

live life on purpose for a purpose and with purpose each and every day”

2/07/1958 – 10/31/2022

Pat

11/12/22

Haibun Monday – Talking Soup

When I was growing up, each day of the week had its own menu. Sunday was beef, wednesday was stewed (red) peas, friday was fish and saturday was soup day.

The different types of soup sounds a little nuts, but they were good. There was beef, cow cod (don’t ask), fish head, cow foot, goat head, red peas, split peas and chicken soup. Red peas soup was my favorite.

That thing was a meal. My mom would let us ‘help’ by passing the vegetables which were carrots, celery, turnips, yellow yam, potatoes, and dumplings. We all wanted to help make the dumplings. A soup without dumplings was just not a good soup in our house. Then, of course, there were the spices – salt, scallions, thyme, garlic and pimento seeds (Allspice).

These soups brought a healing touch to every part of our insides. You could smell it from everywhere! It was fuel, it was filling, it was love.

through this autumn gray

memory from childhood wafts in –

soup day, saturday

Pat

10/25/22

For dVerse Poets Pub where the prompt is “soup”. The host for Haibun Monday today is Mish. To participate or just read go here

Warm Memories

in this backward glance

no haunting, just goofy smiles

and warm memories

Pat

10/12/22

For Ronovan Writes Haiku, a senryu. The prompt words are Glance & Haunt. To participate or just read go here

https://ronovanwrites.com/2022/10/09/ronovan-writes-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-431-glance-and-haunt/

Fearless Youth

rolls downhill

immune to grass stains

-fearless youth

Pat

7/18/22

For Ronovan Writes Haiku where the prompt is Grass & Stain to see other entries or participate go here

https://ronovanwrites.com/2022/07/18/ronovan-writes-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-419-grass-and-stain/