Tag: poems

In memory of Rachel Sutcliffe 1977-2019

.

Last Thursday I was saddened to learn that Rachel Sutcliffe has died. She was/is an accomplished and recognized haiku poet who also shared her work on WordPress at Projectwords. Her Haiku Foundation profile may be found here.

Rachel’s poetry is on my favourites list. Though I wish she had been able to live and write much longer…I am grateful for what she has offered and the opportunity to know of her presence in this world.

her early departure

the wind howls

past my window

:

©️2019 Ontheland

Haikai Challenge Rachel Sutcliffe

Autumn asters

plum-coloured asters

final flourish of summer

clusters of rapture

©️2018 Ontheland

:

broken by the storm

the asters’ fragrance rises

out of damp earth

©️Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)

memories in wildflowers

sun-kissed pebbles by the sea

(my response)

:

Carpe Diem’s Tan Renga challenge #15 inspired me to write about the wild asters behind my garden and to provide a Tan Renga response to Jane Reichhold’s haiku that I intend to be a small tribute to her as a haiku poet and teacher.

autumn winds

Inspired by Frank’s 50th Haikai Challenge, I explore some of my recent encounters with autumn winds. They herald the gradual shift from summer to fall:

~

a subtle coolness

whiffs of air through the window

autumn is moving in

:

the green tarp is gone

did a thief pass by today?

gusts of autumn wind

:

close to heatstroke

cleaning the shed at summer end

I catch a breeze

:

new winds are blowing

autumn into everything

porch chimes singing

~

©️2018 Ontheland

downpour 15.8.18

thunder crashes

matched by wild lashing downpour

no false news this time

:

all in one day

raindrops fall and ricochet

this summer’s rain

:

©️2018 Ontheland

Note: the second haiku may be a slight exaggeration–we have had other rains, but this one, far more significant than any other, is causing flooding.

plastic armour

at the grocery

evading plastic armour

finding old ways

~

in my cart

a naked cauliflower

how shocking

~

oranges

captured for a bargain

plastic netting

~

cucumbers

laid out side by side

on black foam slabs

~

boxed peaches

touched by nobody

so impeachable

~

©️2018 Ontheland

I avoid food in extra packaging and plastic bags as much as I can. Why pay to fill landfills and clutter waterways?

Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2018, Finding the Way, July 15 to August 14.

All images are courtesy of Pixabay.com tagged under food packaging and grocery store.