Tag: ronovans challenge

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Frazil needles sink,
River dreams of warmer days,
Ice crystals cluster.

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I enjoy learning the names of phenomena that I’ve seen, but never had a word for. Recently, I found such a word while reading a Conservation Authority press release warning people to watch out for ‘frazil’ ice along the banks of streams, on lakes, and on rivers.  I have read several definitions of frazil ice.  Basically I have gathered that it is new ice formed in moving waters, in extremely cold conditions (-6° C or less). Needle-shaped ice crystals multiply, forming slush or thin plates of ice floating on the surface.  The shores of the creek above are probably quite slushy with frazil ice.  It takes prolonged periods of cold for the creek to appear frozen over, and even then, one would want to be very careful stepping out onto it–you could fall through.

My post is in response to  RonovanWrites Haiku Challenge.  The prompt words this week are ‘crystal’ and ‘hope’.  Synonyms are allowed so I used the word ‘dream’ instead of ‘hope’.  To read more haiku or to find out how to participate, please visit the RonovanWrites link above.

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The haiku I am posting today is in response to Ronovan’s prompts: ‘crystal’ and ‘hope’. We recently had heavy rainfall, followed by  temperatures below zero degrees centigrade.  Portions of land around the house flooded and then froze into large patches of ice. With ice on my mind, I wrote this haiku.

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Ice shines crystal clear,
Skater glides on smooth expanse,
Dreams and reflections.

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To read more haiku using these prompt words, please visit RonovanWrites to enjoy the creativity of challenge participants. The challenge is open to one and all–posted on Mondays and closes by noon on Sunday.

©2016, all rights reserved by Ontheland.wordpress.com

This is my final offering for Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge.  The prompts are ‘vast’ and ‘clear’.  It’s been quite a week of  mind and closet clearing; and today, I’m going to broach list clearing.  There are a few ways of clearing ‘To Do’ lists, such as re-scheduling tasks for a later date;  getting things done and checking them off; or simply deleting or ripping them up.  I find the last approach quite satisfying.  Or, have you ever felt bored, with no shortage of things you feel you ‘should’ do, recorded on a mental list?  Deleting  ‘shoulds’ can open up a day in a whole new way.  These are my haiku:

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clearing to do lists
for new adventures
waiting in the wings

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lists deleted
new opportunities
spark my excitement

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Clear, repair, let go
Vast clutter of year gone by
Feel breath of fresh air.

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I’m on a roll this week with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge.  The prompt words ‘vast’ and ‘clear’ bring up many images and themes. In this haiku I was thinking about the clutter that built up in my home over summer and fall, when my focus was outdoors.  Now it is winter time, I am contemplating cleaning up inside the house.  (I’ve been contemplating for a while now.)

When  I first drafted a haiku about my clutter, the theme was ‘letting go’,  but I decided to revise that.   Much of my buildup is of items I intend to repair–I don’t believe in tossing things out when they can be fixed.  In this department there are many blankets and toys that the dogs have chewed and ripped.  The second largest clutter category is my red onion harvest, dried herbs, and all sorts of gardening supplies.  These need to be put away and organized so I can have a clean space to plant seedlings for planting outdoors in the spring.

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Wings stretch to touch clouds,
Lifting into boundless sky,
Life purpose now clear.

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This is a third haiku in response to Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge #78, his first haiku challenge posted in 2016.  The prompts, ‘vast’ and ‘clear’,  inspired me to write a few different haikus.  For more responses to the challenge, please visit the Comments section at the link above, and perhaps drop by here again for more of my  ‘#78’ poems.

©2016, All rights reserved by Ontheland.wordpress.com

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Horizon
vast open expanse
clears my mind

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This is a second haiku in response to Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge #78, his first haiku challenge posted in 2016.  The inspiring prompt words were ‘vast’ and ‘clear’.   For more responses to the challenge, please visit the Comments section at the link above, and perhaps drop by here again for more #78  responses from me.

©2016, All rights reserved by Ontheland.wordpress.com

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Outer space,
Vast infinity,
Frees the mind.

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This haiku is in response to Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge #78, his first haiku challenge posted in 2016. Given that we have a year ahead with the prospect of 50 plus challenges, the prompt words ‘vast’ and ‘clear’ are quite apt! Find more responses to the challenge in the comments section of the link above AND drop by here again for more #78  responses from me.

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Ronovan’s haiku prompts this week are ‘new’ and ‘year’ –obvious perhaps, but not really, when caught up with life’s activities– these words dragged me out of preoccupations such as cookie making, cookie eating, seasonal blues, road trips, kicking a touch of flu, and so on, into a reflective ‘end-of-the-year zone’.   As the year ends, I find myself appreciating the time I have spent participating in this haiku community– which has been every week since I first joined in July  at prompt #52.  This week I have written a Troiku that is  based on a haiku using the prompt words (in red).  You’ll notice that the closing stanza is also a haiku using the prompt words.

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Earth's orbit complete,
Tired year almost over,
New ventures glimmer.

Earth's orbit complete,
Our journey measured in months,
We circled the sun.

Tired year almost over,
Looking back we sigh,
Time's flow is relentless.

New ventures glimmer
in year's embers, hope ignites,
fresh dreams inspire.

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Happy New Year!

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Nature in drab dress,

Another year nears its end,

Christmas lights bring cheer.

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My haiku is in response to Ronovan’s prompts: ‘charm’ & ‘look’.  As usual, the name of the game is to use the prompt words or their synonyms in a haiku (or related form of poetry). Please visit RonovanWrites to  learn more about this poetry challenge and to find links to other contributions.

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