Praiseworthy
this cyberworld
where we write and read words
freed from still notebooks
as embers that flare,
cool, scatter, fly
to places unknown
before bedding in eternity
:
©️2018 Ontheland
A blurb of gratitude on the occasion of American Thanksgiving. Lorine Niedecker wrote a short poem called “As Praiseworthy” which gave me the idea to use the word…(similarity ends there).
from an apple tree
a poem may be plucked
one phrase, then the next
gathering
a ripened abundance
~
This poem started as a haiku and then evolved to five lines which possibly could be considered a gogyohka, a contemporary form of Japanese poetry, introduced by Enta Kusakabe to reduce the restrictions of classical rules such as syllable counts.
Carpe Diem Summer Retreat 2018, Finding the Way, July 15 to August 14
Photo credit: sourced from Pixabay
In response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #26 Revise that Haiku
Taneda Santoka, known for ‘free verse haiku’, was part of an early-twentieth century trend in Japan that explored free-form haiku composed without traditions such as the 5-7-5 syllabic rule and the seasonal word. In his later years Santoka became a Zen Priest wandering many miles, often begging to survive. Santoka may have written this haiku on one his walking trips:
nonchalantly pissing
off the side of the road
soaking the young weeds
© Taneda Santoka (1882-1940)
I imagined a wandering nun. Her alternative haiku might be:
crouching
in bushes by the road
watering the crabgrass
©️2018 Ontheland
Photographed during Hiroshima commemoration of the bombing, August 6th 2014 by Vanvelthem Cédric
the summer moon
there are a lot of paper lanterns
on the street
© Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)
Imagining the Hiroshima commemorative lantern event years after Shiki’s time, I have written a new version of his haiku:
path of lantern lights
memories of lost souls
under August moon
©️2018 Ontheland
When I am challenged to revise a haiku, my reading slows and I perceive several possible meanings….
in the moonlight,
the color and scent of the wisteria
seems far away
© Yosa Buson (1716-1784)
~
this pale winter night
fragrant colours of spring
seem so far away
©️2018 Ontheland
~
a mountain village
under the piled-up snow
the sound of water
© Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)
~
a mountain village
under a fresh fall of snow
children’s laughter echoes
©️2018 Ontheland
Can I write a poem
grazing on
hummus-dipped
breadsticks,
stirring dull residues
of wounds and tears
that clog my spirit?
I could bounce away
but then,
would I not still feel empty?
Perhaps I will stay,
sip cold coffee,
and move my pen.
~
A poem of exactly 44 words (a ‘quadrille’) for dVerse Poets Pub using the word ‘bounce’. Perhaps not a bouncy take on bounce, but more writing will get me bouncing again.
©2018 Ontheland
You may have something to say—
water flowing generously
from the bucket you filled
by the river, or
you may choose a form,
easing in
one word
at a time
as if stepping
along a labyrinth path.
snowflakes
meditating
a poem
~
©2018 Ontheland
Image sourced from Pixabay.com uploaded by Jill111
Ontheland 
.jpg#mw-jump-to-license){kind=link}