Summer Solstice

Carpe Diem Time Glass # 30 summer solstice

the longest day

cut short by a cloud burst
picnic in ruins

Rainbow

Carpe Diem Time Glass  #16 Rainbow

across the river

a rainbow

bridges the divide

moonlit October

churning of falls

alluring moonbow 

in the parking lot

psychedelic rainbow

trapped in oil

(In our area we have one of the only places you can see a moonbow.  Cumberland Falls is one of only two places where there is a consistent reoccurrence of a lunar rainbow.  The only other one is Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  I've not seen one yet but would like to someday.  

Christmastime

Carpe Diem Timeglasss #15 Christmastime

Christmastime magic
family and friends gather
joyous chaos

Winter Wonderland

Carpe Diem Time Glass #14 Winter Wonderland

Challenge to write a short chained poem with a maximum of eight stanza following the classical rules (5-7-5; 7-7; 5-7-5; 7-7; 5-7-5; 7-7; 5-7-5; 7-7) and your last stanza (classically called "ageku") has to close the chain by associating on the first stanza.

dawn breaks through the trees
shadows sashay across snow
deer tracks mar surface

startled white tail buck takes flight
I pause in awe of splendor

Crystalline flakes
dance to the wind’s symphony
evoking spirits

whirlwind of snow gaining power
overtaking my footsteps

icy drizzle falls
crystalizing everything
glistening like diamonds

branches coated with thick ice
creaking under extra weight

evening deepens cold
roads covered with icy paths
and weary travelers

ground covered with new snowfall
just waiting for fresh footprints

First Snow

Carpe Diem Time Glass #13,  First Snow

The first snow a surprise, much earlier than expected.  There were no phone calls telling of closed schools - you retired this year.  There were no delighted squeals or racing feet above our heads.  The boy’s long grown, our daughter recently in college.  The first snow came quietly, and the solitude stayed.  The only footprints, mine and that of the devil raccoon, back to steal another suet feeder.  My garden blossoms dusted in white and ice.  I cut a rose and bring it in for the breakfast table.  Our love not yet grown cold.

garden roses

weighted heads tipped

first snow

Rainbows

Carpe Diem time glass # 11 Rainbow

Looking up information and folklore about the rainbow,  I found many diverse stories.  The most familiar in the US are probably that of God's promise not to destroy the world in flood and that of the Irish pot of gold at the rainbow's end.  Many see the rainbow as good and some as a bad omen. Amazonians shut their mouths to keep out disease,  ancient arabians thought it was a tapestry woven by the south wind.  Bulgarian legends feel if you walk below the rainbow you will change gender, at least in your way of thinking.   The haiku are not as strong as I would have liked but they should share a little rainbow lore.

Chinese folktale of Hsienpo and Yingt’ai: 

star crossed lovers

await rainbows appearance

to be together

Buddhist: 

highest accomplishment

conscious and desire extinguished

rainbow body

Navajo:

Navajo brave

rides the multicolored serpent

receiving guidance

Nicaragua:

parents hide children

fear they may look or point

rainbow curse

Karen’s of Burma:

painted dragon

devours children

the rainbow

Celtic:

love making

under the rainbow

fertility assured

Josephine Wall

Greek goddess Iris:

Iris on golden wings

leads the dead

to Elysian fields

The Great Bear Constellation

Carpe Diem Time Glass # 10 Great Bear

The great bear
roams the night sky - never setting
or finding rest

Their are many stories about the great bear, but one fact is that this constellation is always in view whether high or low in the sky.  I love the greek myth where Callisto, a virgin huntress falls in love with Zeus, bares his son Arcas, and is turned to a bear by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera.  Later, Callisto sees her son and raises her arms to embrace him.  Fearing for his life Arcas raises his bow to kill her.  Zeus saves her by turning her son into a small bear.  He supposedly grabbed them by the tail and hurtled them into the heavens for their protection.   Hera for her own triumph set them in the celestial hemisphere where they would wander never setting below the horizon.  Other myths link the bear to King Arthur, some say she is Artemis herself.  In China, the seven stars of the big dipper that form the bears back is the celestial home of the Lord on High.  The star Sirius is the heavenly wolf that guards the palace.

heaven’s watchman 
Sirius - guards the bridge
of the gatherer

The Great Bear roams
the celestial heavens
seeking hibernation

jealous gods
light the night sky
with fire and imagination

Clouds

Carpe Diem Time Glass # 9 Clouds

parched earth reaches out

kissing the cloud painted sky

begging for reprieve

~

pink cotton candy

stretches across the pale sky

morning approaches

~

mist lingers idly

water washing the mountain…

softly morning dawns

~

lying in the sun

feet against oak tree  watching -

cloud formations

~

under the oak

on our backs laughing

cloud imaginings

~

clouds and moonlight

reflected across water

tide lapping my feet