Footprints of History

When I was teaching school years ago, we took many field trips. In this photo my students were taking a walking tour of Historic Halifax in North Carolina. A guide explained each thing as we walked. Here we are viewing the crypts of the some of the persons who lived here back during the Revolutionary War period. The Halifax Resolves predated the Declaration of Independence in rejecting British rule and claiming independence. That is why our license plates have  First In Freedom on them.

Footprints of our past

Encased in stone and concrete

Students look and learn

****************************************

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Bjorn asked us to write a Haibun about walking for our Monday Haibun at d’Verse.

Come join us at: hppt://dversepoets.com

 

Born

 

Star Wars Day //May 4^th

Day that I was born at home

War over // I cried

No fireworks //no booming guns

Mom smiled as family gathered

****************************************************************

Our Hiakia challenge from Frank Tassone is to write a Haiku or one of the forms to write a poem from three choices. I chose Starwars Day (May 4). I was a baby boomer child born after the end of WW II. The family doctor came to our house to deliver me. I was number four or five children. This is my Tanka about that day.

#Haikai Challenge #31 (4/28/18): May Medley–(Late (cherry) Blossoms (Osozakura), Star Wars Day (May 4), or Mary (Marian Month) #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga

 

 

Dancing in Moonlight (a Haiku)

Fall moon over blue

Ocean reflects dolphin dance

Two hearts as one beat

 

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Beautiful Grosbeaks

Eastern Blue Grosbeak

The grosbeaks are migrating through our area of North Carolina this month. I have both the Eastern Blue Grosbeaks and the Rose Breasted Grosbeak coming and posing at my bird feeder. I took the Rose Breasted Grosbeak this morning! As you can see they are fabulous in color and a poetry all their own. I know you will enjoy the following photos.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Spirit Questions

Spirit Questions (a Rubaiyat)

Where dwells the spirit before life begins

Waiting to entwine with genes at man’s whim

Does it float in space riding red star dust

Or in ocean waves where the teeming swim

 

Where dwells the spirit when I took my first

Breath of life merged with heart and lungs first thirst

Spirit seems at home in this flesh and bone

Fragile body // heart pumping till it bursts

 

Where does my spirit dwell when life is done

As eyes close in death and the race is run

Breath leaves the body and the spirit’s rises

Rejoining spirit with Spirit // lives on

**************************************************************

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today Frank at d’Verse asked us to write a rubia or a rubaiyat.

“A rubai or stanza in a rubaiyat is four lines long and rhymes AABA in iambic pentameter meter. That is how Edward Fitzgerald translated Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. Khayyam was an 11th century Persian. Fitzgerald’s translation appeared in 1859.”

This is my first attempt at this so I hope I come close to what is expected.

Dad

 

Alzheimer’s is the thief that keeps on stealing, slowly robbing you of all things present and finally all things past. We just returned from a visit with my wife’s father, who has been confined in an Alzheimer’s unit 2500 miles away from us. Our visits are great while we are there. He keeps remembering less and less as he now turns 91. This poem shares some of my thoughts as I reflect on our time together.

Dad

Though your mind has grown dim

Your personality is much the same

A surprised smile when we arrive

Your desire for family information…

That will not stay long in your memory

 

Your warm smile and appreciation

Always there when we visit

Always there when the staff helps you

Always there when we say goodbye

 

While we are there your joy

Is new every morning

Pockets of the past are still filled

With memory coins slowly slipping out

Through that black hole in your brain

 

Our visits are joyful // you still get my jokes

You laughter is genuine and full

Though you still ask our names from time to time

You are present in the moment // a gift every time

 

In spite of all you have been through

You have adapted and applied Paul’s words,

“In whatever state I am in //

…there I will be content.”

You won’t remember any of this

When we’re gone

But you sure enjoyed our visit

While we were with you

*******************************************

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

His granddaughter Jen is walking for Justice to help  young girls caught in Sex trafficking. See her story on her blog at:

https://walkingthewayforjustice.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/cafe-calvary/

 

 

 

 

 

Gene Pool DNA

Gene Pool DNA

I can see him smiling in the mirror

I could talk of my blue eyes

From my father

Or his large nose with creases

In the sides // just above the nostril

All passed down to me in lovers mix

Then there are varicose veins

From my mother

Decorating my calves

Like dribbles of icing on a cake

But the best inherited body part of all

Came from both

Father and Mother

I inherited their hearts

Beating as one

A heart for others

Compassion for those in need

Faith to believe that God loves

Every one no matter what

They might have done

A helix of Love exemplified as

“The Word made Flesh”

*****************************************

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today Kim at d’Verse asked us to choose a body part that we have inherited from our parents, and write a poem in the first person about it. I took it a step further and made it a metaphorical body part.

Come join us at d’Verse:  hppt://dversepoets.com

 

Chickens

Chickens ( a Quadrille)

I grew up with the chickens

Clucking // pecking // laying eggs

Raising a ruckus when frightened

Gathering around my legs at feeding time

White Leghorn hens

Producing and egg a day

Gathered warm // from straw nests

Into a woven round basket

Food for the table

*********************************************************

Egg Basket Photo: fancyblogspot.com

Today’s prompt from Lillian, at d’Verse Poetry Pub is the word gather. We are to write a Quadrille of exactly 44 words for this prompt. I chose to write about the chickens of my childhood.

Join us at: http://dversepoets.com

 

Female Car (a Haiku)

Eyelashes flashing

Wide smile stretched ear to ear

Cute little sweetheart

**********************************

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

Earth Day

Earthday

So many people

Large anthills all over this ball

How do we compare

 

Protecting our Earth from harm

Challenging polluters gain

 

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This is for Frank Tassone’s Haikia/Haiku Saturday challenge using the word Earth for upcoming Earth Day tomorrow! If you have ever stepped on an anthill in your bare feet you will understand this poem.

#Haikai Challenge #30 (4/21/18): Earth… #Haiku #Senryu #Haibun #Tanka #Haiga #Renga