Orion the Hunter

November 23, 2020 / rothpoetry / 24 Comments

Years ago we lived in a house with a driveway that lined up with the constellation of Orion. When we came home after dark, we could look up and see Orion’s belt shining above the end of our drive. Later, we moved to a house that was surrounded with trees. Very few stars could be seen and Orion was nowhere to be found.

Three stars bright stars make up the belt and are easiest to see. They are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. They are giant stars that are so far away it takes over 12,000 lightyears for the light from these stars to reach the earth! This is hard for me to comprehend. Our universe is so vast we here on earth are just dust in the wind.

Orion’s belt glows

Starlight from beyond our time

Bright string of pearls

Today at d’Verse, Kim asked us to write a haibun about the stars in the night sky!

Come join us at: https://dversepoets.come

Picture from: orion-constellation.jpg (600×600) (wordpress.com)

Information from wikapedia.com

Ice Dancing

November 22, 2020 / rothpoetry / 49 Comments

Frozen solid

Claws dance on ice

Our first frost

Mottled reflection

Nature’s hammered glass shines

Sparrow’s throat is dry

Teapot’s hot water

Melted ice clear reflection

Gross Beak finds warm drink

Vineyards on the Rhine

November 21, 2020 / rothpoetry / 32 Comments

Vintage grapes grow strong

Up and down Rhine River banks

Barrels of wine wait

Friends we met on the cruise who were from the UK and were also celebrating their 50th

A Gathering of the Dead

November 20, 2020 / rothpoetry / 62 Comments

What do you see as you come to the emergence of Winter?

Lying together

Some see death others see hope

Death waiting for life

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This came to me this morning as I was reading through the collection of Jisei poems from Frank Tassone’s prompt on d’Verse. We are to write a death poem or a Jisei. Jisei poems were of Japanese origins, and were often written in waka (tanka) or haiku, but death poems are not restricted to those forms. What is essential is the expression of both imminent death and the significance of life in the face of it. In this sense, Jisei is the poetry of both memorial and celebration.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com and click on the Mr. Linkey link to read more interesting Jisei poems.

Rising

November 19, 2020 / rothpoetry / 50 Comments

What would I want to take with me when I leave this world?

My spirit rises

unencumbered by this life’s

winter shroud of pain

I leave earthly behind me

shedding the ephemeral

*****

Photo; Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Frank Tassone asked us to write a Jiesi death poem. Jisei were often written in waka (tanka) or haiku, but death poems are not restricted to those forms. What is essential is the expression of both imminent death and the significance of life in the face of it. In this sense, Jisei is the poetry of both memorial and celebration.

I decided to write my own death poem as a reflection of the struggles of this earth and the joy of setting my spirit free in death as I leave it all behind! This poem evolved out of a longer poem I did a couple of year ago called When My Spirit Rises. This is written in the Tanka format.

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At the End of the Road…

November 18, 2020 / rothpoetry / 45 Comments

What is you concept of God and heaven? A couple of years ago, I reflected on the concept of God that I was taught as a child; what the Bible taught us about God, and now, in my winter of life, what I think about those images and concepts. I saw this sign along the road a few years ago. This poem addresses more questions than answers. What do you visualize when you think of God?

At the end of the road when my life is done

what will I find will there be one…

who will meet me there at the pearly gates

with hands outstretched no need to wait?

Will he be tall, short, fat, or thin;

When he sees me will he break out with a grin?

Interesting to me how we fantasize

seeing God like us, as we rationalize…

Dreaming that descriptions of hands and face

describe a reality that has no race.

Metaphors become reality as we describe our God,

forgetting he is Spirit, and that would be odd;

For a Spirit has no shape, no hands to hold tight

Only a presence of the purest light.

So whether God is he she or it,

the God we meet will probably not fit

the idea we have in the back of our mind.

Won’t it be interesting what we will find

…at the end of the road?

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

The “Eyes” have it…

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 / rothpoetry / 45 Comments

Eyes tell the story

Together we are secure

Even through Covid

I will protect you from harm

Wrapped tightly in my strong arms

*****

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse we are writing about eyes… the window to the soul. When my son was little he loved Raggedy Ann. He was very protective of her. I find it interesting that their eyes are almost the same in this photo! This poem is the story of us all this year! Wear your mask and be safe.

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Impossible Possible

November 16, 2020 / rothpoetry / 56 Comments

Ocean roared with jagged teeth

Sand dunes devoured by hurricane waves

as the sirens’ song wailed from out of the gale

Hatteras Lighthouse sat in peril

“Lets save the light”

Anything one can envision is possible

On tracks of steel they moved it back

***********

Click on the link for more on this historic move:

This is Quadrille Monday with De Jackson at d’Verse. The prompt today is to write a Quadrille of exactly 44 words using any form of the word possible! I am writing about the historic move of the Hatteras Lighthouse away from the water’s edge on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The photo above was taken years ago when we visited there, before it was moved.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Photo: Dwight L. Roth