Midsummer Solstice

Summer solstice here
Midsummer heat arrived early
Thankful for cool air

Sol sistere // sun stands still
Day and night ponder future

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Frank Tassone asked us to consider the up coming solstice, which is sometimes referred to as Midsummer Solstice. In the southern hemisphere is the Midwinter Solstice. He asked that we write the haikai poem of our choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that alludes to our choice of either midsummer (manatsu) of midwinter (mafuyu).

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/06/15/haikai-challenge-90-6-15-19-midsummer-manastu-midwinter-mafuyu-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

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When Trees Are Gone

With the economy booming in our area, more and more trees are being cleared to make room for new housing developments. There is no attempt to save the existing trees. Everything is stripped to bare ground, ground up and hauled away. Giant machines turn fifty year old trees into wood chips in a matter of minutes.

What happens when we remove so many trees from our environment? Wildlife gets condensed into smaller and smaller areas. Birds lose their annual nesting locations, and more and more deer are killed by the on slot of cars brought on by development. There appears to be little or no effort to create better highways to accomodate the increased vehicles. We wonder why climate change is bringing warmer weather. Could it be that we take little thought for the tree we are so eager to discard.

Trees cry tears and leaves

Chipper turns years into chips

Earth struggles to breathe

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

This post was inspired by one done by Kym Gordon Moore discussing the same subject.

https://frombehindthepen.wordpress.com/2019/06/13/attack-of-the-wild/

 

Plastic Earth

“Where were you when the earth was plastic?” This is what God asked Job, in answer to Job’s complaint about his woes and sorrow. Obviously this is more of a paraphrase than a quote. I love to think about the time when the earth was in its formative years. The beauty of geological time is written in the rock layers all around us. I can’t imagine the tremendous forces that lifted and bent these rocks. Once mud on the ocean floor, these rocks are now part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Fossils tell of a very different time. I have broken open rocks and found perfect fossils in them. I have cracked geodes open to find amethyst crystals that grew as lava cooled millions of years ago. So when you complain about your situations in life, I ask, “Where were you when the earth was plastic?”

Read writing in rocks

Recognize we are but dust

Gives life perspective

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth – taken at the Linville Falls in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

I am posting this for open link night on d’Verse Poets Pub.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

 

Fragrant Breeze

Lilacs bloom fragrant
Perfume carried on the breeze
Summer’s almost here

Poppies sway // ripples flowing
Gently across Flander’s Field

Reminder to us
That war is filled with blood-shed
Poppies bleed blood red

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Written for Frank Tassone’s Haikai challenge Fragrant Breeze. He also reminds us of the anniversary of D-day and suggested we incorporate that as well.

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/06/08/haikai-challenge-6-8-19-fragrant-breeze-kunpuu-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

Snakes on a Log

Snakes sunning on log

Enjoy summer’s heat // and frogs

Fresh out of pea soup

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Photo Dwight L. Roth

With the onset of summer heat before spring is over, Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikai poem eluding to summer heat. These snakes sunning themselves reminds me that there are some who love summer time heat!

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/06/01/haikai-challenge-88-6-1-19-summer-like-natsumeku-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

New Perspective

Sometimes all we need

is a brand new perspective

on our humdrum life

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Take a second look….

Patriotic Pride

On a trip to Myrtle Beach, we saw this truck parked on a corner, in front of a motel where everyone would see. The U.S. Army flag was kept unfurled with a rod. Many returning Veterans wanted all to know that though they came back home, some of their fellow soldiers did not survive. Patriotism and Pride runs deep this Memorial Day.

Band of Brothers’ bond

runs deep, remembering those

flag covered coffins

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Beach Weekend

People in the United States look forward to the long Memorial Day weekend. Lovers of sun and surf fill the motels, injecting the local economies with much needed cash input! As the sun goes down the beaches gradually empty, restaurants fill with hungry beach-goers, and walkers enjoy the cool of the evening. Lights blink on as the sky turns orange.  Everyone will sleep well!

Memorial Day sun

drops below the horizon.

Ocean mirror shines

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Searching for Bigfoot

The interest in Bigfoot has been talked about for years. Some even go into the mountains looking for this hairy half -man giant. I guess it is sort of like trying to get a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster! It seems we humans are always intrigued by what we can never discover!  Last Summer, I saw Big Foot at Dunroven Country Store in the Sand Hills of North Carolina. It was one of the items they had for sale, as you can see by the tag on his wrist. People are still searching!

Unattainable

Drives people to search in vain

Bigfoot’s elusive

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Muffin for Breakfast

Carolina Wren

Muffin for breakfast today

Spring sugar fix

Processed seeds becomes cake

Nothing natural about it

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth