Convergence

This beautiful stone railroad bridge at Mount Union, Pennsylvania has probably lasted a hundred years. Pennsylvania Railroad trains run along the Juniata River carrying coal and freight.  As I look back on this photo, taken on Rt. 521, I was struck by the beauty of the bridge, and then by the convergence of curved intersecting lines.  The guardrails, white and yellow lines,  and the road all pass through the stone arch of the bridge. Poetic beauty in the everyday infrastructure of our life.

Sweeping lines converge

Modes of travel intersect

Summer trains rumble

Wild bushes // green trees surround

hundred-year-old bridge of stone

Daily life goes on

Beauty taken for granted

River flows nearby

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

We Got This One!

As we were riding down a country road this weekend, I saw this group of black vultures gathered around a dead deer that was lying in the field. It apparently had been hit by a car and only made it twenty yards into the field before collapsing.

When I saw it I thought, this reminds me of what we have been seeing on the news for these past weeks. I normally try to stay away from political posts, but this scene took me straight there! My apologies if it is offensive to some of you.

Vultures have gathered

tearing flesh off  dead bones

Fat and happy soon

Pushing, shoving for last bite

“We got this one now!”

********

Merry Christmas!

iPhone Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Big Blow…

Dorian blew through
Spent time in the Bahamas
Wreaked havoc on all
A windstorm like no other
Finally headed up the coast
*
President misspoke
Drew lines clear to Alabam’
Unforgivable
New Media jumped on it
Over and over they slammed
*
Dorian crept on
Ocracoke and Hatteras
Storm surge rolled inland
Never did reach Alabam’
Headed on to Newfoundland
*
President’s drawing
Still making news every day
Does anyone care
News Media won’t let it go
Trump’s sketch book making history

Our Haikai prompt from Frank Tassone today is windstorm. As we watched Hurricane Dorian take its time moving out of here, we are in awe of the damage mother nature can do when a huge hurricane moves through! In the middle of it all, the News Media made a big adieu of President Trumps home-made prediction. that it could possibly go inland as far as Alabama. His hand drawn sketch should have been taken with a grain of salt. Instead, the news broadcasts making drama will help it go down in the history books! How silly!!! This is my attempt at Renga humor about it all.

Join us at:https://frankjtassone.com/2019/09/07/haikai-challenge-103-9-7-19-windstorm-nowaki-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

Picture from Bing images

 

Hogan’s Brown Cow

Hogans Brown Cow  –   Beverly Dyer

13 x 13 in

Tom Hogan’s brown cow

looks over the fence // wondering

with skeptical eyes

whether I am friend or foe;

Slowly chewing on green grass

Ruminating thoughts

randomly run through my head;

Big brown eyes stay fixed

determined to stare me down;

I turn // slowly walk away

Tom Hogan’s brown cow

wonders off to chew her cud;

Summer grass // rich cream.

Poetry flows from my head;

Barbed wire goes on for ever

Today at d’Verse Mish introduced us to artist Beverly Dryer.  She asked us to choose one of her watercolor paintings and write a poem inspired by the painting.  I chose Hogans Brown Cow. The eyes captured my imagination.  Hope you enjoy it. Her painting is used with her permission.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Heat Wave

Temperatures rising

Europe is having a heat wave

Looking for relief

Cows and people love water

Cooling off under shade trees

Swim as ships pass by

Skinny-dipping man chillin’

Right next to our ship!

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Our prompt from Lillian today at d’Verse was temperature! It is getting hot, hot, hot, this summer! When we were on our trip up the Rhine, temperatures were in the mid 90s F. It was still a very enjoyable trip. We stayed in the shade as much as possible. All along the river people were camping and swimming finding relief from the heat.

Join us at: https://deversepoets.com

Cicada’s Last Song

I found this cicada on the driveway yesterday! He was dead as a doornail. After being in the ground for seventeen years, all the work of singing to find a mate must have been too much for him. He died in the prime of his life! Must have been a wild night!
Bursting into light
Everyone heard him singing
She loved his sweet song
The honeymoon didn’t last
Found him feet up on the drive
_
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikai poem about the cicada. I decided to write a ranga, which usually has a tongue in cheek sense of humor.
Join us at: https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/117675961/posts/16154

 

Black Crow Awakening

Today I am attempting a Renga poem for Frank Tassone’s Haikai challenge. He asked us to write a Haikai poem of our choice that included crow’s first call. A Renga is usually more humorous in nature and often composed by two or more people each adding a verse. I hope I have done it justice!

Bad dreams awake me
Incessant cawing won’t stop
Outside my window

Black crow’s obnoxious racket
Creeps loudly through my pain(pane)

I lift the window
Yelling loudly at the crow
Crow ignores my fuss

I shout and bang on the pane
Breaking glass falls at my feet

My toe is bleeding
Frustration drowns out the pain
I reach for my gun

With shells in my hand I load
A bullet in the barrel

A loud gunshot fired
Black crow quickly flies away
My shot went awry

Hitting nothing but blue sky
Black crow flew back as I cried

On blood marked carpet
I tiptoed to the bathroom
Getting a band-aid

I wrapped up my toe tightly
Black crow perched laughing loudly

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Print of crow: Bing/pintrest

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/01/05/haikai-happenings-68-1-5-19-first-raven-crow-cryhatsugarasu-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

All Tricks

 

What happens when your teeth fall out? This afternoon I sat down to take a break with a cookie and a glass of tea. On the last bite one of my front caps popped off leaving me looking pretty scary. On Monday, I will see if my dentist can glue it back on before Halloween makes it permanent!! It is either laugh or cry, so for Frank Tassone’s Haikai today, it’s a Renga that hopefully will make you smile instead of cry!

All sad tricks today

Halloween came too early

Makes my dentist smile

Chewing cookies with cap apps

Made me a jack-o-lantern

Perhaps I should wait

Till the children come by

Give them a big smile

Making it a real fright night

No need to buy a pumpkin

With that toothless smile

Perhaps my candy will last

‘Till the last one screams

Running frightened down the street

More candy for me to eat

           ************

To rot out more teeth!!

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

Selfie Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Join us at:  https://frankjtassone.com/2018/10/27/haikai-challenge-58-10-27-18-halloween-or-samhain-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

 

 

Smoke

Looking out from my hotel balcony, I missed seeing the beautiful blue Alberta sky. Instead, smoke from the forest fires in British Columbia have been carried many miles to fill the air hundreds of miles away in Edmonton. Blue sky only peeked through twice while we were there.

Smoky summer sky

Eclipsed all but UV rays

Haze blocks out the sun

Makes breathing hard for many

Only can dream of blue sky

 

Beautiful Pearl

Corona rings surround sun

Do not stare too long

Microwaved retinas stay fried

Never to see light again

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

Photo Dwight L. Roth

 

 

 

Some Roads

Some folks celebrate Christmas in July, so why not  sledding in August. I thought this bit of nostalgia might compensate for the midsummer heat we all seem to be experiencing.

There was a time when

Roads were built around buildings

Making Sledding fun

Afternoon snowmelt freezes

Kids in parkas sailed down the hill

Temperatures falling

No one seemed to mind the cold

Pulling sleds uphill

Riding in the full moon’s light

No technology needed

Great fun and fresh air

Mama’s calling  from the porch

“It’s time to come in!”

Children slept soundly // dreaming

Of  “No School!” and sled riding

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Photo of Road winding around Snavely Mill: Dwight L. Roth