Childhood toy sits idle
Broken // forgotten // useless
Weed growth entangled
It must feel like some of us
Watching the world pass us by
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Tanka
Summer Swim
Turtle quietly
Swims through underwater plants
Blood warm // it’s summer!
Freedom from cold mud of winter
Hibernation forgotten
Turtle Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Natural Resilience
When I looked at this collapsing building, I thought, how interesting it was that the oak tree, which is probably close to the same age, is still growing and strong. We pride ourselves in being able to create things that last, but nature’s resilience often outshines us with little or not effort.
Manmade building creaks
Winter winds may bring it down
Old oak tree lives on
Nature’s resilience stands
Stronger with each passing year
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Vacation on a Limb
Two lovebirds resting
Spring nest building pauses
Resting from their work
Homebuilding can be tiring
Vacationing together
This tanka was written for Frank Tassone’s Haikai Challenge. We are to use the word Vacation/Holiday in our poem. I finished this Photo painting of these birds today. I am stretching the prompt a little to give them a much needed vacation on a limb!
This Photo was shot out my back window with a 200mm zoom lens. I got lucky on this shot. Only one chance for the photo and it turned out great. Printed on canvas then painted with acrylics.
Red Bellied Woodpecker painting: Dwight L. Roth
#Haikai Challenge #45 (8/4/2018): Vacation/Holiday #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga
Painting Poetry
I watched these two Red Bellied Woodpeckers carve out their nest in a rotten maple tree at the edge of my yard. They worked together for almost a month to make a hole big enough to go inside and have a nest. I took a lot of photos with my 200mm lens and had a couple of them printed on canvas. After printing, I noticed that the birds were not as sharp as I would have liked. Since I like to paint with acrylics, I decided to paint over the photo using the same colors to make the colors more vivid. I finished this one today.
Working together
As spring buds open around
Carving out a home
Eggs laid will hatch into chicks
Raising their young together
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Poetry in motion
Coming Out
Rising from the depths
Summer calls for their loud call
Leaving shells on trees
Emerging transformed creatures
Tinnitus of the forest
Photos: Wikipedia
As the cicadas rub their wings in a frantic sounding mating call, Frank Tassone asked us to consider them as we write our Saturday Haikai poem today.
#Haikai Challenge #44 (7/28/18): Cicada (Semi) #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga
Melide Stone Bridge
I finished my painting today, of the stone bridge in Melide, Spain. I saw a photo in one my niece’s blog posts. She walked the way of St. Francis, the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain. I loved the perspective of the photo and decided to paint the bridge. This post is dedicated to Jennifer Townsend who walked the way for justice for girls caught up in human trafficking. She raised over $27,000 for International Justice Missions of Canada.
Pilgrims walk stone bridge
Aching feet soon will find rest
Albergue just in sight
Relief from hot sun welcomed
A pilgrim’s meal brings new strength
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Painting of the stone bridge in Melide, Spain: Dwight L. Roth
If you are interested in seeing the original photo, click on Jen’s sight and scroll through.
https://walkingthewayforjustice.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/dia-27/
Shared Responsibilities
We could learn a lot from Red Bellied Woodpeckers. Both male and female work together to create a home for their young. From the carving of the hole into the old rotten maple to keeping the eggs warm in the nest, they share responsibilities. When the eggs hatch the both help find food to feed the young ones. Think how much better society would be if we humans would work together in this way.
Redbellies share work
A carved home in rotten tree
Always together
Trading places // warming eggs
Waiting for fledglings to hatch
No Competition
Shared responsibilities
One with nature’s plan
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Fly Away
Independence Day (a Tanka)
Today I attended the funeral of a friend’s wife who died after an extended struggle with cancer. It was a heartfelt service with words and music well suited for the occasion. The celebration of her life and her love for her family, her church family, and God was evident through out the service. Sometimes freedom is the release from all that weighs us down in this life
Independence Day
Comes in different ways for some
Cancer gone // Soul free
No more pain or suffering
Spirit leaving body behind
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Photo: Dwight L.Roth
Frank Tassone Haikai challenge for this Saturday is to look at what Independence Day means. Some think of it only in relation to our country and the 4th of July. But independence day for others might include relief from abuse, as Martina McBride sang about. For others death is independence day. Those suffering from cancer or Alzheimer’s or other debilitating diseases find death as a release from physical constraints. Freedom and Independence has many meanings. Come join us:https://frankjtassone.com/2018/06/30/haikai-challenge-40-6-30-18-independence-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/
Peonies
My mother had a large bed of peonies in our back yard when I was growing up. I remember the many blooms and sweet smell they produced. Now when I see peonies, it reminds me of that bed and of my Mom. Frank Tassone gave us peonies as our prompt for Haikai Saturday. This is my Tanka.
Long stemmed pregnant buds
Purple petals bursting forth
Spring peonies shine
One of Mom’s favorite blooms
Always reminds me of her
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Photo: Bing image
Written for Frank Tassone’s Haikia Saturday. This is a tanka about my mother’s flowers.
#Haikai Challenge #36 (6/2/18): Peony (botan) #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga
