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# / Author
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1 [747]
Substitute
2006-08-11
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wading pool...
underpants double as
swim trunks
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Link with 1110 (last): Lake / Pool
One day in July, 2006 we took a walk down by the Alberta Legislative grounds. There is a large shallow pool there that kids like to go wading in on hot days. Growing up I recall occasions when other kids didn't have their bathing suits and they would use their undershorts as a substitute. |
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2 [748]
Unexpected Guest
2006-08-12
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picnic table —
a hornet buzzes around,
settles on my pie
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Link with 747: Park.
I awoke one night and recalled summer memories of picnics and camping and the menace of these winged kamikazes. |
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3 [749]
David & Goliath
2006-08-13
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a robin on the road
stops a pickup truck —
tiny bug
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Link with 748: Insect.
Every Summer there are lots of robins in our neighbourhood. For some reason they like to hop around on the road. Many times I've had to slow down and in some cases even stop to avoid running them over. I imagined a large truck being stopped by a little robin...and the robin being stopped by a tiny bug.
This experience later reminded me of the following Issa Haiku:
the noble gets off his horse
and who makes him dismount?
the cherry-blossoms do
...which inspired my #509:
the star's limo stops...
what makes him get out?
the call of nature |
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4 [750]
Preoccupation
2006-08-14
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bread crumbs —
a pigeon hops around,
head bobbing
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Link with 749: Bird (Robin / Pigeon).
This is a common downtown winter image but a few weeks ago, in the middle of summer, I came across this scene. |
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5 [751]
Break Time
2006-08-15
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office front —
workers gather to smoke
and use their cells
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Link with 750: Consuming
Here in Edmonton it is smoke-free in all inside public areas. It is difficult to walk outside most days and not be downwind of a cloud of cigarette smoke. The other day I was impressed by the high number of smokers congregating in front of various buildings and office towers...and the fact that every second or third person had a cell phone glued to his/her ear. |
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6 [752]
Not-so-fast Food
2006-08-16
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smoke rises
from the hot dog stand...
long line-up
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Link with 751: Smoke.
There is a popular lunch-hour spot with a hot dog stand named "Fat Frank's". It is very popular. One day I noticed a big plume of smoke emanating from the grill where all the hot dogs that were being cooked. |
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7 [753]
New Surroundings
2006-08-17
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re-potted bonsai —
an emerging root reflects
the summer sun
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Link with 752: Long.
This was inspired by our ornamental fig which we transplanted in August, 2006. It is not exactly a bonsai but almost immediately after re-potting it a number of roots start emerging out of the top soil. I observed this one afternoon as the Sun shone through the window in front of which the tree stands.
There is a second level of meaning with this haiku. The re-potting is like someone who has moved to a different location and has quickly established new friends (roots). This seems pleasant as represented by the Sun. However, the quickly-made friendships may prove to be somewhat superficial...and an Autumn and/or Winter experience may soon be in store. |
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8 [754]
High Fliers
2006-08-18
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eight geese
glide high overhead...
noon-day sun
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Link with 753: Sun.
One August day I looked straight up and was amazed to see eight geese coasting along effortlessly. They were quite high up and gliding along quite fast and heading due West. They were as clear as a bell in the Noon-day Sun. |
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9 [755]
Foul Alarm
2006-08-19
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still morning...
a magpie's caw portends
summer's end
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Link with 754: Bird (Goose / Magpie).
I heard this sound in our back yard around the beginning of August, 2006. Although magpies are around here all year long, the sound of its caw had a quality that somehow reminded me of the cool days of Autumn and the coming winter. |
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10 [756]
End's Beginning
2006-08-20
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the mighty Yomato
succumbs to an onslaught...
at rest in the depths
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Link with 755: End (Summer / Ship).
"Conceived in the mid-1930's by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Yamato and a class of sister ships were to be the greatest battleships of all — with more powerful guns, advanced optics, and impenetrable armor. But by the time Yamato entered service on December 16, 1941, aircraft carriers had begun to overshadow battleships. The attack on Pearl Harbor just a week earlier made it clear that air power would be decisive in the Pacific War. In the war's last days, as Yamato lay on the seafloor, orders were given to destroy all documentation of the ship. Fortunately, some photos and fragmentary drawings survived" For more details, see Nova's "Anatomy of Yamato":
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/supership/ |
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11 [757]
Still Serving
2006-08-21
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"Obstruction Ahead"...
the orange sign face up
on the river bottom
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Link with 756: At the bottom.
During the August long weekend the sign was visible on the bottom of the Saskatchewan River from atop the Groat bridge. It was a remarkable image as the river is usually quite high at this time of year and very murky with silt. I'm not sure how the sign got there but the bridge had been re-decked in the past year or so. |
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12 [758]
Gift from Above
2006-08-22
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under the bridge...
a pigeon feather twirls
to the ground
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Link with 757: River / Bridge.
At the back of our house a path leads along a deep ravine down to the Saskatchewan River. Not too far along the path a traffic bridge spans the ravine overhead. One day we happened to be walking under the bridge at the exact same time that a feather came gently twirling down from among the ledges under the bridge where a number of pigeons like to perch. |
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13 [759]
Pure Yellow
2006-08-23
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a potentilla petal
settles on the ground...
spot of sunshine
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Link with 758: Descending (Feather / Petal).
Our potentillas were pruned earlier in the year and as a result only a few blossoms emerged over the summer. One afternoon we rushed out of the house to go somewhere when I noticed in the sunlight a single, yellow petal, pure and fresh...as if it had just fallen from one of the few blossoms above. |
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14 [760]
Liquid Vestige
2006-08-24
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wet spots
track across the yard —
pail of water
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Link with 759: Drops (Sunshine / Water).
This is an image based on childhood memories of our visits to the farm. This is a re-worked version of a haiku I had written for the May, 2006 Kukai. |
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15 [761]
Anyone Home?
2006-08-25
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trickling dam...
a full pond yet beavers
remain unseen
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Link with 760: Leaking Water.
On a trip to Coyote Lake we saw beaver dams with their ponds full of water. However, we did not see any actual beavers around...maybe they were having an afternoon snooze in their beaver house. |
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16 [762]
Teem Spirit
2006-08-26
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hot afternoon —
a city of ants swarm
upon a log
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Link with 761: Colonizing creatures.
We visited the Devonian Botanical Gardens on a sunny, hot day. I came upon this seething mass of ants, nestled in a rock garden in a remote corner of the park. |
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17 [763]
A Bonus
2006-08-27
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country well —
more brought up than
cold water
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Link with 762: Brought up.
This was partly inspired by the Pioneer Quest documentary (Canadian West, circa 1875) with their experience digging a well for their homestead and what they found in the well on some mornings. |
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18 [764]
Tilt
2006-08-28
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cool breeze...
on the edge between
summer and fall
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Link with 763: Cold / Cool.
We took a walk during lunch on a sunny day in late August. It felt like summer except for the cool breeze that brought a distinct notion of Autumn with it. |
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19 [765]
Help Me
2006-08-29
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up-ended turtle:
head and limbs flail
in the gentle breeze
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Link with 764: Breeze.
I had pet turtles when I was a child. I recall how helpless they seemed to be when occasionally they'd flip upside down. |
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20 [766]
Hangin' Around
2006-08-30
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a caterpillar
hangs from its middle...
robin's beak
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Link with 765: Helplessness.
One day at the farm this Summer I saw a Robin fly up onto the roof in such a way that it was silhouetted against the evening sky. It stood there for the longest time. I could clearly see a caterpillar hanging from its beak. |
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21 [767]
Summer Dreams
2006-08-31
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snacks and comics
in a pail lifted up...
tree house
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Link with 766: Food (Caterpillar / Snacks).
I never had a tree house but my friends and I dreamed of building one. We, in fact, started building a few of them but for some reason we never got them finished. Our dreams included the idea of taking up snacks and comic books and enjoying our summer days in the comforts of our own tree-top hacienda. |
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22 [768]
One Way or Another
2006-09-01
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the back lawn
watered... one boy wins
the contest
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Link with 767: Kid's having fun.
Boys will be boys, eh? |
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23 [769]
Refuge?
2006-09-02
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garden hose...
a tiny spider scurries
for cover
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Link with 768: Watering.
One day I saw a spider near the end of the hose in our backyard. I thought of him later when I went to turn on the sprinkler to water the lawn. |
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24 [770]
Survival
2006-09-03
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during a downpour
on our vacation... we get lost
in a bookstore
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Link with 769: Taking cover.
The event described in this haiku happened this year on our Summer vacation. A rain storm came up quickly and the bookstore was a welcome refuge. We spent a good time browsing through all of our favorite sections. |
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25 [771]
Way Back
2006-09-04
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sunday afternoon...
a visit with gram & gramps
in the museum exhibit
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Link with 770: Old thing collection.
I never went to a real museum with my grand parents. However, in some museums I have visited, it is like being there with them in that era in which they lived so many years ago. |
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26 [772]
Surprise!
2006-09-05
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birthday party...
i see an alarming image
in the hall mirror
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Link with 771: Looking back in time.
The passing of years can sometimes catch one by surprise. |
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27 [773]
Rude Awakening
2006-09-06
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early morning...
friday's alarm setting
still active
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Link with 772: Alarmed.
One Friday I forgot to "turn off" the alarm clock and, of course, it went off the next morning... |
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28 [774]
Almost
2006-09-07
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second by seconds
in a three-legged race —
sunday picnic
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Link with 773: Timing.
At one summer picnic I recall competing in several races and running my very best in each of them. The best I could muster however was second place in two of them. |
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29 [775]
Got Away
2006-09-08
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my liquid marble
rolls under the fridge...
quick silver
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Link with 774: Losing Something.
As a kid I aquired a small quantity of mercury in a bottle. We would take it out of the bottle and had fun playing with it and rolling it around on the floor. The dangers of this substance, of course, were not as well known back then. |
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30 [776]
Evidence
2006-09-09
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wind storm...
a yellow leaf caught
on her sweater
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Link with 775: Caught.
This was inspired from a run we took around the neighbourhood at the start of the Fall season. |
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31 [777]
New Start
2006-09-10
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century-old elm —
a young branch attached
to the trunk bottom
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Link with 776: Leaf / Branch.
I saw the image in this haiku one day when we were out and about in our neighbourhood. |
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32 [778]
Asphalt Wasabi
2006-09-11
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former building...
once a place for sushi,
now a parkinq lot
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Link with 777: New from old.
This poem came from a recent dream in which an old aquaintence had come to town for a visit. My friend wanted to go to one of his old favorite restaurants in the top floor of a downtown building. But unfortunately the building had not too long ago been turned into a strip mall with a parking lot. |
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33 [779]
3-D Mirror
2006-09-12
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air bubble —
a tiny globe suspended
in a drop of rain
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Link with 778: Within (Parking lot / Bubble).
Recently I observed an air bubble in a drop of water. Perhaps this isn't uncommon but my imagination took over thinking about this world within a world. |
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34 [780]
Not Here
2006-09-13
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power blackout —
i find the spot where
the flashlight isn't
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Link with 779: Localized area.
Late one night a thunder storm produced a sudden blackout. Where I thought I'd last seen the flashlight was in the basement, two flights of stairs down through pitch blackness... |
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35 [781]
It's Okay
2006-09-14
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terrible dream...
i awake to the soft glow
of the nightlight
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Link with 780: Dark.
Sometimes small things can provide a bit of comfort. In this case the hallway nightlight was a gentle reminder that all was well. |
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36 [782]
On Guard
2006-09-15
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street lamps...
each seagull stands
at attention
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Link with 781: Light source.
It is not unusual to see seagulls perched on the top of street lights. One day, however, I came upon about six or seven of them in a row. |
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37 [783]
Greener Pasture
2006-09-16
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grocery checkout...
i switch lines but i still
get through last
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Link with 782: Standing in a line.
This invariably seems to happen for me whenever I see that the next line is shorter. |
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38 [784]
Double Exposure
2006-09-17
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estate lawn...
automatic sprinkers compete
with the rain
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Link with 783: Competition.
One morning this week it was raining pretty hard. As we drove by a manicured yard I was amused to see the automatic sprinklers happily watering the lawns. |
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39 [785]
Pleasant Moments
2006-09-18
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riverside promenade —
seniors stroll through
fallen leaves
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Link with 784: High-class Real estate.
A lot of senior's live in high-rise apartments overlooking the river valley. The Victoria Hill prominade runs in front of these high rises. On nice days it is common to see many people, and especially seniors, taking a walk along the prominade. |
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40 [786]
To the Dark Side
2006-09-19
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turned-up compost...
the red worms wriggle
back under
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41 [787]
One of Them
2006-09-20
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autumn breeze...
a cabbage moth among
the scattering leaves
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Link with 786: Turned-up / Stirred-up.
We were passing under some large elms. A gentle breeze stirred a number of fallen leaves and out of the midst of them flew out a white cabbage moth. |
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42 [788]
Grand Entrance
2006-09-21
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sumo ring...
a tiny spider descends
on a silk thread
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Link with 787: Silk.
The inspiration for this came when one day I found a spider in the basement. At the same time a Sumo wrestling match was on NHK Japan TV. |
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43 [789]
Coming Days
2006-09-22
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a koi rises
to meet a falling leaf —
cool afternoon
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Link with 788: Descending (Spider / Leaf).
I've often thought of what happens to koi in ponds when winter rudely arrives. This haiku is partly from the koi's perspective...seeing the autumn leaves falling into the pond and realizing a chilly season is not far ahead. |
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44 [790]
Sink Beach
2006-09-23
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stove-top espresso...
the feel of grounds while
cleaning the pot
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Link with 789: Expended.
On most evenings I like to make an epresso. Afterward, when cleaning the pot, a little quantity of grounds often pours out of the basket into my hands. It has a very theraputic feeling... like beach sand sifting through one's fngers. |
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45 [791]
The Passing
2006-09-24
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railway crossing...
i count the cars and read
their serial numbers
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Link with 790: Passing by.
Counting the rail cars takes me back to my childhood days. And reading the serial numbers...isn't that what they are for, to be read? |
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46 [792]
What's the Matter?
2006-09-25
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cold porridge —
i examine this matter with
grey matter
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Link with 791: Examination.
There is nothing too profound in this one today, folks. Just a gratuitous play on the word 'matter' and the colour 'grey'. :-) |
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47 [793]
Overnight Gift
2006-09-26
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green lawn...
pearls of dew reflect
an early sunrise
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Link with 792: Off-white.
I saw this one morning driving to work. The Sun was reflecting on the lawn at a low angle. It appeared to be covered by thousands of sparkling diamonds. |
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48 [794]
A Token
2006-09-27
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rose bouquet...
a tear forms on her cheek,
falls on the card
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Link with 793: Drops (Dew / Tears).
...an image capturing one of several possible emotions. |
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49 [795]
A Happy Place
2006-09-28
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north shore...
each wave laps then
falls away
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Link with 794: Falling (Tear / Wave).
This is just a simple, happy image of life on the sunny side of the lake or sea. In the Nortern hemisphere the North shore is on the sunny side. If you're from down under then maybe it's still happy as I hear it can get pretty hot down there. |
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50 [796]
Random Patterns
2006-09-29
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autumn afternoon...
thirty or forty seagulls
circle overhead
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Link with 795: Seashore.
On a lovely autumn afternoon I happened to look up and noticed a large number of seagulls circling high overhead. The group didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular and they didn't seem to be concerned about anything on the ground. They eventually just slowly moved off to the Southwest, still flying around in random circlular patterns. |
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51 [797]
Pedestrian
2006-09-30
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a fat pigeon
struts at our feet...
oh, how tame!
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Link with 796: Bird (Seagull / Pigeon).
The pigeons downtown here are very well fed. They walk around the noon-hour crowd as if they were pedestrians themselves. The pigeon in this poem was especially tame and came strutting up so close to me that I felt I could almost reach down and pick him up like a kitten. |
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52 [798]
Annoyed Landlord
2006-10-01
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the upstairs tenant
refuses to pay rent...
cheeky squirrel
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Link with 797: Wild life nearby.
We have a free-loading, little squirrel who has somehow found his way into our attic. He is a very annoying tennant as he seems to like to make noise just at the times when we are trying to sleep. Grrr... |
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53 [799]
Resting Place
2006-10-02
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garage floor...
a maple leaf settles
under a tire
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| Link with 798: House / Garage. |
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54 [800]
Public Inquiry
2006-10-03
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words sprayed
on a downtown building:
"Are We Safe Yet?"
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Link with 799: Concern for Danger.
Not too long ago I saw this graffiti on the wall of a run-down building. I'm not sure if the author was sarcastically referring to the state of the building or commenting about one of the world conflicts (e.g. 9-11, Afganistan, Iraq, Lebanon). In any event, I recently noticed another graffitist had written an answer below, "NO". |
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55 [801]
Tough Mama
2006-10-04
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smoke break...
a red heart tatoo
on her arm
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Link with 800: Graffiti / Tatoo.
I was passing by a group of smokers one lunch hour. One of them was seated on a bench. I noticed on her arm a distinctive red tatoo in the shape of a heart. |
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56 [802]
A Veritable Fountain
2006-10-05
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exotic smoothness
flows from her mouth...
bottle of shiraz
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| Link with 801: Red (Heart / Wine). |
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57 [803]
Winter Vacation
2006-10-06
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the bird house
occupied this summer...
now empty
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Link with 802: Emptied.
We have a few bird houses in our neighbourhood. I recently noticed their occpants from the summer were now nowhere to be seen...another sign of winter's relentless march in our direction. |
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58 [804]
Night Passing
2006-10-07
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after midnight —
the sound of a car fades
in the distance
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| Link with 803: Previously present. |
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59 [805]
Surrogate
2006-10-08
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a full moon
bright and clear... above
the flitting moths
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Link with 804: Night.
One evening I stopped to fill up with gas and across the street I saw moths flitting around the street light. Just above the street light and the flitting moths was a full moon. It is ironical that the moths were fooled by the fake moon when the real moon was "so near by". |
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60 [806]
Left Behind
2006-10-09
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a sunday crowd
crams the italian deli...
olives on the floor
|
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61 [807]
After the Storm
2006-10-10
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rain drops
on a long blade of grass...
early morning
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| Link with 806: Little spherical objects. |
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62 [808]
Not Alone
2006-10-11
|
country weekend...
a faint rustling sound
in the walls
|
Link with 807: Pitter-patter sound.
Some time ago I spent a few nights in a lake-side cottage. We had the joy of falling asleep to the sound of little critters scurrying around in the walls and attic. |
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63 [809]
Childhood Focus
2006-10-12
|
toy box...
the toddler has more interest
in kitchen utensils
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Link with 808: Little feet.
I've known little ones, my brother included, who were always more intrigued with what was in the kitchen cupboards than with the toys that had been bought for them. |
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64 [810]
Chase Scene
2006-10-13
|
light breeze...
one leaf tumbles,
follows another
|
Link with 809: Interest.
I saw this one day in a mall parking lot. There were exactly two leaves tumbling along as if one was in hot pursuit of the other. |
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65 [811]
Autumn Panorama
2006-10-14
|
mountain vale —
autumn colours reflect
the afternoon sun
|
Link with 810: Leaves.
Many years ago we were driving in the foothills of the Rockies. As the Sun descended behind the mountains in the near distance, the illuminated autumn leaves of the trees in the valley presented a breath-taking panorama. |
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66 [812]
Those were the Days
2006-10-15
|
an old tire
rolls down the hill...
kid inside
|
| Link with 811: Mountain / Hill. |
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67 [813]
Not Alone
2006-10-16
|
junk yard...
the glint of two eyes
out of a tire
|
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68 [814]
Fall Behind
2006-10-17
|
he waves to me
from behind the falls...
spray and mist
|
| Link with 813: Looked at. |
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69 [815]
Yellow Divider
2006-10-18
|
highway line —
a little paint between
speeding masses
|
Link with 814: Separation.
I was inspired for this when I was one day driving along a road. The aftenoon sun clearly reflected off the yellow line that ran off into the distance as far as I could see. |
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70 [816]
Afternoon Wind
2006-10-19
|
mid-day heat —
we sit in the sea breeze
under a palm
|
Link with 815: Scent.
Have you ever noticed that there is usually a breeze blowing in off the sea? It is a real phenomena called "sea breeze" that makes the shore cooler than it is inland. In the daytime, cool breezes invariably blow in from the ocean toward the land, rather than the other way around. They begin several hours before sunrise, reach a peak in the afternoon, and die out toward evening. Why does this happen?
Here's why: In the morning, the sun beats down on both land and sea. But the sea isn't noticably warmed by the sunshine because it is so cold and vast. It has an inexhaustible appetite for heat energy. The land on the other hand is substantially warmed up by the sun's rays. As the land warms up, it warms the air above it, which expands and rises. The cooler, denser air that is sitting over the water then rolls in underneath it, sweeping over the beach and cooling bathers.
Adapted from "What Einstein Didn't Know" by Robert L. Wolke, page 143. |
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71 [817]
Baking Lesson
2006-10-20
|
apple pie...
playing backqammon
as it cools
|
Link with 816: Cool.
One Friday aftenoon not too long ago I went to a friend's house and he showed me how he makes pies. We baked a blueberry and an apple pie. While they were in the oven we had espresso and played backgammon. |
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72 [818]
Meals on Wheels
2006-10-21
|
a crow pecks
at something on the road...
left-overs?
|
Link with 817: Food (Pie / Trash).
One man's (or bird's) trash can be a another bird's dinner. |
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73 [819]
Leaf Catchers
2006-10-22
|
sidewalk...
coloured leaves adhere
to shallow puddles
|
Link with 818: Road / Parking lot.
It is the morning following a night of blustery wind and rain. We come out and witness several large puddles, or rather uber-wet-spots, in which every square centimetre is pasted with a freshly-fallen leaf. |
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74 [820]
Undecided
2006-10-23
|
small tree...
a campaign poster catches
on a leafless branch
|
Link with 819: Stuck / Caught.
Sometimes political promises come too late for those that would benefit from them.
This haiku was actually inspired by a long banner-like ribbon of paper. It had blown into a tiny tree and had somehow gotten intertwined in its branches. |
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75 [821]
Guerilla Gardening
2006-10-24
|
flower box —
a cigarette butt planted
face down
|
Link with 820: Garden.
When in need one has to make do with what one has at hand. I suppose the person that did the planting in this case was in need of an ash tray. |
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76 [822]
One in the Crowd
2006-10-25
|
through a cloud
of falling leaves... one clings
to the windshield
|
Link with 821: Planted.
To our right along this remote country road is a long row of 60-year old poplars. The Sun is shining and there is a breeze from the West that is showering us with thousands of golden-coloured leaves. They all brush off the truck but as we come to a stop at the corner, one of them sticks right in the centre of the windshield. |
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77 [823]
On the Go
2006-10-26
|
swift breeze...
a clump of thistle fluff
drifts by
|
Link with 822: Drifting.
I recently saw this out on the farm where a lot of thistles grow. In the Fall you will often see huge bunches of fluffy seeds being carried in the wind. |
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78 [824]
Glacial Turf
2006-10-27
|
first frost —
ice-capped blades of grass
greet the morning
|
Link with 823: Fluffy white.
The first frost seems magical to me as the early Sun reveals a world that seems as if it had been dipped in cake frosting. I suppose maybe that's why it is called 'frosting'. |
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79 [825]
Please Proceed
2006-10-28
|
green light...
a vacant intersection
after midnight
|
Link with 824: Green.
Have you ever driven through town in the dead of night? Almost everything is shut down and everyone is at home asleep (well, almost everyone). There is this funny feeling you get coming to an intersection and you're the only traffic that there is around. |
|
80 [826]
Seaside
2006-10-29
|
tidal pool —
glistening pebbles nestle
in a driftwood log
|
Link with 825: Cycle.
A tidal pool in the hollow of a log...a not so uncommon sight along the West coast of Canada. |
|
81 [827]
Green & Gold
2006-10-30
|
the golden leaf
of a poplar floats down...
lands on a hosta
|
Link with 826: Nestled.
I saw this one day at the back of our house. The poplar leaf had landed exactly in the middle of the hosta leaf. It was picture perfect...shoulda got the camera, it sat there for about 3 days before it "disappeared". :-( |
|
82 [828]
Long Gone
2006-10-31
|
first snowfall...
a tuft of feathers hang
on the birdhouse hole
|
Link with 827: Floating down.
This is a re-work of #803:
the bird house
occupied this summer...
now empty |
|
83 [829]
Trailer
2006-11-01
|
drizzle... a child
in a tent on wheels pulled
behind a bicycle
|
Link with 828: Tiny enclosure.
It's amazing how they make these little bicycle tent trailers for toddlers these days. The little tykes are completely protected from the elements. |
|
84 [830]
Meeting Weary
2006-11-02
|
the board chairman
arises to adjourn the meeting...
snoring sounds
|
Link with 829: Leading.
No one particular meeting I've attended inspired this senryu but I have been to many meetings in which not only the chairman was bored. |
|
85 [831]
Plea Bargain
2006-11-03
|
i dream i ask
for a lighter sentence...
snooze button
|
Link with 830: Sleep.
Ah, the snooze button. What would you do without one? |
|
86 [832]
Rapid Descent
2006-11-04
|
autumn rain —
a brown leaf plummets
to the ground
|
Link with 831: Light / Less light.
I am driving home in the rain. Just before I turn into our the road leading to the back of our house a large leaf from one of the elms in the neigbourhood falls straight down in front of me like a rock. |
|
87 [833]
Grounded
2006-11-05
|
overcast day...
a withered baloon among
leafless branches
|
Link with 832: Spent.
The day is cool and muggy. It feels like we are high up in the mountains in the summer time. I discover a little baloon that is shriveled up and lying in a flowerbed amidst some leafless shrubs. |
|
88 [834]
Graceful Glider
2006-11-06
|
sudden gasp...
a hot air baloon drifts
right overhead
|
Link with 833: Baloon.
Most of the time you see hot air balloons off in the distance. Once in awhile they sneak up on you. It is an uncanny experience to hear the swoosh of hot air and then to look up and see a giant air-bloated blimp right overhead. |
|
89 [835]
Bowing Out
2006-11-07
|
first snowfall...
stalks of rhubarb begin
leaning over
|
Link with 834: Over.
When the rhubarb takes a stage right, it's a wrap on Summer! :-) |
|
90 [836]
Clue
2006-11-08
|
parkade...
one car covered
with leaves
|
Link with 835: Covered.
When one car out of many is covered with leaves (or snow later on) it's a sign that it is likely the owner doesn't have a garage. |
|
91 [837]
Discovery
2006-11-09
|
fancy dinner...
a single piece of gum
found under
|
Link with 836: Single.
A previous dinner guest must have placed their treasure there and forgot to retreive it after the dinner was over. |
|
92 [838]
Autumn Serenity
2006-11-10
|
bare branches
set the valley at peace...
fallen leaves
|
Link with 837: Piece/Peace.
This was inspired by our Saskatchewan River valley and from this haiku by Hoitsu:
Flower petals
set the mountain in motion-
cherry blossoms.
From Haiku Landscapes, page 35. |
|
93 [839]
Returned
2006-11-11
|
tour of duty...
our boy comes home
in a wheel chair
|
Link with 838: Fallen.
Remembrance Day / Veteran's Day. |
|
94 [840]
Season's End
2006-11-12
|
summer cottage...
i lock the boat away
one last time
|
Link with 839: Going home.
We don't own a summer cottage but we have friends that do. Every year they have one last weekend at the lake before freeze-up where everything is cleaned up and locked down. Then it's back to town for the winter, like a bear settling in for a long hibernation. |
|
95 [841]
Too Late
2006-11-13
|
bags of groceries...
i spot my keys on
the car seat
|
Link with 840: Locked (Boat / Groceries).
This sort of thing happened to us once, to my Dad at least once, and to a friend most recently. And with modern Japanese cars the old coat-hanger-through-the-window trick doesn't work (you'll need a crook or a locksmith). |
|
96 [842]
Best Before
2006-11-14
|
cafe patio...
a red leaf falls into
a plastic tree
|
Link with 841: Within (Car / Tree).
I drive by a restaurant with an outdoor patio. Just beyond the little fence surrounding the tables are several green plastic trees. They looked quite smart back in July and August. |
|
97 [843]
Winter Stores
2006-11-15
|
mountain ash —
clumps of berries beside
last year's
|
Link with 842: Red (Leaf / Berries).
I was intrigued to recently see a mountain ash tree loaded with clumps of ripe red berries from this year along side clumps of darker red berries that were still on the the tree from last year. I'm not sure why these berries were still in abundance as last January I saw hords of bohemian waxwings feasting on these berries (albeit they were on a different tree). That inspired this haiku:
556.
bohemian waxwings
descend on a mountain ash...
feeding frenzy |
|
98 [844]
Taking Root
2006-11-16
|
cold day...
wet moss on an old
cedar roof
|
Link with 843: Tree.
I look out our second floor window and below is the roof of the first floor. It had rained all night and today it is a quite cold out. The moss growing in the cracks of the cedar shakes are now dark and wet from the rain. Nothing too profound here but these words evoke powerful memories for me. |
|
99 [845]
Buddies
2006-11-17
|
a stone supports
the curled, dried leaf...
mountain path
|
|
100 [846]
Sojourn
2006-11-18
|
autumn kitchen —
a buzzing fly settles
on an edge
|
Link with 845: Settled.
At the end of summer the flies outside begin looking for places to hide out for the winter. In the Autumn, in this old house of ours, a fly will sometimes mysteriously appear having somehow found its way into the house. |
|
101 [847]
Feet Up
2006-11-19
|
early winter...
in the sill, a ladybug
on its back
|
Link with 846: Bug.
Like the fly in haiku #846, sometimes a ladybug sneaks into the house. In some cases I think they fly in through an open door. These little critters, of course, only have a limited life span. The one in this poem perhaps reached its end trying to get out through the window. |
|
102 [848]
Intersected
2006-11-20
|
the big harley
succumbs to gravity's pull...
deer crossing
|
Link with 847: Pulled down.
Not too long ago we witnessesed the scene depicted in this poem. We were driving at night and several deer suddenly jumped out in front of us. A fellow on a motor cycle in the next lane accelerated ahead of us and he appeared to be headed on a collision course with one of the deer. The biker attempted to avoid it but at the last moment his bike skidded and fell over. He himself rolled on to the road several times. He stopped rolling right in front of us. Fortunately we were able to stop just in time to avoid hitting him and another deer. Yikes, what an experience! |
|
103 [849]
Alley
2006-11-21
|
tire tracks
in slush...a boy adds
boot prints
|
Link with 848: Road.
For hundreds of years tracks on the ground have been used by aboriginals around the world for following prey. Of course, foot prints and tire tracks in snow are even more noticable. In this poem we see the blending of man, machine, and nature with this concept of travel vestiges. |
|
104 [219]
Rush Hour
2006-11-22
|
a full elevator
stops on every floor...
no one gets off
|
Link with 849: Add / Not-add.
Sometimes a prankster pushes all the buttons and the elevator needlessly stops on every floor. In this case, since it is full, no one is able to get on. The elevator, of course, does not take that into account and so it stops on every floor where someone wants to get on.
This haiku (#219) was written in October, 2005 and was recently re-written and linked into this series. |
|
105 [850]
Reaching Out
2006-11-23
|
leafless twigs...
their limit reached
for the year
|
Link with 219: Limit.
Notwithstanding the fact that trees grow ever so slightly during the winter, a branch's newer growth quickly develops during the spring and summer. When Autum arrives this growth comes to a halt like a high-water mark. |
|
106 [851]
One With
2006-11-24
|
late afternoon...
a drop on the icicle
almost drips off
|
Link with 850: Tip.
On relatively warm winter days here, as the Sun goes down, the temperature typically drops and the last few drops in the day do not always make it past the end of the icicle...they, in fact, "become" the icicle. |
|
107 [852]
Break-through
2006-11-25
|
frosty sunrise —
the crunching sound of ice
in an alley puddle
|
Link with 851: Ice.
As a youngster it was an especially enjoyable thrill to step on all the frozen puddles on the way to school. Most of the time it was safe but occasionally I'd break through a deep one and end up walking the rest of the way to school in wet and muddy feet. |
|
108 [853]
So Soon Gone
2006-11-26
|
pile of rubble...
a house stood there
only yesterday
|
Link with 852: Broken.
It seems we truly only miss something after it's gone. In this case a house stood for many years, perhaps 70 or more! It was there every day on my way to work and back. Then one day, in its place, was a backhoe and a pile of rubble. How many things (and people) are like that? You just never think about them not being there till they're gone! |
|
109 [854]
Warm and Cozy
2006-11-27
|
freezing day...
above the beaver house
a puff of steam
|
Link with 853: House.
It is a very cold, calm day and it is something like -25C. We are walking out in the bush and come upon a frozen pond. At one end is a beaver dam and at the other end is a beaver house. There are beaver inside as we can see the steam from their breaths rise from a vent hole in their house. We assume it is warm and cozy inside. |
|
110 [855]
Infused
2006-11-28
|
ceramic cup...
green tea infused
with hot water
|
Link with 854: Steam.
Is the hot water infused with tea, or is the tea infused with hot water? |
|
111 [856]
Pock Marked
2006-11-29
|
november day...
the rain leaves dimples
in the snow
|
Link with 855: Infused.
It doesn't happen often but its quite the sight to see a snow-covered world after a freezing rain has fallen and has left dimples everywhere in the snow. |
|
112 [857]
Thai Aroma
2006-11-30
|
rice cooker —
the smell of coconut
as i lift the lid
|
Link with 856: Dimples.
I first tasted coconut rice at a Thai restaurant a few years ago. I have had a fondness for it ever since. We've found a way to make it in our rice maker which is almost as good as the 'real' thing. |
|
113 [858]
Here it Comes
2006-12-01
|
late afternoon...
snow clouds over
fields of stubble
|
Link with 857: Covering.
The stubble in the fields, from Autumn's harvest, contrasts with the coming winter storm and rienforces the feeling that Winter is getting a firm grip on the season. |
|
114 [859]
Flutter
2006-12-02
|
a tuft of grass
at the base of a pole...
chilly wind
|
Link with 858: Stubble / Grass.
I saw this image one day as I stopped at a traffic light on the way home from work. It was simple and seemingly unprofound yet it kept flashing into my mind for several days. I finally succumbed and transformed it into this haiku. |
|
115 [860]
End of Season
2006-12-03
|
school yard...
footprints in the snow
from base to base
|
Link with 859: Base.
With the coming of winter the baseball season draws to a close, especially with the first fall of snow. For some, the joy of playing the game is so intense that the end of the playing season is unbearable. Maybe one last walk around the snow-covered bases in the school yard will be enough to carry them through the long, cold winter. At least maybe until Christmas day when they find a video baseball game under the tree. |
|
116 [861]
Cold Head
2006-12-04
|
playground...
a white knitted toque
in the snow
|
Link with 860: Playground.
When I was growing up my Mother had the challenge of keeping up with me losing my mittens and other winter gear. Of course there was the attempt at tying the mittens together through the sleeves of my coat. But that didn't always work and I'd also once in awhile lose my coat. But my toque...there wasn't anything you could do about that. Even now they seem to somehow disappear mysteriously. I'm sure Last winter I still had a couple left. This year though I can't find even one of them. |
|
117 [862]
Change
2006-12-05
|
i find a nickel
embedded in my slice...
take-out pizza
|
Link with 861: Lost.
Sometimes a bonus isn't always a welcome thing. |
|
118 [863]
Time Bank
2006-12-06
|
snooze button...
i savour a few moments
of borrowed time
|
Link with 862: Savour.
The minutes you snooze have to be made up somewhere along the way in order to get out of the house in time. Alternatively, you can just end up getting there late which has different associated consequences. |
|
119 [864]
In-between Years
2006-12-07
|
i look into
a thirty-year old 'mirror'...
self portrait
|
Link with 863: Time.
When I look into an old picture and see myself in it, I can't help thinking of all the years that have passed in between. It feels like looking into a mirror across time. |
|
120 [865]
While Sleeping
2006-12-08
|
night time —
in silence a layer of snow
accumulates
|
Link with 864: Accumulate (Time/Snow).
What a thrill it was, as a child, to wake up in the morning and look outside and see the blanket of snow that fell during the night. Even now that wonder is still there for me. Although, by winter's end the novelty starts to wear thin. |
|
121 [866]
Tiny Shadows
2006-12-09
|
frozen puddle —
tips of brown leaves
catch the sun
|
Link with 865: Layers.
A memory of the last season, Autumn, is held in view for a time by elements of the new season, Winter. |
|
122 [867]
Did You See That?
2006-12-10
|
falling star —
i blink and have to take
his word for it
|
Link with 866: Celestial object.
I first witnessed a falling star in the fifth grade. I had "camped out under the stars" in the backyard with a school friend that summer. He was an astronomy enthusiast and together we saw quite a number of falling stars that night. I had luckily just got my first pair of glasses. Before then, without the glasses, I wouldn't have been able to see a falling star even if I knew what I was looking for. |
|
123 [868]
Hanging On
2006-12-11
|
the last leaf
flutters in the wind —
all day long
|
Link with 867: Fall / Not fall.
One Saturday morning early this winter I looked out the window and noticed a leaf on the tree in the backyard. It was hanging on for dear "life" as the wind tried hard to put it down. It was a pretty tough little leaf though as it fluttered like that all day long! |
|
124 [869]
Made to Fit
2006-12-12
|
a leaf occupies
its own depression...
snow bank
|
Link with 868: Leaf.
In a snow bank I saw a leaf that had fallen. During the previous few days the Sun had warmed it up and the snow beneath it had melted. The leaf was now nestling in a little depression formed from this melting. |
|
125 [870]
Not Forgotten
2006-12-13
|
patch of ice...
a remembrance day poppy
embedded
|
Link with 869: Embedded.
Inevitably some peoples' Remembrance Day poppies sometimes manage to come loose. The one in this haiku found its way into a puddle that later froze over...perhaps as a reminder in kind of the hardships our soldiers suffered on our behalf. |
|
126 [871]
Arrested Motion
2006-12-14
|
gravity's pull
suspended till spring...
frozen waterfall
|
Link with 870: Locked in ice.
We often would go on a winter holiday to Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. At the end of the lake is waterfall that freezes in the winter. One time I was there and a couple of fellows were climbing it. I approached the scene to get a closer look when I suddenly realized that was a bad idea. I scurried out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by a chunk of ice that a climber had dislodged. Here is photos of similar frozen waterfalls from the area:
http://tinyurl.com/vqaf6
http://tinyurl.com/yjcvpw |
|
127 [872]
Through the Motions
2006-12-15
|
wide awake
all night...not so
awake today
|
Link with 871: Suspended.
I'm not sure why sometimes my body wants to follow another time zone...could it be all the Japanese language TV I've been watching? |
|
128 [873]
Warm Repose
2006-12-16
|
dad snoozes
on the couch...the cat
finds a cushion
|
Link with 872: Awake / Not awake.
As far as the cat is concerned Dad is just an inconvenient intervention...although his warm tummy is a bonus.
I posted this poem to Pamela's blog a couple of weeks ago:
http://tinyurl.com/yn62v5 |
|
129 [874]
Cycle Renewed
2006-12-17
|
snowflakes settle
on eggshells and feathers —
robin's nest
|
Link with 873: Nest.
The end to the story of one year's cycle is symbolized by snowflakes falling and covering the artifacts of chicks hatching, leaving the nest, and flying South. The cycle is thereby renewed for another year. |
|
130 [875]
Fetch
2006-12-18
|
a maple seed
twirls down...the dog
nearly catches it
|
Link with 874: Egg / Seed.
Dogs are known to try and eat just about anything. The more disgusting the better. Sometimes they will also try and catch odd things moving around them. Cats, especially kittens, do this too but they seldom fail to miss their mark. |
|
131 [876]
Pandemonium
2006-12-19
|
fresh snow —
the neighbour's dogs chase
each other
|
Link with 875: Dog.
The neighbour's dogs don't need fresh snow as an excuse to tear around the yard. But when it comes they seem to have extra excitement and enthusiasm and powered white stuff flies in all directions. |
|
132 [877]
Rear Bound
2006-12-20
|
a child's first
steps outside in winter...
backyard rink
|
Link with 876: Yard.
In those early years our Dad made a skating rink in the back yard. With fond memories I look at photos of my sister and I in skates at a time when either us of could hardly walk, let alone skate. As I recall it was more stepping than actual skating and I think our rears saw more ice time than the blades of our skates. |
|
133 [878]
Sounds of Cold
2006-12-21
|
cold night...
the squeak of car tires
in fresh snow
|
Link with 877: First / Fresh.
It's gotta be cold outside when you can hear car tires squeaking in the snow. Those who live in the South may not undstand this...the sound you hear is usually more like a whisper or, in slush, kind of a splishy sound. |
|
134 [879]
Posterier Mold
2006-12-22
|
my body
conforms to the car seat...
minus thirty
|
Link with 878: Freezing.
Another freezing haiku. :-) |
|
135 [880]
Yummy
2006-12-23
|
hot oven...
the pan's molds shape
each muffin
|
Link with 879: Conform.
A hot muffins is a nice treat on a cold winter day. |
|
136 [881]
Not a Creature Stirring
2006-12-24
|
winter night...
a constant hush of hot air
through the vent
|
Link with 880: Hot air.
On Christmas Eve not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse...but the furnace, that's a different matter. Day and night the furnace chuqs away putting out warm air to heat the house during the long, cold, winter months. |
|
137 [882]
Merry Christmas!
2006-12-25
|
christmas morning...
the night's stillness broken
by tiny voices
|
Link with 881: Stillness.
The day finally arrives and they can no longer prentend to be sleeping. Their joy bursts through and they sneak out to see what Santa brought them under the tree. |
|
138 [883]
Tea Party
2006-12-26
|
new doll...
words at her tea party
double in number
|
Link with 882: Tiny voices.
A new doll for Christmas will inevitably lead to a post-Christmas tea party. Imagine the things that happened this year that can be shared with this new friend. |
|
139 [884]
Roger, Over & Out
2006-12-27
|
x-mas vacation...
i make a friend with my
new walkie-talkie
|
Link with 883: New toy.
One year as a boy I got a walkie-talkie for Christmas. This was exactly what I had asked for. Boy, was I happy. I was even more thrilled a few days after Christmas when I was talking to my sister on it and another kid's voice came on. I got chatting with him and I found out he lived a couple of blocks away. We became best of friends. |
|
140 [885]
Come and Go
2006-12-28
|
telephone wire...
a sparrow joins three,
another leaves
|
Link with 884: Communication equipment.
This portrays a common scene where a bird joins a group of other birds. Just as it lands another birds flies off. Why does that other bird leave just then? Is it just a coincidence or is there something deeper going on here? |
|
141 [886]
The Arrival
2006-12-29
|
the locomotive
pulls into the station...
steam on frost
|
Link with 885: Arriving.
One day we met a friend at the train station. He was on his way to Montreal. As the train came to a stop there was a tremendous hissing and steam was rising from various places. Although now days trains are diesel it appears that they are still heated by steam. |
|
142 [887]
Signature
2006-12-30
|
just short
of finishing his last name —
fresh-fallen snow
|
Link with 886: Hot on cold.
This is something, I'm sure, that most boys (where there is snow) have tried at least once. |
|
143 [888]
Meteorological Tease
2006-12-31
|
light snowfall —
the weather mocks my
shoveling efforts
|
Link with 887: Snowfall.
What can I say? Sometimes nature likes to smile at me. I hope he is amused. |
|
144 [889]
Kibitzer
2007-01-01
|
scenic artist...
an on-looker says, "better
than nature!"
|
Link with 888: Mocking.
This is based on a dream I had where a fellow was painting a giant mural. There was a pond in the foreground and rolling hills and trees were off in the distance. The sky was full of beautiful clouds. |
|
145 [890]
Standing Guard
2007-01-02
|
city hall park...
a bronze Sir Winston watches
skaters go round
|
Link with 889: On-looker.
In downtown Edmonton there is a park in front of city hall called Sir Winston Churchill Square. It was dedicated to Britain's famous Second World War Prime Minister. In the winter time a huge circular skating rink was made and folks would skate there all winter long. In the North East corner of the block stood a bronze statue of Sir Winston himself. |
|
146 [891]
Another World
2007-01-03
|
winter night —
city light reflects off
overhead clouds
|
Link with 890: City.
It is amazing sometimes at night in the winter here when it is overcast and the city lights reflect an orangish glow off the clouds. The light shines down on the snow on the ground and it feels like you are in another world. |
|
147 [892]
Peek-a-Boo
2007-01-04
|
mall skylight...
the moon between patches
of drifted snow
|
Link with 891: Underside.
Our downtown mall has a giant sky light above the third floor. Early one evening I looked up and saw the Moon between patches of drifted snow that had accumulated on top of the skylight. |
|
148 [893]
White on White
2007-01-05
|
skating rink...
piles of ice shavings
on banks of snow
|
Link with 892: Piles.
Every so often the zamboni goes around the ice rink to scrape up chips and shavings of ice formed from all the figure skating and hockey. This faux-snow has to go somewhere and so it is typically dumped out the back door in the snow-covered yard. These piles can get quite large. In April, May, and even June they are usually still melting when all the other snow has disappeared. |
|
149 [894]
First Cut
2007-01-06
|
he tries out
dad's razor... more than
fuzz in the sink
|
Link with 893: Shaving(s).
My Dad had an electric razor so my first experience shaving as a boy was without peril. However, around the same time, my friend and I found some discarded razer blades in a neighbour's trash. Not knowing what they were we played with them and quickly started wondering why our fingers were turning the colour red. |
|
150 [895]
Available
2007-01-07
|
a sparrow glides
over the empty birdbath —
winter morning
|
Link with 894: Sink-like.
There is now no competition with the other summer birds over use of the birdbath...but it is, of course, a hollow 'victory'. |
|
151 [896]
Human Avalanche
2007-01-08
|
five kids
on a truck inner tube...
last bump
|
Link with 895: Glide.
The local youth here like to slide down the hills around town in the winter. It is possible to pile five or more kids onto a giant truck inner tube. It doesn't matter how tight you hang on, when you hit the last bump at the bottom, everyone goes flying off. Hopefully the next inner tube isn't coming too close behind! |
|
152 [897]
Potential Energy
2007-01-09
|
snow build-up...
i shovel the walk below
the pine tree
|
Link with 896: Spill.
When I shoveled the walk recently I should have taken more care. The front sidewalk runs riqht beside a sixty-year-old evergreen tree that has branches that have now grown out over the sidewalk. |
|
153 [898]
The Dream
2007-01-10
|
old tree house...
sounds of laughter echo
in my mind
|
Link with 897: Built up.
We built the most amazing tree house one year. It was mostly in our minds but we did manage to locate the perfect tree and build a ladder up to where the house was to be constructed. Time and enthusiasm ran out that summer but whenever I drive by the old neighbourhood I remember the fun we had almost building our dream. |
|
154 [899]
Empty Nest
2007-01-11
|
a magpie nest
among bare branches...
grey sky
|
Link with 898: Tree house.
In the summer it is possible to see magpie nests but they are much more noticeable in the winter when all the leaves are gone. Seeing their empty nests during this time of year is a reminder of the bleak loneliness of winter. The feeling for me is fleeting as I truly love winter despite the -30C temperatures and the continual dumps of snow we typically get here in Alberta.
Magpie Nest |
|
155 [900]
Headed Somewhere
2007-01-12
|
field of snow —
a straight line of fresh
cat tracks
|
Link with 899: Vacant.
The day after a recent snow storm I came upon a patch of untouched snow. The cat tracks across it were as straight as an arrow as if the cat were deliberately headed somewhere and not in any hurry. |
|
156 [901]
Top Gun
2007-01-13
|
a rubber band
pulled back on his finger...
friday afternoon
|
Link with 900: Straight line.
One year while I was still in school I had a summer job in a government office. We worked hard but there were times when we tried to let off a little steam, especially on Friday afternoons. Occasionally we staged inter-office wars and the rubber band was the weapon of choice. By the end of the summer our aim had gotten pretty good. I recall one time a security guard held up his cigarette and challenged me to hit it from across the lobby. To his surprise I knocked it out of his fingers on the first shot. That summer I felt like a top gun. |
|
157 [902]
Re-exposed
2007-01-14
|
road grading...
potholes revealed under
packed snow
|
Link with 901: Pulled back.
The road was a little bumpy but the packed snow filled all the potholes. Now, after the snow has been cleared the potholes will begin to emerge and we'll be back to little bumps again, at least until the next snow storm. |
|
158 [903]
For Next Season
2007-01-15
|
january sale...
the sound of 'sleigh bells'
in the bargain bin
|
Link with 902: Packed.
When the holiday season is over decorations and associated merchandise go on sale. Some items even make their way into bargain bins. I know I should, but I have a hard time getting motivated to take advantage of these sales. |
|
159 [904]
Winter Shelter
2007-01-16
|
awakened by
trash moving around...
hotel dumpster
|
Link with 903: Bin.
In the winter some homeless folks find a measure of shelter in dumpsters. There was a case recently where a garbage truck one morning emptied a dumpster and someone was inside. The driver was unaware of the extra passenger and compressed his load. Unfortunately, in this case the homeless person did not survive.
You may notice an intentional ambiguity in this poem in that you can read it from the perspective of a guest in the hotel as well as the person in the dumpster. |
|
160 [905]
Memories
2007-01-17
|
his last letter
taken from a shoebox —
winter evening
|
Link with 904: Enclosed.
Why was this the last letter? Perhaps there was a marriage some time after it was written and there was no longer a need for written communication of this nature. On the other hand maybe a romance once flourished and it came to a end. Or, maybe it was a letter from a loved one who had been far away serving in the armed forces, and he never come home... |
|
161 [906]
Whites on Whites
2007-01-18
|
moon light...
a white hare scampers
up the street
|
Link with 905: Winter night.
Around here in the winter we occasionally spot a white rabbit hopping around the neighbourhood. It is an odd sight to see wild life like this loose in the city. For some reason this is not a summer time experience. |
|
162 [907]
Distracted from Dinner
2007-01-19
|
fancy cafe...
is that a hair-line crack
in my plate?
|
Link with 906: Hare / Hair.
I'm not sure which I'd sooner come to prefer, the hair-line crack or the thing the crack resembles. |
|
163 [908]
Atlantic Bound
2007-01-20
|
frozen river...
water in a narrow crack
gurgles past
|
Link with 907: Crack.
The water of our North Saskatchewan flows under the ice on the river all winter long making its way across the prairies and eventually to the Atlantic ocean via the Hudson's Bay.
This was inspired by Seishi Yamaguchi's:
spring stream —
i walked along then stopped,
it kept flowing |
|
164 [909]
False Impressions
2007-01-21
|
tracks across
fresh snow...a leaf
at the end
|
Link with 908: Going along.
I came out of the house on my way to work one morning not too long ago. As I walked from the house to the garage I was struck but what seemed to be bird tracks in the fresh snow running down the sidewalk. I was greatly amused to find at the end of the tracks a dried leaf that had blown there by the wind during the night. |
|
165 [910]
Afternoon Viewing
2007-01-22
|
kid's matiné...
the end comes before
some are ready
|
Link with 909: End (Tracks / Movie).
As a boy I loved going to the Saturday afternoon movies. There were usually cartoons and a short Western. By the end of the showing some kids had fallen asleep. Other kids were still partying and didn't want their outing to come to an end. |
|
166 [911]
Dashed Hope
2007-01-23
|
a gray jay
finds a sunflower shell...
empty feeder
|
Link with 910: Early.
Sometimes in life our hopes are raised and then quickly dashed. I'm sure this gray jay won't have to call 911 and will be able to forage at another non-empty feeder...and, of course, there is always nature's buffet. |
|
167 [912]
Bare Cupboard
2007-01-24
|
a sunflower
picked clean of seeds...
winter sunshine
|
Link with 911: Sunflower.
I was at the farm not too long ago and in the back of the garden was a stand of sunflowers. Many of the blossoms were bent over facing the ground and were pretty much picked clean of seeds. I was wondering how the birds were able get at the seeds when just then a little bird came flying up and under a blossom and pecked at the few remaining seeds. It was an amazing feet of aeornautic acrobatics. |
|
168 [913]
Last Portion
2007-01-25
|
chick flick...
he offers her the last
of the popcorn
|
Link with 912: Picked clean.
It's a romantic (or at least polite) gesture to offer the last portion. However, the last bit in a bag of popcorn usually consists of dregs and unpopped kernels. |
|
169 [914]
Act of Kindness
2007-01-26
|
chilly day...
a homeless man offers
crumbs to a bird
|
Link with 913: Offer.
It is nice to see someone destitute giving to another in need. |
|
170 [915]
Fast Lane
2007-01-27
|
hitch-hiker...
a week later he still
begs for money
|
Link with 914: Homeless.
There are numerous panhandlers in town here with various schemes to get you to donate to their "cause". One fellow recently got in mind to sit in the median at the main intersection in front of West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest shopping mall). He sits on a pack sack with a hand-written cardboard sign that says "NEED MONEY TO GO TO CALGARY". Calgary is the other major city here in Alberta, about 200 miles South. I was a little amused when a week later we saw the same fellow still sitting there. I suppose the folks driving by weren't so generous. On the other hand, maybe they were too generous. |
|
171 [916]
Cold Feet?
2007-01-28
|
winter wedding...
she steps out of the limo
in high heels
|
Link with 915: Hitch(ed).
My wife and I got married at this time in the winter many years ago. On that auspicious day my wife decided not to wear a coat. Her feet may therefore have gotten a little chilly but thankfully she didn't get "cold feet". |
|
172 [917]
Framed in Nature
2007-01-29
|
a deer treads
into the frozen clearing...
full moon
|
Link with 916: Stepping out.
One day at the farm we took a hike through a wooded area. When we emerged on the other side we saw several deer in the clearing. They were momentarily motionless. Eventually they darted off silently in different directions.
At night, under moonlight, when no one is around it must be quite a sight to observe their movements. And with so many predators like bears and wolves, I wonder how they get any sleep. |
|
173 [918]
Skate Day
2007-01-30
|
a cleared patch
on the frozen lake —
afternoon skate
|
Link with 917: Clearing.
My Uncle had a lake-front cottage when we were kids. Once in awhile in the winter we'd go out there with our skates and have a skaty parting complete with refreshments and a setting sun that reminded us that the fun-filled day was coming to an end. |
|
174 [919]
Skimming
2007-01-31
|
snowmobiles...
we approach a section
of open water
|
Link with 918: Frozen lake.
A friend told me of a time when he and his brother were out snowmobiling and needed to cross an open crack in the frozen river. After some careful thought they decided to take a run at it and save themselves many miles of back-tracking to get home. They successfully crossed over and found it so much fun that they spent the rest of the afternoon criss-crossing over open sections of the river.
In recent years I learned that it is not uncommon for folks to dart across small stretches of open water with their snowmobiles. Despite the danger it has grown into a sport called "skimming". In some places though, such as New Hampshire, skimming has become illegal. However, not in all cases is skimming done deliberately. Sometimes it isn't actual skimming over open water that happens but the results end up being just as dangerous.
One winter many years ago my cousin and his friend were snowmobiling in -35F weather on a lake. About an hour out they came upon a hidden patch of water and slush that had been insulated by a thick covering of snow. The water instantly froze when the cold snowmobiles broke through. It therefore became impossible for them to run the snowmobiles out of the water. After working for about an hour they walked/limped back to their car. My cousin assured me that he had never felt colder and that the socks on both his feet had frozen to his flesh. Both snow mobiles were toed out with a third machine the following day. |
|
175 [920]
Not Me
2007-02-01
|
I return a smile
to an on-coming stranger...
guy behind.
|
Link with 919: Approaching.
This happens once in awhile. Don't you feel a little embarrassed when you find out it isn't you that the other person is exchanging smiles with? Of course, there are those who don't even exchange smiles with folks they know. |
|
176 [921]
Like a Kitten
2007-02-01
|
Wall flashes —
puzzled, i trace the source
to my wrist.
|
Link with 920: Puzzlement.
This doesn't happen often (i.e. the Sun reflecting through the window on to my watch and then on to the wall) but when it does I feel like a kitten chasing it's tale. |
|
177 [922]
Simple Amusements
2007-02-03
|
Hand shadows...
we giggle louder
at that one.
|
Link with 921: Wall flashes.
I'm sure every kid, big and small, has made shadows on the wall with their hands. What is with the rude shapes that made/make us giggle? |
|
178 [923]
Blocked
2007-02-04
|
Earth's footprint
creeps across the face...
lunar eclipse.
|
Link with 922: Shadow.
A lunar eclipse occurs at full Moon but only if the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. There are usually two or three of them each year and most people either observe only a few in their life or none at all. I probably would be in the "none at all" category except that at University I took an astronomy course and, of course, that year we were on the look out the lunar eclipses. |
|
179 [924]
Lunar Event
2007-02-05
|
New moon...
enduring partners start
another cycle.
|
Link with 923: Moon.
An important lunar event is the monthly New Moon which happens approximately every 29 to 30 days. It is so important that various cultures including Jewish, Islamic, and Chinese use it as basis for their calendars. |
|
180 [925]
Here it Comes
2007-02-06
|
Rising tide...
the sea reaches toward
a sandy shore.
|
Link with 924: Tidal.
Whenever we visit Trinidad I love to go to the beach and get in the salty sea water! A favorite memory is taking a dip just before sunset, around 5:45 pm (a few minutes after 6 pm everything is pitch black). Often as the Sun sets you'll find the Moon overhead, already beginning to make reflections in the water. It is intriguing to ponder how that little white object so far away can affect the water in the sea as it does! |
|
181 [926]
Winter Grind
2007-02-07
|
Mid-winter —
the weight of snow flakes
grows heavier.
|
Link with 925: Increase.
As Winter "grinds" on, snow accumulates on everything including trees, houses, and the ground. This increasing weight is hopefully endured by the trees and plants. However, the flakes of snow that fell earlier in the season have certainly lost their identity and are now pressed into layers of ice. For some people, this grinding may also have a psychological dimension in that the "weight of snow flakes" is symbolic of their developing mood. |
|
182 [927]
Force Majeure
2007-02-08
|
Fallen spruce —
the dark rings, how'd
they form?
|
Link with 926: Growth.
Occasionally we come across a pine or a spruce tree that has succumbed to the power of the wind. Half the rings in the severed trunk are thicker and have a lighter colour. Apparently they are formed during the summer. The other rings are thinner and darker and are formed during the winter. This is a marvel to me, especially when it is -30 outside and everything in sight is frozen solid. |
|
183 [928]
Post Repast
2007-02-09
|
After dinner...
rings of smoke between
sips of coffee.
|
Link with 927: Rings.
Smoking laws in many places have generally grows tougher over the years. Those of us who are non-smokers and living in a non-smoking city or province/state often take this for granted. At one time this haiku would depict a normal scene in a restaurant. |
|
184 [929]
Surprise!
2007-02-10
|
I step into
a furry moving mass...
snowy hillside.
|
Link with 928: After eating.
Pine Beetles are a recent threat to our Alberta evergreen forests. Some authorities are blaming it on global warming as the populations of these beetles are normally kept low in our winters when it gets below -30C for more that a week.
Not too long ago some biologists were surveying for Pine Beetles in the mountains near here. One of them stepped on a bear's hibernation den and the bear came out and mauled the them both. They luckily survived. Global warming may have been further connected with this incident... perhaps the bear thought it was spring already. |
|
185 [930]
The Plunge
2007-02-11
|
A rain drop
joins the vast pacific...
cold northerly.
|
Link with 929: Join.
A tiny bead of rain makes its way down through the atmosphere braving the cold North winds. At last it plunges into a salty brew teaming with an unimaginable variety of creatures of varying sizes. What adventures await our little disintegrating droplet? |
|
186 [931]
Impending Darkness
2007-02-12
|
Early twilight —
a thick fog rolls in
over the harbour.
|
Link with 930: Sea.
My Father who worked in Zoology at the University of Alberta took field trips to Washington (Friday Harbour) and British Colombia (Bamfield) every spring for many years. He told me of often seeing fog roll in from the horizon as a thick brown presence. With night falling it heightened the feeling of impending darkness. |
|
187 [932]
Sunrise Marvel
2007-02-13
|
Early morninq...
a frozen haze enshrouds
the city skyline.
|
Link with 931: Fog.
One morning in January before sunrise the temperature was somewhere below -30C. As we were driving into the downtown area the city skyline came into view and we beheld a remarkable sight. In the still cold air the lights from all the office towers twinkled through the frozen haze. |
|
188 [933]
Looking Down
2007-02-14
|
Night take-off...
points of light move
on a tiny grid.
|
Link with 932: City at night.
I haven't taken a lot of trips by plane but a few of them involved take-offs and landings at night. When the plane flies over the city you can look down and see tiny car headlights as they stream along the network of roads illuminated by streetlights. The effect is most pronounced in the winter when there is snow on the ground everywhere and the light is reflected back into the sky. |
|
189 [934]
Mental Workout
2007-02-15
|
A cross-word puzzle,
she does it with an ink pen...
before her breakfast.
|
Link with 933: Grid.
My wife loves to do cross-word puzzles and is quite good at them. It used to amaze me how she would always insist on doing them with a ball-point pen.
Technical note: This haiku has a 5-7-5 syllable format. |
|
190 [935]
Uh Oh
2007-02-16
|
The boy comes in
from outside in the snow...
cross words.
|
Link with 934: Cross word(s).
I'm afraid this describes a scene from my younger years. It was often because I'd come home way too late. |
|
191 [936]
Please?
2007-02-17
|
Winter night...
the cat looks in with
hopeful eyes.
|
Link with 935: Coming inside.
A friend's cat likes to go outside now and then, even in the winter. When the cat wants back in she will patiently sit in front of the sliding door and look in until someone comes to her rescue. |
|
192 [937]
Work-day's End
2007-02-18
|
A bulldozer
at dusk...the track's mud
starts to freeze.
|
Link with 936: Cat.
As a young man I worked on the Trans-Canada pipeline near Kenora, Ontario. I was a swamper for a D9 Caterpillar and my job was to grease the bulldozer two or three times a day and to perform other odd jobs to keep it running efficiently. One of the most important jobs was to thoroughly clean the tracks of mud at the end of the day. If this task was ever neglected then the tracks would freeze solid overnight and the job boss would not be in a happy camper the next morning. |
|
193 [938]
Evidence
2007-02-19
|
Morning after...
eight or nine twigs
on the snow.
|
Link with 937: Nine.
There was a terrific wind storm during the night recently. The evidence of it's power was seen the next morning on the snow under the elm trees in our front yard. |
|
194 [939]
Pristine Experience
2007-02-20
|
Powder snow
before my skis...tracks
after them.
|
Link with 938: Wood on snow.
Ah, the joy of fresh snow under one's skis! |
|
195 [940]
Harbinger
2007-02-21
|
Late winter —
a crocus breaks through
the melting snow.
|
Link with 939: Breaking through snow.
The crocus, a harbinger of the Winter's demise, also announces spring's coming. |
|
196 [941]
Secondhand
2007-02-22
|
Tiny lungs...
a mother lights a smoke
inside the car.
|
Link with 940: Young ones.
You have to wonder what other things those kids have to endure. Of course, I'm sure the mother would have something to say about what she has to endure as well. |
|
197 [942]
Morning Snarl
2007-02-23
|
Snowy morning...
merging takes longer
than usual.
|
Link with 941: Car(s).
Sometimes blizzard conditions can really snarl up traffic, especially in locations that aren't accustomed to having any snow. In this haiku there is also the interpretation that the longer merging time may be due to other factors including a more physical type of merging. |
|
198 [943]
Wishful Thinking
2007-02-24
|
Just air
in the mailbox again...
maybe tomorrow.
|
Link with 942: Waiting.
At the end of November last year I ordered eight Japanese language books from Amazon (www.amazon.com). On December 22, 2006 I received an email from Amazon that said the books had been shipped. Would it be possible that they'd arrive in the mail over the Christmas vacation? Now that was wishful thinking as it is now the end of February and every day I still check the mailbox in vain. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas day to arrive. |
|
199 [944]
A Rude Noise
2007-02-25
|
Mustard bottle...
we giggle as we squeeze out
the last of it.
|
Link with 943: Air inside.
This is another glimpse at a childhood memory. I still feel like smiling when the last of the honey or mustard tries to make its way out the bottle. :-) |
|
200 [945]
Slim Pickings
2007-02-26
|
The last to arrive
at the grizzly remains...
dermestid beetles.
|
Link with 945: Last.
I recently visited the Biological Sciences museum at the University of Alberta. While there the curator included in his tour a room that they used for stripping animal remains down to their bones. The method used is to maintain a colony of dermestid beetles. This practice has been common in museums in North America since at least the 1930's:
http://tinyurl.com/3dkuv7
It was further mentioned to me that in the wild the dermestid beetle is often the last to arrive at a site where an animal has died. By the time these beetles show up at the carrion, bears, wolves, wolverines, magpies, maggots, and other scavengers have come and gone. The reason is that usually all that is left on the skeleton is the grizzle, periosteum, and hard to get at pieces of flesh. |
|
201 [946]
Rock & Roll
2007-02-27
|
After school —
"I wanna hold your hand",
on air guitars.
|
Link with 945: Beetles / Beatles.
The Beatles came on the Ed Sullivan show on Sunday, February 9, 1964. I recall walking to school the next day and playing their songs on my air guitar. The Rock and Roll cat had been let out of the bag. |
|
202 [947]
Disturbed Peace
2007-02-28
|
Garage band —
a young audience listens
from their bedrooms.
|
Link with 946: Rock band.
My cousin and I in those early days of rock and roll bought ourselves electric guitars. We liked to take our four-foot high amplifiers out in the backyard or in the garage and crank up our "music". One evening about 11:00 pm a man came around the corner. We thought he was going to blast us for disturbing the peace, maybe threaten to call the police. To our surprise he explained politely that his kids really liked our music but he needed them to go to sleep. He asked if we wouldn't mind turning it down a bit. Of course, his manner won over our rebel spirits and we readily complied with his request. |
|
203 [948]
Unwelcome Guest
2007-03-01
|
I store birdseed
in the garage... someone
helps himself.
|
Link with 947: Garage.
I know some folks who found that one winter there were an unusual number of cats hanging around in their yard. The cats would be on the fences, sneaking around the yard, and were often found on the roof of the garage. The mystery was solved in the spring when they cleaned out the garage and discovered a mouse had gotten into the birdseed that had been stored on a shelf. |
|
204 [949]
Home Sweet Home
2007-03-02
|
An old granary —
all but empty, except for
a family of mice.
|
Link with 948: Food storage.
On a recent visit to the farm we walked across the stubble of a canola field to the other side of the North forty acres. On one side of the field stood an old wooden granary. It is perhaps 50 or more years old and has not been in use for many of years. We looked inside the open doors and found about a half a foot of wheat and debris on the "floor". From what we saw, the old granary, no longer of use to us, was now the home of at least one family of little critters. |
|
205 [950]
Overnight Hideaway
2007-03-03
|
Snowy field —
a boreal owl flies into
a collapsing barn.
|
Link with 949: Farm building.
Boreal owls inhabit northern parts of North America, Europe and Russia. Their habitat varies but includes mostly old-growth forests with woodpecker cavities for nesting. Southern populations tend to occur in high subalpine forests. They have been known to seek shelter in abandoned buildings when the weather is inclement. |
|
206 [951]
Harbinger
2007-03-04
|
A late winter
blizzard... the next day
everything's melting.
|
Link with 950: Snowy Field.
After months of bitter cold and days of blowing snow we recently had one day where, after a blizzard, the Sun came out and nearly melted all the snow that had fallen overnight. It was a strange but welcome feeling and a harbinger of the spring that seems so long in coming. |
|
207 [952]
An Exotic Delicacy
2007-03-05
|
We share
a dessert of fried icecream...
first date.
|
Link with 951: Melting.
Back in the day "fried icecream" seemed like an exotic delicacy and so we indulged ourselves on that date. This added to the "ice-breaker" feel of the evening. Recently we learned how this dessert is prepared from Ricardo's TV Cooking show, see:
http://tinyurl.com/2nh4ce |
|
208 [953]
Quickly-passing Time
2007-03-06
|
Our dinner
just begins... suddenly
it's closing time.
|
Link with 952: Date.
On one of our first dates my wife and I went to a romantic little Mexican restaurant. During the meal a mariachi band came to our table and sang "Besame Mucho" just for us (how romantic). Our evening passed quickly and so we were a little embarrassed when the waiter kindly informed us that it was 10 pm and the restaurant had to close. |
|
209 [954]
Toughie
2007-03-07
|
A mid-term exam —
the first question unanswered
before the bell.
|
Link with 953: Time limit.
Around this time of year College and University students face the dreaded mid-term exams. Here at least one question goes unanswered before the time is up. Perhaps it was a very tough exam and the first question is one of the "toughies". And, of course, it could be that the exam-writer might not have crammed enough and he/she isn't able to answer any of the questions! |
|
210 [955]
A Nuptial Mystery
2007-03-08
|
The bride enters
to bells sounding... all stand
except the groom.
|
Link with 954: Bell(s).
Oh my! What happened to the groom? Did he "stand" her up? Maybe he just fainted. :-) |
|
211 [956]
A Wedding Gift
2007-03-09
|
The skies throw
rice on the newlyweds —
early spring.
|
Link with 955: Wedding.
My wife Janice and I were married in February and we felt beforehand the emotion expressed in this haiku. Fortunately the weather turned out lovely as did our whole wedding. |
|
212 [957]
Caught
2007-03-10
|
No cold
so far this winter...
now this.
|
Link with 956: Thrown / Caught.
This was originally written with the idea of catching the common cold towards the end of the winter season. However, with the mild winter in Europe this year I am reminded of a mild winter we had a few years ago in which a really cold spell hit us in the early spring. |
|
213 [958]
New Perspectives
2007-03-11
|
Heart by-pass...
the tulip sprouts never
looked so good.
|
Link with 957: Illness.
Several different friends of ours in the past year have undergone heart surgery in one form or another. This haiku expresses what a believe some of them felt after coming through the ordeal. In one case recently the operation involved spending six hours on the operating table. |
|
214 [959]
A Chocolate Enigma
2007-03-12
|
A heart-shaped
box... the last of her
valentines.
|
Link with 958: Open heart.
As usual we have a couple of possible interpretations here. First, maybe she isn't too fond of chocolates and its taken a month since February 14 to eat them all. Hmmm, that doesn't seem too likely. Okay, so maybe they didn't taste so good. Or, maybe they didn't taste so good for a deeper reason... |
|
215 [960]
Assault on Winter
2007-03-13
|
The snow melts
a bit more... the lawn Santa
falls over.
|
Link with 959: Gone / Not gone.
You know winter is really taking a beating when the Santa board that was stuck in the snow back before Christmas finally falls over. |
|
216 [961]
Mixed Emotions
2007-03-14
|
He moves out
to his first apartment —
cold day.
|
Link with 960: Losing support.
Moving out from one's parents usually comes with mixed emotions for both child and parents (there are exceptions). In my case I moved out from home right after I got married. It was a day in February but I don't recall if it was cold or not, my mind was other things. |
|
217 [962]
Well Packed
2007-03-15
|
Moving day —
where's that box with
the can opener?
|
Link with 961: Moving.
Inevitably on moving day you find that something you need immediately is packed somewhere in one of the boxes. |
|
218 [963]
No Dumping
2007-03-16
|
A tin can
in the melting snow —
clump of willows.
|
Link with 962: Can.
I saw this image in the ravine across from the back of our home. Near the clump of willows stands an old weathered sign that says that dumping is not permitted. Eighty years ago when the district was developed I believe the ravine was treeless due to prairie fires and clearing of the land for firewood. Today the sign can barely be seen due the thick growth of trees and undergrowth. It is hard to imagine anyone able to dump anything in the ravine these days. However, the discarded tin can is evidence some form of dumping continues. |
|
219 [964]
Point of the Matter
2007-03-17
|
My foot finds
the tip of a rusty nail...
demolished house.
|
Link with 963: Old metal.
At one point growing up we lived at the very limits of the expansion of the city. Across from the new subdivision was a farmer's field. That evening when the farmer's house was torn down to make way for new houses I just had go over and explore the remains. What fun! It was a tangle of debris and broken boards. After playing around there for quite some time I realized it was time to come home for supper. But as I dashed off the pile of rubble there was a sudden, sharp piercing feeling in my foot. A rusty nail had punctured my black and white sneakers! |
|
220 [965]
The Undertaker
2007-03-18
|
Another nail
in the coffin... he takes
a smoke break
|
Link with 964: Nail.
When I think of nails I often remember someone I worked with many years ago who referred to his cigarettes as coffin nails. |
|
221 [966]
Paint Smear
2007-03-19
|
Braking on ice...
I leave a little message
on a parked car.
|
Link with 965: Break / Brake.
I was driving into a parking spot and, as I was turning and braking at the same time, my truck gently slid into the back end of the car that was parked there. Fortunately there was no damaage to the parked car other than a little paint smear left behind on the car's fender. |
|
222 [967]
Canine Chatroom
2007-03-20
|
Snow bank...
a dog stops and adds
a passing remark
|
Link with 966: Message.
As the snow piled up over the winter, for some reason, the dogs chose one spot at the end of our sidewalk to leave messages to each other. |
|
223 [968]
A Ruse
2007-03-21
|
A vagrant stops me
for change... his eyes betray
his true need.
|
Link with 967: Stopped.
Not all beggars are in need, not all pose a ruse. |
|
224 [969]
What do I Think?
2007-03-22
|
Supper time...
a phone caller asks
for my opinion.
|
Link with 968: Asking.
Don't you love phone solicitations? Lately there seems to be a lot of opinion surveys. I'm waiting for the survey that asks my opinion of Opinion Surveys. |
|
225 [970]
Ignored
2007-03-23
|
I pass by some
bread crumbs... the pigeons
take no notice.
|
Link with 969: Interruption.
On the side of the walkway someone has thrown down some crumbs for the birds. Of course, the pigeons are most obliging to this and as I come by they heartily peck into their repast. They are so into it that I remain unnoticed to them. Perhaps in the wild I'd be the one oblivious of them and be an object of their carnivorous desire. |
|
226 [971]
The Last Day
2007-03-24
|
Melting snow —
a branch of birch among
chainsaw chips.
|
Link with 970: Crumbs/Chips.
Dad and I go out and cut a load of birch fire wood. I wonder about the fact that the tree had stood there in the bush for 50 or 60 years. It is now in pieces, to be burnt in the fire place over the course of the coming year. |
|
227 [972]
Raw Pieces
2007-03-25
|
Indian reserve...
a deer offered from their
back seat.
|
Link with 971: Pieces.
The place where Dad and I had gone out to get the birch fire wood was near an Indian reservation. We were at the side of the gravel road and in the process of loading the birch logs when a beat-up 1950's car drove up. In the front were three native Indians. The one on the passenger side pointed to the back seat where a freshly shot deer had been cut up into pieces. He asked us if we would like to buy some. |
|
228 [973]
The Catch
2007-03-26
|
An Eskimo waits
at the side of the road...
Caribou hooves.
|
Link with 972: Aboriginal.
I worked in Yellowknife a number of years back. One morning I went out for breakfast and on my way to the restaurant I walked past a Eskimo at the side of one of the streets. At his feet were some Caribou hooves that were tied together. He was standing there as if waiting for someone to pick him up. I inquired with the locals later and found that such a sight was not an uncommon occurrence in the town. |
|
229 [974]
Glimmer
2007-03-27
|
A ray of sunshine
peeks above the tundra:
crack of spring.
|
Link with 973: Arctic.
In the arctic and antarctic the Sun stays below the horizon for half the year and for the other half it is above the horizon. The Arctic is referred to as the land of the midnight sun. Around March 21 every year is a welcome sight when the Sun glints across the tundra for the first time in six months! |
|
230 [975]
Inconvenient Exercise
2007-03-28
|
Morning again...
my daylight savings bank
is still empty.
|
Link with 974: Sunrise.
It has been a couple of weeks and I'm still feeling the effects of the switch to Daylight Savings time. Every Spring and Fall when we go through this I wonder if I'm the only one that wonders if there is a real benefit to this inconvenient exercise. |
|
231 [976]
Bought Later
2007-03-29
|
Another penny
goes into the piggy bank —
new bicycle.
|
Link with 975: Bank.
Saving money was a challenge for many of us when we were kids. It was none of this "buy now, pay later" sort of thing. Every penny earned back then was precious and when that new bike was finally bought it was ridden with a sense of accomplishment and it was treated with great care and respect. |
|
232 [977]
Traveller
2007-03-30
|
Penny on the floor...
whose hands and pockets have you
been in and out of?
|
Link with 976: Penny.
Some coins I find in my change are quite battered and worn. The stories they could tell if they could tell... |
|
233 [978]
A Witness
2007-03-31
|
Rest'rant fork...
how many mouthfuls
of garlic pasta?
|
Link with 977: In and Out.
Like the penny in pockets and purses, an old restaurant fork has helped lift tons of pasta into patrons mouths over the years. Think of the many conversations and romantic interludes to which it has been privy. |
|
234 [979]
Shoe Tree
2007-04-01
|
Budding branch —
an old sneaker hangs
on an elm tree.
|
|
235 [980]
Rural Oddity
2007-04-02
|
A light drizzle
sprinkles an up-turned boot —
fence post.
|
Link with 979: Footwear.
Flipping a boot up-side-down and putting it on a fence post is another rural cultural oddity. There are several ideas on the origin of this. I like the one that says a farmer would use such a boot on a post to indicate his whereabouts to passersby. The boot pointing parallel to the road indicated that he wasn't at home. Pointing toward the house meant he was at home. I would add that perhaps if the boot was missing that it was an indication he was in the field working. |
|
236 [981]
Communication
2007-04-03
|
High chair —
the baby slams a fist
on the bowl.
|
Link with 980: Upturned.
"I said, 'No more carrots!'" |
|
237 [982]
Aroused
2007-04-04
|
Tiny steps
along the fence's edge...
awakened squirrel.
|
Link with 981: Edge.
When I recently saw this it reinforced the feeling of Spring's arrival which, of course, was offset by all the snow still on the ground (which is also still falling today). |
|
238 [983]
Catchment
2007-04-05
|
Her garden shoes
I find on the deck —
spring rain.
|
Link with 982: Landscaping.
At our house this has happened more than a couple of times. |
|
239 [984]
Delivered
2007-04-06
|
Freezing day...
someone forgets again
the milk outside.
|
Link with 983: Left out.
When I was kid you could have milk delivered to your home by a milkman. On a freezing morning, if you forgot to bring in the milk, you'd come home and find milk overflowing or, if it was really cold, the bottles would have burst. |
|
240 [985]
Indulgence
2007-04-07
|
He squirts a shot
at the cat nearby —
milking time.
|
Link with 984: Milk.
The cat so patiently waits and watches. Why not indulge the little critter? |
|
241 [986]
Fashion over Function
2007-04-08
|
A streak of mud
up the boy's back...
fenderless bike.
|
Link with 985: Sprayed.
Although I have recently seen this I also recall experiencing it as a young lad. It was a trend for awhile back then to have bicycles without fenders. That was very cool...until you had to ride it somewhere in the rain. But, of course, fashion over function held sway. |
|
242 [987]
Auto Retirement
2007-04-09
|
Acreage meadow...
a sapling through a wreck's
open windshield.
|
Link with 986: Missing Part.
At one point my Dad had been given a 1952 Chev in bad shape. He had planned on getting it running but eventually we found that it was taking up too much space in the backyard. So one weekend we towed it out to a retired friend's acreage. The friend loved to tinker and fiddle with old cars and would never pass up taking on someone's old wreck. I'll never forget that place with old cars strewn every where. It was like a retirement home for motor vehicles. |
|
243 [988]
Invading Predators
2007-04-10
|
Wild orchard...
Russian poplars overshadow
the old apple.
|
Link with 987: Saplings.
At my friend's farm we recently took a walk out to an old clearing that was once a garden containing a small section that had been an orchard of fruit trees. The garden had last been tended over twenty or thirty years ago. These days the clearing is full of wild saplings and suckers. We made our way through the new growth and eventually my friend was able to find one of the old apple trees. It was still growing but was obviously struggling against invading predators. |
|
244 [989]
The Habit
2007-04-11
|
After school
hunger...Mom says,
"have a banana."
|
Link with 988: Fruit.
Most of the time when we'd come home from school and were asking for a snack it was out of habit. We were often hoping to snag some junk food but Mom's pat answer was always, "have an apple or a banana." Her reasoning was, of course, that she didn't want us to ruin our appetites for supper. |
|
245 [990]
Cycle Renewed
2007-04-12
|
A northern shrike
settles into an old nest...
Spring's return.
|
Link with 989: Need filled.
The return of bird life after a hard winter and the finding of a place to nest are things bearing the advance of the coming Spring and Summer and the renewal of another cycle of life. |
|
246 [991]
A Treasure
2007-04-13
|
Used book —
tucked between pages,
a pressed flower.
|
Link with 990: Re-use.
I recently bought and old book that had been published in 1901. When I got it home I found that someone had used it for pressing flowers. I'm assuming they were put there not long after 1901. The flowers were now gone as I could see a faint outline on many pages. However, on one page I found a flower that was smaller and had remained "hidden" in the crease over the years. What a find. |
|
247 [992]
Proposal
2007-04-14
|
I press my lips
on your delicate hand...
"Marry me?"
|
Link with 991: Pressed.
This is the depiction of an old fashioned proposal complete with one knee down. I'm afraid the marriage proposal to my wife was a little less dramatic and formal. I did tell her a fews weeks prior that if I was to get married that I would want it to be with someone like her. And then one day over lunch I asked her if she had advice on how to tell friends and family that one was getting married. Of course, she wanted to know if I was the one getting married and, as they say, the rest is history. |
|
248 [993]
Plugged
2007-04-15
|
A wad of tobac
under his lower lip...
Spring training.
|
Link with 992: Lip.
It is common knowledge that baseball players have a fancy for chewing tobacco. Here the image is of a player beginning the season's training on the right foot. Or, should I say, on the right cheek? Outside of baseball, the chewing habit has declined in recent years. I once knew someone for years and only recently discovered that he had been secretly chewing tobacco all that time when it came to light that he had developed cancer of the mouth. |
|
249 [994]
Mache Munitions
2007-04-16
|
His spitball
gets closer than mine...
moving target.
|
Link with 993: Wad.
Spitballs are small bits of paper that have been chewed and mixed with saliva. In Junior High school we'd compete to see who could hit a wall from the furthest away. Sometimes we'd try to hit a moving target. Another thing we'd try and do was to see who could make the biggest wad that could stick to the ceiling. We weren't always around to see the ones come down that didn't stick permanently. |
|
250 [995]
Bittersweet
2007-04-17
|
I lick a stamp
for the letter to her...
all-day drizzle.
|
Link with 994: Wet paper.
Although a day of drizzle can seem dreary and dismal, for me it actually generates a comforting, cozy feeling. Writing a letter to a loved one on such a day can be a bittersweet experience. |
|
251 [996]
Expectations
2007-04-18
|
An email received
without the attachment...
three days later.
|
Link with 995: Mail / Email.
It is a little embarrassing when you send an email to someone, promise to include an attachment, and then forget to attach it. It is even worse if you are on the receiving end and have been expected to do something with the attachment but you only discover the problem several days after you've received the email. |
|
252 [997]
Feline Sprigs
2007-04-19
|
Pussy-willows —
each bud as soft as
a kitten's paw
|
Link with 996: Attached.
It's amazing how something growing out of a tree can feel so much like something on the foot of an animal. |
|
253 [998]
Shared Tidbit
2007-04-20
|
Avocado maki...
her chopsticks lift
one of mine.
|
Link with 997: Soft.
...a shared tidbit during a romantic Japanese dinner together. |
|
254 [999]
Close Call
2007-04-21
|
A frog escapes
from an egret's beak...
rising sun.
|
Link with 998: Chopsticks / Beak.
Some days I feel like this frog, other days like the egret. |
|
255 [1000]
Coming to Me
2007-04-22
|
These words
arise from deep within...
ink on paper.
|
Link with 999: Escape.
This poem, the 1000th recorded in my haiku log, describes the mystery in how most of these haiku are created. They often come to me at odd times like in the shower or walking somewhere. When I get a chance I write them in a Moleskin notebook and later transfer them to the Masago blog (thus "ink on paper").
The link with #999 is "Escape". This is also appropriate in that 1000 marks the "escape" from three-digit posts to four-digit posts. |
|
256 [1001]
Fishing Fever
2007-04-23
|
Safety-pin hook —
the boy casts his line
into a puddle.
|
Link with 1000: Deep / Not deep.
I'm not so interested in fishing these days. At one time though, when I was about six years old, I was really into it. I'd fish with my Dad on vacations and at home I'd take a stick, some string, a safety pin, and try my luck in a mud puddle...Id even try fishing through a sewer grating. |
|
257 [1002]
Wet Sheets
2007-04-24
|
Clothes line —
the family's laundry aired
for all to see.
|
Link with 1001: Line.
Before there were automatic dryers folks would hang their laundry outside on cloths lines. In the winters here in Alberta the laundry would freeze into sheets of ice. So instead, they would hang them inside on special wooden clothes drying racks. |
|
258 [1003]
Future Einsteins
2007-04-25
|
Science fair —
some projects reflect
parental mentoring.
|
Link with 1002: Exhibit.
I never had the opportunity to compete in a science fair but have attended a few. I enjoyed the creativity and work that many of the kids had put into their projects. In some of them it was possible to see that their parents had provided a lot of help, in other cases it was apparent there hadn't been so much help provided. |
|
259 [1004]
Reversion
2007-04-26
|
Spring flurry...
yesterday's rivulet, back
to its source.
|
Link with 1003: Back to its Source.
Spring! Can she ever make up her mind? One day its warm out and the snow melts into rivulets. The next day a flurry blows and the rivulets are covered with snow. |
|
260 [1005]
First Up
2007-04-27
|
Rhubarb shoots
poke through fresh snow...
late spring.
|
Link with 1004: Flurry.
I recently saw this. Other than a few hardy weeds it was the first thing to pop up in our back yard. |
|
261 [1006]
Hockey Night
2007-04-28
|
He shoots, he scores...
a tennis ball sails between
a rock and a shoe.
|
Link with 1005: Shoots.
In the old days kids made do with what they had available and that included street hockey equipment. |
|
262 [1007]
Through the Mud
2007-04-29
|
Two-by-fours
laid down for a sidewalk...
new home.
|
Link with 1006: Makeshift.
Usually when you have a new house built the landscaping is either not done or it is minimal. This is especially true in the back yard. With our first home the builder provided nothing in the backyard. That first Spring all we had was a path through the mud at the back that was made from spare scraps of lumber and broken sidewalk blocks. |
|
263 [1008]
Home History
2007-04-30
|
We buy a home
that is seventy years old...
who was here?
|
Link with 1007: New/Old Home.
Our house we currently live in was built in 1932. Often when I see little nicks or scuffs around the house I wonder about the different folks who have lived here down through the years. A couple of years ago a Christmas card arrived addressed to what appeared to be a former owner. I looked him up and discovered he had indeed lived here. I invited him over for coffee and found that he had bought the house from the original owners in the early 1960's. They sold it to some folks in 1986, the same folks who in turn sold it to us in 1995. We enjoyed hearing many things from him about how they had enjoyed the house and what he knew about its history. |
|
264 [1009]
On Your Side
2007-05-01
|
Used car seller:
"Let me take this deal
to the Manager."
|
Link with 1008: Previously owned.
My first car was a 1972 Toyota Corolla. Fortunately I had an experienced friend with me and he helped me haggle the price down a bit via this age-old buyer-salesman-manager process. |
|
265 [1010]
Kid's Pad
2007-05-02
|
Another baby
in the family... the boy goes
to the cellar suite.
|
Link with 1009: Seller / Cellar.
In the early days when my baby brother arrived on the scene our family needed more room. I therefore got to move into the basement and, of course, I didn't mind. What kid wouldn't want a whole pad to himself? |
|
266 [1011]
Chilvilrous Gesture
2007-05-03
|
He offers her
his seat... two blocks
from his stop.
|
Link with 1010: Replaced.
We were taught growing up that on a bus one was to give up one's seat to the elderly and to ladies. Not all such gestures, though, had completely chivalrous motives. |
|
267 [1012]
Left
2007-05-04
|
He wakes up
riding the bus... only
the driver remains.
|
Link with 1011: Bus ride.
This never happened to me but it came close to happening back in the days when I used to ride the bus. I have heard of others that have done this...waking up in an empty bus way out in some subdivision. It is apparently a very disorienting feeling. |
|
268 [1013]
Into Overtime
2007-05-05
|
Lecture hall —
I awaken to the voice
of a different prof.
|
Link with 1012: Waking up.
Again, this didn't happen to me but I witnessed it one day when I was in University. It was in an Economics lecture theatre that seated 500 students. The class had just started when the Professor made some remarks about a student near the front. Just then a young lad got up and sheepishly walked out of the room. He had apparently fallen asleep in the previous class and had just woken up as our class began. |
|
269 [1014]
Message Relay
2007-05-06
|
Our yelps echo
long after we're gone...
mocking bird.
|
Link with 1013: Voice.
Many years ago our family and my Uncle's family went on a twelve-mile hike together at Waterton National Park. In those days my cousin and I had developed a distinctive yelping kind shout that we'd use when we wanted to locate each other in the woods. At the beginning of the hike we practiced our yelp to one other. My father and sister had stayed back at the starting point of the hike as my sister had a sore foot and couldn't walk too far. They told us later that after quite some time of hearing our yelping that they began to wonder why my cousin and I were still within earshot. When they further investigated things they discovered that a mocking bird had taken up calling out our emergency signal. |
|
270 [1015]
Diversity within Uniformity
2007-05-07
|
Sunny beach —
each successive wave,
almost the same.
|
Link with 1014: Repeating.
When I am at the sea shore I love just sitting and watching the waves come in, over and over again. Each one is different yet each one is more or less the same. |
|
271 [1016]
Crystal Clear
2007-05-08
|
Rocket radio —
I tune in to hear
the top ten.
|
Link with 1015: Waves.
In the late 1950's and early 1960's, before the era of transistors and later Walkmans and ipods, you could buy little radio sets that were in the shape of a rocket. You would twist the body of the rocket to tune in different stations. As it was a crystal radio it didn't need batteries and the volume was, of course, limited. The top ten reference is that back then local radio stations would announce and play the top ten pop hit songs of the week.
http://tinyurl.com/33wgx6 |
|
272 [1017]
Across the Sky
2007-05-09
|
Clear night —
"Dad, a star's moving,
right there!"
|
Link with 1016: Rocket / satellite.
I remember standing outside in the backyard with my Dad looking up at the stars and seeing for the first time what looked like tiny stars moving across the sky. Dad explained that those were satellites and that the ones that moved north-and-south were the Russian satellites." |
|
273 [1018]
Suddenly
2007-05-10
|
Tiny green
buds... first walk
without a coat.
|
Link with 1017: Small movement.
Not too long ago it seemed like our first chance to take a walk outside without needing to wear a coat and it corresponded with noticing for the first time the little green sprigs that were appearing on all the trees and shrubs. |
|
274 [1019]
Left Behinds
2007-05-11
|
Her puppy
stops... a plastic bag
in her hand.
|
Link with 1018: Walking.
There is a by-law here in Edmonton that pet owners are required to pick up any undesirable things that their pets may leave behind on lawns or other private and/or public property. |
|
275 [1020]
Lodged
2007-05-12
|
Spring wind...
a shopping bag lifts
onto a treetop.
|
Link with 1019: Bag.
The yellow plastic bag I saw stuck up in that tree likely blew there over the winter. With the way it was lodged there it is quite possible it will remain so until next winter. A day or so later we were driving in the same area and a little piece of cardboard flew up and stuck right against the rear-view mirror. Stopping, accelerating, and turning sharp corners did nothing to dislodge it. It wasn't till we reached our destination that it finally came off. |
|
276 [1021]
Swinging
2007-05-13
|
The boys cross
the wooded countryside,
tree to tree.
|
Link with 1020: Treetop.
My Dad and his three brothers grew up on a farm. There was a lot of bush nearby where the cows would wander and graze during the day. It was the boys' job to round up the cows before night time so they would be milked. They found a good way to cover a lot of densely-covered ground quickly by climbing the slender poplars and swinging from tree to tree. |
|
277 [1022]
As if by Miracle
2007-05-14
|
Green field —
O sprouts, where were you
all winter?
|
Link with 1021: Countryside.
All winter long the field lay frozen under a blanket of wind-swept snow. Now, at the beginning of Spring, and as if by miracle, the entire field comes alive. |
|
278 [1023]
Up for Air?
2007-05-15
|
Spring rain...
a worm stretches out
on a patio block.
|
Link with 1022: Sudden appearance.
When it rains worms seem to come out of nowhere and you often see them on the sidewalks and the roads. I assume it is because it gets waterlogged down there in the dirt. If I was one of them I think I'd come up for air too. |
|
279 [1024]
On the Bottom
2007-05-16
|
Waterlogged...
ripple reflections dance
on the surface.
|
Link with 1023: Waterlogged.
In a mountain lake the water is usually fresh and crystal clear. In this haiku there is an image of an old waterlogged piece of wood at the bottom of the lake. Its reflection on the surface of the water is rippled by a gentle mountain breeze. |
|
280 [1025]
The Whining
2007-05-17
|
Lake path —
Dad piggybacks me
on the return.
|
Link with 1024: Lakeside.
When I was about five the family went on a camping trip to the mountains. There is a place called Lake Louise where a lovely path winds along one side of the Lake. My sister and I were okay walking to the end of the lake but on the way back we both started whining about how tired we were. We were pleased with the solution that Mom and Dad eventually came up with. |
|
281 [1026]
Uncivil Welcome
2007-05-18
|
Falcon's return...
a female rival occupies
the old nest.
|
Link with 1025: Return.
This happened in the Spring of 2007 at the University of Alberta. The biologists had tracked a female perigon falcon all the way to Central America on its wintering flight. When she got back this spring another female had gotten there first and had taken over the nest and her mate. An all out fight ensued and the two took flight to a nearby backyard. After a couple of similar tussles over the course of a day or two the returning female flew off, apparently to find another mate. Ironically, this falcon did the same thing to an incumbent female the previous year. |
|
282 [1027]
Sparks?
2007-05-19
|
A walk with
my girlfriend... we meet
an old flame.
|
Link with 1026: Rivals.
Oops... |
|
283 [1028]
Embers
2007-05-20
|
Fireplace
video... a flashback
to last winter.
|
Link with 1027: Flame.
During the Christmas holidays the local cable provider reserves a channel for playing a video of burning logs in a fireplace. Over the course of two hours the logs go from being lit to becoming a roaring, crackling fire, to ending up being a layer of glowing embers. |
|
284 [1029]
Surprise!
2007-05-21
|
Front lawn —
he awakens to find forty
pink flamingos.
|
Link with 1028: Artificial.
I'm not sure how widespread this is but here you can rent pink flamingos from a local firm for celebrating someone's birthday. The company sets them up on the lawn and they remove them at the end of the following day. A prank is to order them for a friend when it isn't his/her birthday. |
|
285 [1030]
Concealed
2007-05-22
|
Another birthday —
his party hat covers more
skin than it does hair.
|
Link with 1029: Birthday.
This is one of the aspects of growing older that affects some to a greater degree than others. |
|
286 [1031]
Majesty
2007-05-23
|
Wing tip
to soaring wing tip —
bald eagle.
|
Link with 1030: Baldness.
I recently saw a picture of this amazing bird...what majesty as it soars high over the mountain valley! |
|
287 [1032]
Pilot Error
2007-05-24
|
No wings:
my model helicopter
takes a dive.
|
Link with 1031: Wings.
A few months ago I bought a radio-controlled helicopter. It was a lot of fun flying it around the living room. However, not long after I got it, I was flying it one evening and it got a little too close to the furniture. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pull it back in time and the plastic propellers came down on the wooden edge of a chair. Needless to say it was back to the store the next day for some new propellers. |
|
288 [1033]
The Accidental Pugilist
2007-05-25
|
Play fight...
I break a kid's tooth
with my fist.
|
Link with 1032: Broken.
When I was younger I wasn't that into fighting. But one time in the fifth grade a few of us after school were fooling around in the school yard pretending to throw punches. By accident one of my punches extended a bit too far and I accidentally knocked a chunk out of a kid's tooth. The kid wasn't that upset but his Mom and Dad were not happy at all. |
|
289 [1034]
Building Dreams
2007-05-26
|
Sand box...
we build a new city
in a day.
|
Link with 1033: Pretend.
When building a dream seemed so easy... |
|
290 [1035]
Here to There
2007-05-27
|
Hour glass —
each grain awaits
its passing.
|
Link with 1034: Sand.
Slowly but surely every grain of sand awaits its turn to pass through the narrow passageway between the upper and lower chambers. Perhaps this is not unlike each of our own lives in this world. |
|
291 [1036]
Progress?
2007-05-28
|
Her old dress'
zipper begins to split...
New diet.
|
Link with 1035: Squeezing.
Often with a new diet one becomes overly optimistic about the progress that's been made. |
|
292 [1037]
The Door
2007-05-29
|
Kitchen door
height marks... Grandma
moves out.
|
Link with 1036: Measuring progress.
When we'd visit our Grandma she'd often get us to stand against the back of the kitchen door where she would mark off our height and write the date. With eleven grand children there were many marks on door when she eventually moved out to a senior citizen's home. |
|
293 [1038]
Another Purpose
2007-05-30
|
Fire hydrant
snow rod... tracking
the grass' height.
|
Link with 1037: Measuring height.
For the winter the City puts up yellow rods that are attached to the tops of fire hydrants. I suppose it is so firemen can quickly locate the hydrants when the hydrants are buried under the snow. In some years there is a delay in taking the rods down for the summer and so they end up serving an unintentional purpose. |
|
294 [1039]
Environmental Novice
2007-05-31
|
Green gardener —
red worms are fed
organic onions.
|
Link with 1038: Grass / Green.
Here is a play on the word "green" in that the gardener is trying to be environmental through composting. He is a novice, though, as is evidenced by the fact that he apparently doesn't know that red worms, which are commonly used for composting, happily feed on most vegetable and fruit scraps, except onions and citrus. |
|
295 [1040]
Brown Blanket
2007-06-01
|
Spring lawn...
last autumn's leaves
uplifted.
|
Link with 1039: Mulch.
Shortly after the snow melted this year I noticed something on our front lawn. It was like a light brown blanket suspended above the new grass that was springing up. The brown blanket was the layer of leaves that had fallen last autumn that we had never got around to raking up. |
|
296 [1041]
Puppy Love
2007-06-02
|
First grader:
"That's my teacher, some day
we're marrying.
|
Link with 1040: Lifted up.
Sometimes puppy love begins early. |
|
297 [1042]
Passing the Torch
2007-06-03
|
Row of ducklings...
some day each may lead
their own.
|
Link with 1041: Future day.
Parent/child, Mentor/Protege, Teacher/Student, are other examples of the relationship portrayed in this haiku. |
|
298 [1043]
Picture Window View
2007-06-04
|
Colombia River...
several logs float by
in the rain.
|
Link with 1042: In a row.
My folks used to live in British Colombia at the Southern end of the Arrow Lakes, not too far from where the Colombia River flows across the border into Washington. I have fond memories of visiting them in the Summer when my brother and I would swim across to the other side and back (the water was really cold). Sometimes it rained hard and we'd come inside and look out the picture window at the breathtaking view of the Colombia as it flowed by. |
|
299 [1044]
A Twinge
2007-06-05
|
Disposable wooden
chop sticks... another sushi,
another timber.
|
Link with 1043: Log / Timber.
...just a little thought I had the other day while eating some Japanese fast-food. |
|
300 [1045]
Renewal
2007-06-06
|
It's tongue licks
every branch and twig...
forest fire.
|
Link with 1044: Consume.
Even now, many forest fires are natural events. Before the advent of civilization it was one of the ways that nature effected renewal. |
|
301 [1046]
Fireworks
2007-06-07
|
Solar surface...
masses of plasma flare
into the heights.
|
Link with 1045: Fire.
A coronal mass ejection is an explosion inside the sun that ejects a huge quantity of plasma into space. The plasma, composed of highly energetic particles, streams outwards, sometime striking Earth, where it can create stunning Aurorae, interfere with satellites in orbit, and in severe cases, can even knock out electricity supplies.
See:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/13/sun_mini_cme/ |
|
302 [1047]
A Long Way
2007-06-08
|
The distance to our
Milky Way's other side...
how far's that?
|
Link with 1046: Celestial.
Light from the opposite side of the Milky Way would have traveled over 18 billion miles and have taken about 90 thousand years to get here. Who can really fathom how far that is?
Of course, light from the opposite side of our galaxy never gets to us as it is blocked by the incredible dense cluster of stars at the galaxy's centre. |
|
303 [1048]
Skip, Skip, Skip...
2007-06-09
|
Still pond...
each skip leaves
a tiny kiss.
|
Link with 1047: Disk-like.
As a youngster I learned how to skip rocks on a lake or pond. I was shown to start with a flat, disk-shaped stone and then to fling it with a spin at a shallow angle toward the body of water. I was thrilled when I eventually got it to skip several times without it just hitting the water with a "Sploop". |
|
304 [1049]
Dark and Wet
2007-06-10
|
A stone plunges
to the bottom... joins
others there.
|
Link with 1048: Thrown stone.
Over the years it is likely many stones have been throw or skipped into the pond. The stone now in my hand has been basking in the sun for hundreds of years. I now toss it into the lake where it will sink down to a dark, wet place on the bottom. How long will it stay there? How long before it again "sees" the light of day? |
|
305 [1050]
Adoption
2007-06-11
|
Gone for food...
a cowbird sneaks in, and
leaves a gift.
|
Link with 1049: Joining others.
Cowbirds are parasitic in that they lay eggs in other bird's nests, to be raised by another mother. |
|
306 [1051]
En Route
2007-06-12
|
Summer morning...
loud, honking geese
fly overhead.
|
Link with 1050: Coming & going.
I heard this from inside the house early one morning. Why was the honking so loud? Perhaps the geese were happy to be almost to their summer destination after flying so far from their winter retreat. Or maybe they were thinking, "Man, is this city ever going to end?" |
|
307 [1052]
Cranked Up
2007-06-13
|
Driving in traffic —
the loud, rumbling sound
of an earthquake.
|
Link with 1051: Loud noise.
Some guys like to crank up their in-car stereo systems to the point that it almost sounds like their cars are bouncing down the street! |
|
308 [1053]
Unplugged
2007-06-14
|
A walk in the park...
someone without an iPod
or a cell phone.
|
Link with 1052: Portable music.
Electronic devices seem so ubiquitous these days! To find someone without something plugged into his face is an oddity. |
|
309 [1054]
Drifting off
2007-06-15
|
I try snoozing
but a crow caws...
and caws.
|
Link with 1053: Without.
I took a snooze one Sunday afternoon not long ago. I nicely drifted off when all of a sudden I heard the sound of a big old crow outside the window: "Caw, caw". Then it was quiet for awhile. But then again, as I fell asleep, it cawed again. This continued for over half an hour until a second crow joined in, "Caw, caw", "Caw caw"... |
|
310 [1055]
Obstacle
2007-06-16
|
A tumbling bag
joins another at the fence —
windy afternoon.
|
Link with 1054: Joining another.
Sometimes an obstacle confronts our forward progress. It is shallow comfort to find that another has already succumbed to the blandishments of everyday living. |
|
311 [1056]
Lost Lucre
2007-06-17
|
Amidst debris
against a chain link:
a twenty note.
|
Link with 1055: Against a fence.
This is a depiction of something that occurred with my Dad. He was taking my sister and me to see a train go by and on the way he spotted a twenty dollar bill amidst the litter that had blown against a nearby fence. |
|
312 [1057]
Keep it Going
2007-06-18
|
In the mail,
a chain-letter... the promise
of bad fortune.
|
Link with 1056: Chain.
I'm not sure if it is as common these days but I recall when I was younger getting chain letters in the mail. They'd contain promises of fortune and happiness. But you had to make copies of the letter and send them to ten others. There was usually a story of someone who failed to keep the chain going who ended up suffering some terrible tragedy (e.g. broken leg, getting sick, or even dying). It reminds me of what we get these days with emails that warn of some terrible virus that urge you to forward it on to everyone in your address book. |
|
313 [1058]
Swinging By
2007-06-19
|
Silk Hat cafe...
he stops for a bite and
the teacup reader.
|
Link with 1057: Fortune.
The Silk Hat restaurant in downtown Edmonton, Alberta opened in 1912. It was originally named the "The Golden Spike" and was one of the oldest, continuously operating restaurants in Edmonton. It closed its doors for the last time at the end of May, 2007 to make way for a new building development. As for the haiku, was the subject more interested in the reading or the reader? |
|
314 [1059]
Something Different
2007-06-20
|
Side walk —
a twig the robin pecks at
starts to move.
|
Link with 1058: Stopping for food.
Sometimes our first impression of something turns out to be something quite different. |
|
315 [1060]
Another Journey
2007-06-21
|
Rising tide —
a piece of driftwood
lifts gently.
|
Link with 1059: Starting to move.
Perhaps this piece of driftwood settled on to the beach at a previous high tide. Now, today, as the tide comes in, it is re-lifted back into the surf for another journey on the high seas. |
|
316 [1061]
Caught
2007-06-22
|
A plastic bottle
at the waterfall's base —
bobbing, tumbling...
|
Link with 1060: Floating debris.
A tiny waterfall we visited in BC was a catch for bits of flotsam and jetsam including fishing floats and empty pop bottles. They seemed to tumble around at the base of the waterfall endlessly. |
|
317 [1062]
Cause's Rising
2007-06-23
|
A glass of pop —
streams of tiny bubbles
start from nothing.
|
Link with 1061: Bobbing / Bubbling.
The rise of carbon dioxide and global warming... can these tiny little objects be part of such a catastrophic phenomena? |
|
318 [1063]
Patience
2007-06-24
|
A row of beans
planted, not one sprouts...
the next day.
|
Link with 1062: From nothing / From something.
It is sometimes hard to wait for results to happen. In this case a child plants a garden and is a little disappointed when nothing comes up the next day (even though Mom said not to expect anything for at least a week or two). |
|
319 [1064]
Nightly Solace
2007-06-25
|
Mom & Dad
tuck us in... I can
sleep now.
|
Link with 1063: Planted in a row.
Our little world didn't seem quite right until both Mom and Dad came and tucked us in for the night. |
|
320 [1065]
Mobile Baby Bed
2007-06-26
|
Collapsible crib...
the baby will only sleep
within it.
|
Link with 1064: Sleeping kids.
My Dad built a crib that could be taken apart and re-assembled quickly. My parents had discovered that I would not fall asleep anywhere but in my crib. |
|
321 [1066]
Wake-up Call
2007-06-27
|
Early morning
awakening... bear paws
on the tent.
|
Link with 1065: Collapsible.
On our first camping trip in the mountains after we got married we had a frightening bear experience. That night we were abruptly awakened shortly before dawn. It was the sound of a bear putting his paws against the tent. The tent shook but it luckily held up. I instinctively yelled out a roar as loud as I could and fortunately it scared off the bear. We, however, remained anxious until we had packed up and moved on. I think that morning we had skipped making breakfast. |
|
322 [1067]
Without Tent
2007-06-28
|
Lakeside beach —
we count stars from within
our sleeping bags.
|
Link with 1066: Tent / No tent.
I haven't done this often but I did try it a few times as a lad. The experience is quite invigorating, especially in bear country. |
|
323 [1068]
Self Redefinition
2007-06-29
|
A creek flows
into the sea... its bank,
yesterday's sandbar.
|
Link with 1067: Beach.
At the Pacific Rim Park on Vancouver Island there are lovely driftwood-strewn beaches. When we were last there I was fascinated by a creek flowing into the sea. It constantly redefined itself as its banks eroded in the sand and the course of the stream kept changing. But, of course, it all got "wiped clean" again at the next high tide. |
|
324 [1069]
Final Touches
2007-06-30
|
We rush
to add another spire...
rising tide.
|
Link with 1068: Erosion.
The rising tide will inevitably reduce our fancy sand castle to flat sand. Nevertheless we rush to add those final touches. It reminds me a little of other areas in life, like global warming. |
|
325 [1070]
Left Behind
2007-07-01
|
Space station...
another module connected
before the return.
|
Link with 1069: Adding a component.
It is interesting to note that the International Space Station (ISS) started out with two modules left behind by a Space Shuttle mission in 1998. On succeeding trips other modules were added. Eventually, on November 2, 2000, enough was in place that the first crew was able to stay behind. There has been a continuous presence on the ISS since then:
http://tinyurl.com/2vfkfn |
|
326 [1071]
Rear View
2007-07-02
|
A last glimpse
of the Rockies... back
to other mountains.
|
Link with 1070: Returning.
We live about 350 Kilometres (aprox. 220 Miles) from the nearest mountain. So when returning home from a trip to them I often glance back through the rear-view mirror and say a little goodbye as the last view of them disappears into the horizon. I then turn to face the road back home. |
|
327 [1072]
Gone
2007-07-03
|
Ocean liner —
his pocket watch slips
overboard.
|
Link with 1071: Last glimpse.
My grandfather used to tell us the story of this fellow he knew that was traveling to England on an ocean steamer. A mile or so from docking he pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. To his horror the precious heirloom slipped out of his hand and over the rail into the sea below. A few days later on shore, he explained what had happened to a friend. The friend kindly offered to get in touch with someone he know who organized some divers who went out and amazingly retrieved the watch from the briny depths. |
|
328 [1073]
Embryonic Cooks
2007-07-04
|
Birthday breakfast...
"D'ya think Dad'll notice
the eggshells?"
|
Link with 1072: Slipping in.
It was always a thrill to make breakfast for Mom and Dad, especially if it was for one of their birthday's. Of course, we had a lot to learn about cooking... |
|
329 [1074]
Interruption
2007-07-05
|
Playing outside...
Mom calls, "Come in
for piano practice.
|
Link with 1073: Parent-child relations.
Just when the playing got going good, it seemed as though something or someone would come along and interrupt the fun. :-) |
|
330 [1075]
Night Terrors
2007-07-06
|
Crack of thunder
in the night... a frightened
fawn awakens.
|
Link with 1074: Young one outside.
Once in awhile a severe thunder storm at night comes along with a crack of thunder so loud it sounds like a bomb going off. I can only imagine how frightening it is for animals such as deer, especially their young ones. |
|
331 [1076]
Locomotive Locution
2007-07-07
|
Drifting off
to sleep... train sounds
in the distance.
|
Link with 1075: Night sounds.
I believe it is commonly felt that it is comforting to hear the sound of a train in the night. Around here at about midnight we can often hear locomotives shunting cars around the yard which is amazing as the yard is on the other side of the city. What is more amazing are people who live right next to train tracks. Some folks we know in this situation said that after living there for years that they got used to it. They added that one night when the train did not go past at its usual time the silence actually woke them up! |
|
332 [1077]
Squashed
2007-07-08
|
A thundering steel
bull... leaves behind
a copper petal.
|
Link with 1076: Train.
When I was a kid we enjoyed watching trains rumble by. At one point we got the idea of putting a penny on the track. We'd fetch the squashed results later when the train had passed by. |
|
333 [1078]
Still Dripping
2007-07-09
|
Lush elm...
after the downpour leaves
glisten in the Sun.
|
Link with 1077: Left behind.
Shortly after a heavy downpour we take refuge in a pizza joint. While enjoying a slice I notice out the window, across the street, a tall, lush elm. It is still dripping from the storm. The afternoon sun has just started peaking through the passing storm clouds. The glistening leaves on the elm look like thousands of sparkling diamonds. |
|
334 [1079]
Call 911
2007-07-10
|
Funnel cloud...
only moments earlier
an eerie silence.
|
Link with 1078: Before/after a storm.
In 1987 Edmonton suffered the largest tornado in its recorded history. It was also the second-deadliest in Canadian history. As a weather event it was horrific: 27 people killed, 600 injured, 1,700 left homeless, and damage was estimated at $300 million. On that fateful day I recall leaving work around 4:00 pm. All I knew at the time was that there had been a severe thunderstorm warning. But by 4:00 pm, twenty or so kilometres to the Southeast, the tornado had already touched down and was on its northerly rampage. I recall that when I left the office the air was hot, humid, and was incredibly still and quiet. Something did not seem quite right and only later was I to learn why. |
|
335 [1080]
Cloud Nine
2007-07-11
|
We go into
the centre of a cloud —
alpine summit.
|
Link with 1079: Cloud.
Occasionally when driving in the mountains you will come to a summit which is usually at quite a high altitude. Unless you happen to be in the middle of a drought you will invariably observe little clouds here and there. Sometimes the clouds are much larger and, if you're "lucky", the road will take you through one of them. But once inside the cloud you may likely feel a little disappointed. It will only be like driving through a fog. |
|
336 [1081]
Heady Aroma
2007-07-12
|
Alpine meadow...
a cool breeze carries
the scent of pine.
|
Link with 1080: Alpine.
Peyto Lake nestles serenely among the Banff park Rockies. There is an easily assessable viewpoint that overlooks the lake providing an exhilarating panorama of the lake and the nearby valley that you can see off into the far distance:
http://www.pbase.com/image/19819268
At that altitude there are alpine-like wildflowers, moss, lichen, cool breezes and the heady scent of pine. |
|
337 [1082]
Flight of the Butterfly
2007-07-13
|
Cedar trellis...
a butterfly just here is now
on the clematis.
|
Link with 1081: Pine / Cedar.
At the garden centre today, we walk down a path. Without warning a lovely little butterfly flutters out in front of us, flitting this way, then that way... up, then down. Suddenly, it lands on a clematis blossom. Wings swing gently up... swing gently down. |
|
338 [1083]
Imperceptibly
2007-07-14
|
Dark flashes
against a twilight sky —
flitting bats.
|
Link with 1082: Flitting motion.
San Fernando, Trinidad: As evening descends and the Sun dips below the horizon we look out from the veranda at the city skyline. Almost imperceptibly, out of the corner of an eye, something flitters against the twilight sky. Then there's another one, and a little later, yet another one. It is supper time for the neigbourhood bats. |
|
339 [1084]
Who's on First?
2007-07-15
|
High hit...
the boy sprints to first,
bat in hand.
|
Link with 1083: Bat.
I do not play much baseball these days but when I was a lad it was a daily thing during the Summer. I recall when I first started learning how to play I had a hard time remembering to drop the bat when I succeeded in hitting the ball. |
|
340 [1085]
Scotch on the Rock
2007-07-17
|
A sparrow hops
from one square to another —
chalk outline.
|
Link with 1084: Children's game.
It is often amusing to witness a non-human creature unintentionally do something "human". |
|
341 [1086]
Ordnance
2007-07-16
|
Startled visitor...
the monkey grabs a bit
more poo.
|
Link with 1085: Animal/human interaction.
Monkeys do what monkeys do... |
|
342 [1087]
Anticipation
2007-07-18
|
She pours a drink
for me... expecting orange
I taste cola!
|
Link with 1086: Startled.
Once in awhile it happens where you have a strong anticipation of a flavour and it turns out to be something different. It is especially startling if the the act of drinking is a background task. For example, taking a sip of a freshly poured pop while reading an engrossing book. |
|
343 [1088]
Expecting
2007-07-19
|
Falling, falling...
before I hit the ground
it's morning.
|
Link with 1087: Expecting.
I've had this dream experience at least a couple of times in my life. The inspiration, though, for this haiku was partly inspired by the following by Iida Dakotsu:
Before my eyes
a hollyhock; on it a snake,
I wake from a nap.
From Modern Japanese Haiku, An Anthology by Makoto Ueda, p. 110. |
|
344 [1089]
Imitating Life
2007-07-20
|
A dragonfly
on the grass... so still
as if not dead.
|
Link with 1088: Not dead / Dead.
I saw this on a walk we took recently around the neighbourhood. A dragonfly was on the grass right near the sidewalk. I was surprised that it didn't move as I got closer to it. In fact, it didn't even flinch when I picked it up! Of course, it was dead but in its death it came close to imitating life. |
|
345 [1090]
Catching Rays
2007-07-21
|
An outcrop,
just a rock... suddenly
a dragonfly.
|
Link with 1089: Dragonfly.
At a Japanese Garden:
We turn a corner in a side-path and come upon an outcrop in the side of a grassy knoll. Just as I begin to admire the rock formation and to appreciate how it has been naturally placed, a dragonfly suddenly appears. It is as if it wished to be framed in this natural setting, just for my benefit. Of course, it was likely just catching a few rays of sunshine. |
|
346 [1091]
Parking Too
2007-07-22
|
A seagull descends
upon the empty space...
handicap zone.
|
Link with 1090: Appearing suddenly.
Nature seldom has any regard for man's "rules". One sunny afternoon after a visit to our favorite coffee shop we came out and I saw a seagull as described in this haiku. Perhaps it had come for a "coffee" too. |
|
347 [1092]
Abused
2007-07-23
|
Stray dogs...
a three-legged pushed aside
by the others
|
Link with 1091: Challenged.
We stay at a beach house in Trinidad. A few stray dogs soon appear and beg for scraps. One of them, with only three legs, hobbles around and looks scraggly, tattered, skinny, and scarred. The other dogs push it aside when a few meager morsels are tossed in their direction. We get a kick out of watching this dog standing in the sun on its three legs. Sometimes it starts to to fall asleep doing this but invariably it catches itself just in time before falling over. This dog reminds me a little of people who are abused and underprivileged. |
|
348 [1093]
Exposure
2007-07-24
|
Bikini top...
a rising wave reveals
a sun tan.
|
Link with 1092: Missing part.
Sometimes nature has its way. |
|
349 [1094]
Living Wave
2007-07-25
|
Surging body
masses... it's our turn
to stand up.
|
Link with 1093: Rising wave.
At sporting events we have what's called "The Wave". I'd heard about it and had seen it on TV. A number of years ago I had a chance to experience it at a hockey game. It was cool to be a part of a living wave. |
|
350 [1095]
With Precision
2007-07-26
|
Full moon
overhead... what holds you
on your course?
|
Link with 1094: Mass.
Sometimes when the moon is right overhead it is easy to ponder what keeps it hanging up there and what keeps it going on its precise course. Of course, the scientific answer is simple and obvious but I think there is something deeper and and more fundamental. It continues to hold my fascination every time I see it up there above the pine trees. |
|
351 [1096]
Coming Down
2007-07-27
|
Ferris wheel...
the ground rises up beneath
our feet.
|
Link with 1095: Look up / Look down.
I'm at the summer fair. Mom has taken me and my sister and we have gone on most of the rides and seen many of the events and attractions. At the end of the night we get to go on a giant ferris wheel. We get to the top and it stops. Up here we can see for miles all around and down below are all the rides, people, and lights everywhere. Even the noise down below seems a long ways away. |
|
352 [1097]
Huge
2007-07-28
|
Milk bottle
rings... I win a bear
bigger than me.
|
Link with 1096: Fair Grounds.
That day that Mom took us to the summer fair I won a huge stuffed panda bear. It was literally bigger than I was. I won it at a ring-the-bottle game. They'd give you three rings for a quarter. You would then drop them down onto rows of empty milk bottles. The goal was to get a ring to fall onto the neck of one of the bottles. I recall the rings were made of wood and must been weighted on one side as they seemed to flip vertically before slipping between the bottles. On my third try, the ring somehow bounced off a bottle and perfectly landed over another bottle for a ringer. My eyes got huge as the man reluctantly handed me a teddy bear. I recall bringing it home on the bus and then dragging it all over the neigbourhood showing it to all my friends. |
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353 [1098]
Climbing Higher
2007-07-29
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Greased pole —
Dirt from my pocket
helps my reach.
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Link with 1097: Contesting.
When I was kid a local strip mall had a mini-fair with a few small rides and some fast-food booths. In the middle of the parking lot they put up telephone pole. They then slathered it with grease and nailed a $100 bill to the top and challenged folks to try climb up and get it. Of course, it was amusing to see grown men get not much further than a few feet. When I finally got a chance, I got higher than the others simply because I was lighter. But then I reached back and took out a handful of dirt I had put in my pocket earlier. This helped me get up quite a ways. But it was not enough to get to the top as I eventually ran out of steam and dirt. One of the following kids, though, was able to take advantage of my dirt and he got to the top! |
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354 [1099]
Soil
2007-07-30
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A toddler reaches
in the flower bed... a first
taste of dirt.
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Link with 1098: Dirt.
A taste of dirt... one of the first up-close experiences of worldly grime. |
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355 [1100]
Convenient Refuge
2007-07-31
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A young crab
scuttles under for cover...
washed-up sandal.
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Link with 1099: Small creature.
In Trinidad we saw tiny crabs on the beach. Often they would scurry down little holes in the sand that I assume they had dug for themselves. In this haiku a young crab finds some convenient cover in a washed-up flip-flop. Taking shelter under such cover reminds me of the insecure shelters we sometimes take cover under. |
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356 [1101]
Life and Death
2007-08-01
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Descending foot...
which way, little ant,
will you go?
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Link with 1100: Under foot.
Some of my childhood friends liked to step on ants that we'd find scurrying over the sidewalks. I preferred to watch them and I was fascinated with their industrious behavior. |
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357 [1102]
Coordinated Action
2007-08-02
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A swarm of ants
drag the hornet closer —
Nest hole.
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Link with 1101: Ants.
I saw this recently. In fact, there were two ant nests about 20 feet apart. At one of them they were dragging a hornet and at the other one a dragonfly. It amazes me that with all the ants dragging in seeming different directions that the object being dragged actually moves anywhere in any coordinated fashion. |
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358 [1103]
Fatigued
2007-08-03
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Herbal garden
tour... at last something
for tired muscles.
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Link with 1102: Dragged along.
We recently joined in on a herb garden tour. It was very interesting and we tasted and smelled lots of new and intriguing herbs. But after tramping around here and there and after many questions I started feeling a little fatigued. |
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359 [1104]
Gift
2007-08-04
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10K run...
a sprinkle of light rain
at the end.
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Link with 1103: Tired muscles.
We've experienced this a couple of times and each time we started out in fine weather. Toward the end of the run though the clouds darkened and it began to sprinkle. It was delightful to end a long run with such a lovely "gift". |
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360 [1105]
A Moment to Last
2007-08-05
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Final day
of camp... a last walk
alone together.
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Link with 1104: Run / Walk.
The joys and heartaches of Summer romances. |
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361 [1106]
Too Soon Gone
2007-08-06
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Lone spruce —
charred from the middle
right to the top.
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Link with 1105: Alone.
We took a walk recently along the bank of a ravine near our home. In a slight clearing we came upon a tall fifty year-old spruce. I was shocked to discover that it was completely charred from about half-way up all the way up to its very top. It had obviously been struck by lightning within the last few months. The City had spray-painted on its truck a large red band. No doubt it will be gone the next time we go for a walk in that area. |
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362 [1107]
Threatened
2007-08-07
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We watch the fire
burn on the mountain side...
town's edge.
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Link with 1106: Charred trees.
A few years ago we were visiting our folks who were living near Pentictin, British Colombia at the time. We happened to arrive just as a forest fire had flared up and was threatened the city. I recall driving to a spot across the lake from where the fire was burning and we watched much of the mountainside ablaze and encroaching on the outskirts of the town. It was quite surreal as the sun set behind us and the fire raged in front of us. Fortunately most of the town avoided disaster but homes in a number cul-de-sacs were destroyed. |
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363 [1108]
Incomplete Success
2007-08-08
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Campsite drizzle —
another damp piece
of firewood.
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Link with 1107: Fire / No fire.
That night we pulled into a campsite and looked forward to a roaring campfire. It had been raining for days and despite all my Boy Scout efforts I was unsuccessful in getting a fire going. We therefore went to bed that night tired and chilled to the bone. |
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364 [1109]
A Dip
2007-08-09
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Cutting board —
each slice through garlic
adds a memory.
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Link with 1108: Damp wood.
Some cutting boards have been in use for a long time. My grandmother's, for example, had a definite dip in it from all the cutting that had been done on it through the years. |
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365 [1110]
Still on Board
2007-08-10
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Lake raft —
I drift off, still on
my sea legs.
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Link with 1109: Wooden.
Link with 747 (first): Pool / Lake.
One summer as a lad we spent a number of days at a lakeside campground. My cousin and I rigged together a makeshift raft and were on it from sunup to sundown. On the second night of this I recall falling asleep with the persistent feeling that I was still on board that raft, rocking back and forth in the waves. |
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