My neighbor greeted me mournfully with these sad words: “Your house always has that large puddle in front of it,” and she pointed. Sure enough, I could have laid down in that puddle, and it would still have been longer than me and wider, too.

“That’s okay,” I responded with a smile. “I have two small boys who will love that puddle.” She looked taken aback, but I was the kind of mother to take my boys puddle-stomping on a whim. We named that puddle Alligator Pond. Many times, we stomped there, in water shoes and rain boots, and found ourselves anointed with the magic waters.

Now we can see all the world in a puddle, earth, sky, trees and ourselves.

Puddle splash laughter,
Muddy knees, arms windmilling,
rainwater in boots.

Note: If you like the haibun poetry style (prose followed by haiku), and want to dip a toe, you can find this week’s prompt at Ligo Haibun.

Further Note: The puddle in the photograph is not Alligator Pond, which is much dirtier and much closer to the sidewalk.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 27, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

33 Comments

Rainy Day Haiku

Awaking, skies dark,
Raindrops beat time on my heart,
Still room for beauty.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 25, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

26 Comments

Late Bloom Haiku

Hydrangeas bowing,
Blushing with autumn kisses;
Fallen leaf ignored.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 25, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

23 Comments

Geometry in Two Haiku

Lichen attaches,
Softening the brick walkway.
Other plants follow.

Grasses, weeds and moss,
Shaped by humans and nature,
Geometric love.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 24, 2013

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

34 Comments

Bloom of Life Haibun

At the suggestion of my friend Jules Paige, I am dipping a toe in the still waters of the haibun, an art form embodied by prose followed by a haiku. The prompt is by Ligo Haibun, and with a choice of two pictures, I chose call2read‘s, and here goes:

Bloom of Life

And so my life unfolded, petal by petal, each memory as silky as a dewy rose petal brushed against my cheek. Shivers of dreams, slivers of thorns, sparkle of moon and stars. As a child, just a bud protected by my thick green casing, I did not always understand adult things. I dreamt of traveling the world, finding friends, eating new foods, learning every day new things. Slowly, my green shield loosened and opened. The days seemed infinite, opening petal by petal. I traveled, I made friends, and I learned every day. Now the rose of my life is fully open to the sun, and summer’s heat has made my soul expand in all directions, drinking in light, energy and warmth from friends, places and memories.

Spark of life sustains,
Creativity expands
Peace, love, joy with friends.