poetry diary

Berlin – Sept 30

This relaxed city,
people laughing at midnight,
has earned peace through pain.

Rhythm – Sept 29

Insect wings beating
in microscopic rhythm
stir autumn evening.

Charm – Sept 28

Leaves with ice crystals
aligned like tiny magnets,
etching winter’s charm.

Poise – Sept 27

Midnight lampposts poised
silently like winter trees,
preparing for spring.

Phoenix – Sept 26

Hypnotic bonfire;
is there movement in the flames?
Phoenix are still rare.

———————

For Haiku Heights September Challenge. This is the last week, and it has got tougher (especially as I now have some kind of flu as well) but I feel I have thoroughly explored this form – although it’s dominated the month. Glad I made the effort.

I’m also in Berlin, very strangely and briefly, for a one day conference on 29 Sept. I’ve never been here before and it’s a lovely city, as far as I can tell from a 36 hour visit…

Pear tree (any subject) – Sept 18

Pear tree bent double
in fatal fecundity;
her harvest too rich.

Winter – Sept 17

Couple in winter
squabbling over shopping;
once they were lovers.

Chime – Sept 16

Autumn city
towers wiser with each chime,
as their stones crumble.

Patience – Sept 15

Among patient trees,
I see partridge wandering,
and feel the world breathe.

Elixir – Sept 14

Financial crises;
I trust we’ll find elixirs
in humanity.

Liberty – Sept 13

Remembering days,
of liberty and sunlight;
still the roses bloom.

Flood – Sept 12

Condensing dewdrops
flooding this morning’s leaf cups;
each small world renewed.

—————-

For haiku heights September challenge – nearly half way!

Flourish – Sept 5

With one last flourish
rainbows and roses announce
summer is over.

Kiss – Sept 6

Wasp kissing windfall.
Smoke rises. Birds flock. ‘Too late’,
they cry, autumn comes.

Kiss II – Sept 6

He touched her shoulder.
Snowflakes settled around them.
The world stopped. They kissed.

Hypnotic – Sept 7

Hypnotic pigeons
cooing in the trees – listen:
we’ve slept twenty years.

Hidden – Sept 8

Willow-hidden moon,
hunted by the autumn clouds
until dawn takes her.

Yearn (The human condition?) – Sept 9

We yearn for freedom
even as we forge our chains;
best done together?

Magic – Sept 10

At summer’s ending
leaves fall, clearing the air
for winter’s magic.

Universal Rain (any subject) – Sept 11

Feeling connected
as the rain falls everywhere
wondering what next?

———————-

These are all for haiku heights September challenge, and I’m adding to this post daily during each week. The themes are fixed, which makes it very tough, but satisfying. I’m happiest with the willow-hidden moon haiku above – this was inspired by the prompt plus seeing the moon behind a willow tree on Thursday evening, in a stormy autumn sky.

Write – Sept 1

I write electric
words, made wistful or hopeful
by passing seasons.

Mirror – Sept 2

Holding a mirror
to half-hollows in my soul
I see space for love.

Windmill – Sept 3

A golden windmill.
Is it the dying sunlight,
or the autumn corn?

Like waves – Sept 4 (any subject)

Reality breaks,
as imagination ebbs;
my need for love grows.

——————-

I am going to try to participate in the September Haiku Challenge at the suggestion of Heaven (thanks). This means trying to do a haiku a day to fixed prompts (see link). Rather than post each haiku separately, I thought I’d post a week together – so I’ll just add tomorrow’s effort to this post, etc. We’ll see how this goes, but this at least gives me a little bit of flexibility!

The first prompt was “write”.

Rain falling slowly
Autumn reflected in pools
still warmed by sunlight.

Beyond poetry
rhythms of reality
my heart yearns for love.

———————-

Written while travelling home from Northumberland and Yorkshire after the holidays. It’s a bit early for Autumn, but that’s what it feels like. I was only just beginning to relax, too. Still, I am looking forward to the next few months – new beginnings and explorations.