Category Archives: haiku

I Like NASCAR

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There are many reasons why I began following NASCAR a few years ago. They start the proceedings by presenting the flag of the United States of America. Then there is public prayer, asking God’s protection on the folks present and frequently for our military forces. Someone or group sings our national anthem. Usually there is a military fly over. Then they start their engines upon the command.

You may think of it as driver against driver, and that’s true. However, it is only part of the story. There are spotters, crew chiefs, car chiefs, engineers, mechanics and pit-crew members. If any of those folks fail to do their job, the team will not see their car in victory lane. In the final analysis, NASCAR is a team sport.

We all have our favorites. It’s is particularly pleasant when your team wins.

NASCAR Hero

Your car the fastest,
Your smile has stolen our hearts,
In Victory Lane.

I Did It! – Monday ~ Driving to the Picnic

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Saturday morning, I left the house and drove into town to the village park. Sylvia had gone in earlier to hold a place for the TASYL picnic. The TASYLs are a group of female Amateur Radio Operators from Michigan. Sylvia is their Secretary/Treasurer. Most of the husbands have become associate members, and we all enjoy the August picnic. The weather is usually nice and we have a lot of fun visiting with one another. The gals get together each week on their radios, but it’s good to see friends face-to-face. I was in no hurry to get to town, so I was taking my time enjoying the ride. The radio was off. It was just me and my thoughts riding down our road. The haiku came to me in Spanish.

Por el camino,
Viajaba sin prisa,
Contentisimo.


As I thought of you, I realized it would need to be also written in English. Around the bend and a little further down the road the English words came together.

Down the road I went,
Traveling without hurry,
Feeling contentment.


It was a very good day with lots of goodies to eat and lots of friendly conversation. On days like that, one feels particularly blessed.

Haiku to Failed Love

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With two friends passing in the past week and another rushed to the hospital by his wife, I found myself in a melancholy mood. Because of that I wrote a haiku about failed love. It is not autobiographical in any sense. It does not involve me personally. It is a recognition of the transitory nature of some human relationships.

Photo from http://www.beach-backgrounds.com/tag/beach/.

Failed Love

It was at the beach,
We wrote our names on the sand,
Waves washed them away.

I Did It! – Monday ~ Haikus

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When I saw the picture of Sharkbytes last Friday, it got me thinking about her many posts on life outdoors and her recent hike. And that put me in the mood to write a haiku, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a couple of weeks.

Sharkbytes hits the trail.
She left her footprints,
Crossing the be-love-ed land,
Born to live outdoors.

And soon I was thinking of the winner of Secondary Roads’ contest, Blogosphere’s Got Talent I — Lin. She writes about life in Chicago. She frequently refers to her neighborhood as Weirdsville. That triggered a mind warp. Or was it my warped mind? Can’t say. Perhaps it doesn’t matter.

Lin shows her contest-winning dance style.

Talented lady,
Wife of one, mother of two,
Exiled in Weirdsville.

I’m thankful to have friends like these and friends like you. Now I’ll have to write more for you about other blogger buds. No promise on when you might expect delivery.

Sightings ~ Turkey Vulture

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The other day as I went to get the mail, I saw turkey vultures circling the neighbor’s field. Nothing new about that. From spring to fall these fellows and their mates keep the countryside scoured of small dead animals. It is amazing how quickly they can do away with a dead critter.


We should be grateful that these natural (dare I say it?) morticians do their business efficently. You might want to eat one of the turkeys that also inhabit these parts, but I don’t think you’d enjoy lunching on one of these guys. As I pondered their place in the greater scheme of things, I came up with this haiku:

Turkey Vulture

Graceful on the wing,
Death seeker rides upon wind,
Removes the fallen.


I’m glad they’re here.

Tree Frog

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Photo courtesy: www.michigan.gov

Gray Tree Frog

Tree frog there you sat,
You moved and then I saw you,
Hiding in plain sight.

Red-Winged Black Bird

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These neighborhood regulars are easy to identify both on the wing and by their distinctive whirring call. They jealously guard their territory.


Red-Winged Black Bird

He breaks forth in song,
Shining black wing with red band,
On his claim stands guard.

More Signs of Spring

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The signs of spring abound. Snow is the latest of these, actually Snow Drops. These beauties grow on the west side of the barn, which means the sun doesn’t reach there until afternoon. For that reason, they are a bit shy in making their first appearance. Yet, here they are springing up through last year’s, now dead, growth.


My digital camera is not working right, but I was able to capture the above image. I’ll have to send it off for warranty repair.

Earlier, I had captured these Crocus blossoms. They grow along the southeast wall of the house. That means they are sheltered from cruel west and north winds. It also means they have warming sun from early morning until mid afternoon.


The sight of these beauties inspired today’s haiku.

Harbinger

The earth is still cold,
The day lengthens and air warms,
Crocus springs to life.

Wednesday morning, Brink Bolthouse, passed away. He was a friend that had Alzheimer’s Disease. His family and friends are saddened by the loss. I find consolation that we are surrounded by spring and the renewal of life.

Spring Comes Early?

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Late last week, it seemed as though spring had come early to west Michigan. We had a couple of days of warmer temperatures and with it came very heavy rain. We even had a thunderstorm. As I sat in my recliner listening to the rain on the roof and the thunder crashes, I wrote this haiku in my notebook:

Thunderstorm

See the startling flash,
Feel the heart stopping thunder,
In the raging rain.

Spring is coming and it’s not very far away.