see the moon perching
atop the sycamore tree?
all is perspective… 🦊❤️
A sense of haiku
Posts
All Comments
1656. a matter of perspective
1655. here today… gone tomorrow
was only yesterday
a fallen tree squatted here
the rains came… it’s gone 🦊❤️
The view of the creek from the stone bridge is ever changing. Over the years many fallen trees have been carried to this location, taken up temporary residence, then swept away downstream when heavy rains come. Water is powerful. Everything changes. Big obstacles eventually move on. Nature is relentless. 🦊❤️
1654. making music
like a bow and strings
two trees play an eerie tune
on these windy days 🦊❤️
If you listen closely on windy days, you may hear the eerie sounds produced by the trunks or limbs of trees rubbing together as they sway in the wind. With a little observation you can see the location where the rubbing is occurring. The area is usually bare and smooth from years of playing their music. There are plenty of performances in the windy month of March and tickets are free. 🦊❤️
1653. the canvas call out
big blobs of color
a new way of expression
where will it take me 🦊❤️
***
new ways taking shape
dif’rent from the way it was
let’s see where it goes 🦊❤️
Change comes when the “same old same old” has “gotten old”. The canvas calls out for something new. Take a deep breath… see where it goes. Such is all in life. 🦊❤️
1652. . feather weight
laying on the ground
i just had to pick it up
light as a feather 🦊❤️
I saw this “growth” on the ground. It really caught my eye because it was grayish green in color. I love that shade of green. But the moment I picked it up I forgot about its color and was wowwed by its weightlessness. I still am so I wrote it a haiku. 🦊❤️
1651. take a break from today’s headlines
some limbs grow real straight
others bend this way and that way
this one smiled at me 🦊❤️
Nature will smile at you regardless of your race, religion, political affiliation, etc., etc., etc, etc. It will accept you, inspire you and nurture you regardless of which “club” you belong to. Most importantly, nature will make you smile. Take a break from the news and tune in to nature’s podcast. 🦊❤️
1650. gold rush
the once red catkin
turning yellow with pollen
driving the bees mad 🦊❤️
I learned a couple of weeks ago that “catkin” are the red tassels that hang from Alder trees. Yesterday I learned that the catkins eventually become goldmines of yellow pollen that is collected by bees. It was a real “Gold Rush” day at the mines for the bees yesterday. What will I accidentally learn today? 🦊❤️
1649. morning stillness
they sit quietly
i sit and watch quietly
morning quiet rules 🦊❤️
It is the time of year that the Turtle Dove couple return to haunt my balcony. They are usually sitting side by side atop my tool cabinet. We all sit quietly in the morning stillness. 🦊❤️
1648. the big bang
bird chirps fill the air
the first snow bells are poppin’
spring’s not far away 🦊❤️
I saw a single solitary huddle of Snow Bells during a walk yesterday. The ground everywhere else was still brown - absent of any signs of these beautiful clues of approaching springtime. It was like seeing the first moment - the “Big Bang” of the annual explosion of Snow Bells. 🦊❤️
1647. an oasis
a trough of plenty
water for drinking… bathing
i’ll write a haiku 🦊❤️
As I looked at the hollowed out tree stump that was filled with water, I thought of the birds, foxes and other critters that would use this little oasis as a watering hole. It is an oasis for me because it fed me just what I needed to write a haiku. The daily practice of writing haiku has rewired my brain in ways I could not have imagined - everything is a potential haiku… 🦊❤️
1646. stalemate
man and nature vie
competing for precious turf
neither gives an inch 🦊❤️
We are surrounded by signs and symptoms of the eternal struggle for “turf” that is intrinsic to life on earth. It’s not just man versus nature. But man seems to be the most formidable opponent in the land grab game. I remain hopeful by focusing on nature’s resilience despite the temporary losses it may suffer. When I see an abandoned factory that is overgrown by vines and trees and bushes and filled with birds and critters who find refuge there, it makes me smile. It’s like Rocky beating Apollo Creed. Today’s photograph really made me smile… 🦊❤️
1645. curbside memories
“set out to the curb”
a pedal powered singer
grandma loved polka 🦊❤️
I spotted an old Singer pedal powered sewing machine that someone had “set out to the curb” for the trash truck to pick up. I stopped my car and pulled over to take a closer look. My Grandma had one just like it. As I looked at it, I smiled as I remembered her pedaling away on her beloved machine as she listened to “Polka Party” on the radio. 🦊❤️
1644. making little stones out of big rocks
at the stone quarry
earth’s rock blasted then beaten
into smithereens 🦊❤️
I love it whenever Yulan drives as we galavant here and there. It allows me to see the same old sights that I have seen many times before while driving in a more “experiential” way. Yesterday's favorite “new view” sighting was an enormous mountain of gravel piled in the storage area of a local stone quarry. Uncountable nuggets of gravel have been being deposited at that location for years. Solid rock is blasted from the earth deep in the quarry, hauled out in massive trucks and crushed into gravel. What a process… 🦊❤️
1643. special moments
running through the night
from six p.m. to six a.m.
then it’s tommy time 🦊❤️
When my son Kevin’s 12 hour, freezing, overnight training run wrapped up at 6:00 AM he showered up and we made our way up to feed and visit with our Guru Tommy. Then… it was finally time to rest. The great thing about life is that we have the freedom to create and experience our own particular brand of “special moments”. I am grateful for my family that provides me with ample opportunities to enrich my treasury of “special moments”. 🦊❤️
1642. salt
salt, salt and more salt
an inch or foot prediction
salt, salt and more salt 🦊❤️
Regardless of whether an inch or a foot of snow is being predicted, you can rest assured that the salt and brine trucks will be spreading tons and tons of salt on the roads and parking lots. Many times incorrect predictions end up with no snow falling at all - but plenty of salt falls regardless. Where does all that salt go when it washes away? I thought about that question as I stared at the creek, once crystal clear, now all cloudy and murky with a strange tint to it….. 🦊❤️
1641. what in the world is a catkin
alder tree catkins
hanging in the frigid air
really caught my eye 🦊❤️
As I walked with my necked tucked in as tight as possible to stay warm in the freezing wind my eye was captured by little red “tassels” hanging from a scraggly Alder tree. I untucked my neck to look closer. It wasn’t so much what they looked like individually, it’s how they filled the air in front of my eyes. Bigger close to me and very small far away from me. It is a wonderful experience when the “ordinary” magically becomes “extraordinary” out of thin air. And by the way, the red tassels are called “catkin”. 🦊❤️
1640. rats in a maze
like rats in a maze
arrows leading to dead ends
lost in ikea 🦊❤️
I used to love walking through Ikea. It was like walking through a wonderful village looking at all of the wonderful room settings, neat gadgets, unique art work and smelling unique smells. Now… the store’s floor plan seems to change constantly and arrows cast onto the aisles from projectors on the ceiling attempt to help customers navigate the next new floor layout. Rather than enjoying the store’s wares, I now spend my time figuring out where I am and where do I go next. Maybe it’s just me? 🦊❤️
1639. virtual tree stumps
up on his tree stump
preaching away to his choir
they all nod and cheer 🦊❤️
I asked my son to take my picture as I stood atop a section of tree stump. As I looked at the picture I thought about old time politicians, preachers pontificators and pundits who proclaimed their preferred versions of truth while standing on tree stumps to elevate themselves above their audiences. Today there is no need for cutting down trees to stand on… there is facebook. That is good for the trees. 🦊❤️
1638. litter as a metaphor
“hover above it…”
the smiley face seems to say
“let your anger go!” 🦊❤️
Yesterday the “discomfort” I usually feel when I see litter was softened by a smiling face that was hovering above a fresh pile of litter on the roadside. “Hover above it - let your anger go…” I guess we all have our “litter” we need to hover above. I hope that you run into a smiling face along the way to remind you of that. 🦊❤️
1637. weather front
volatile colors
rocketing across the sky
incoming weather 🦊❤️
We are in the midst of a “windfest” (I made that word up) until this evening. It began yesterday after a period of heavy rain. It was amazing last evening watching the mood of the incoming weather front being hurled across the sky as the leading edge of wind unfurled. 🦊❤️
1636. snug as a bug
in a too small bed
snug as a bug in a rug
outside… icy rain 🦊❤️
As the cold, dreary winter weather grinds on, we continue to sequester Tommy in the Nature Center as much as possible. At 18 plus years of age we feel that it is in his best interest… and also in reducing our worries about him in harsh weather. Although he has a roomy, plush bed, he prefers to curl up like a honey roll in a tiny blue bed that is actually ripping at the seams. Soon spring will spring forth Tommy. In the meantime, enjoy the warmth. 🦊❤️
1635. the magic of not knowing
the crest of the hill
where cars appear… and vanish
a magical place 🦊❤️
***
earth’s hills and valleys
contoured and paved so we can
scurry here and there 🦊❤️
As I sat at the red light I watched the cars suddenly appearing from behind and disappearing into the crest of the hill on the road ahead. For a moment I forgot all that I knew about what was actually transpiring at the crest of the hill. For a brief moment I experienced the magic and mystery that must exist in a child’s mind looking at the crest of the hill before having it spoiled by knowledge. 🦊❤️
1634. worthiness
a blurry photo
hardly worth a second look
yet… haiku worthy! 🦊❤️
I often struggle having a “worthwhile photo” available to trigger the writing of a “meaningful haiku” for my daily blog. Yesterday was one of those days. As I looked at a recent blurry photo, I realized more fully that everything and anything is miraculous and worthy of a haiku. That deeper realization got me thinking about the idea that a haiku is really an honor that can and should be bestowed on the even the least glamorous moments captured by a camera… even blurry and out of focus moments. 🦊❤️
1633. today’s gold medal performance
my big win today
first to walk the snowy path
i’ll leave my mark there 🦊❤️
I was thrilled to be the first person to walk on the newly fallen snow that covered the usually busy sidewalk near my apartment. My mind said, “Good work Dan, you still got it!!” The competitive urge never completely leaves… it just adjusts itself to easier things to “be first at”. 🦊❤️
1632. revealing detail
 |
| in the cold window mannequins of yesteryear shaking in their shoes 🦊❤️ As we strolled around our favorite “art town” on a cold and windy morning, I could not help but notice two undressed mannequins posing in an out of business storefront. What caught my attention the most were the shoes and hair styles of the mannequins. They had a 1950ish look about them and it immediately brought me back to walking my small hometown’s main street on a Friday night. On another note, I’ll bet those poor mannequins were cold!! 🦊❤️ |
1631. reflection
now’s the time of day
when the setting sun blazes
time of reflection 🦊❤️
As I looked out of Yulan’s window I saw what looked like a five alarm fire raging in the top floor of the apartment building across the street. In reality it was the reflection of a bazillion alarm fire that was blazing 93,000,000 miles away. There is sooooo much to reflect on here…. Take a few moments here and there today to just reflect on the simple things - you will soon begin to appreciate the miracle of it all. 🦊❤️
1630. the eagles got their goose at the super bowl
once a field of geese
but after the super bowl
now they’re all eagles 🦊❤️
Congratulations Philadelphia Eagles!! Super Bowl Champions!!! What a game!! Even the geese were honking!!! 🦊❤️
1629. “oreo cows”
through the tangled limbs
they’re nearly invisible
two “oreo cows” 🦊❤️
Over the years I have posted a number of blogs on the Belted Galloway cattle that are perpetually in a field near my home. They are sometimes called “Belties”. I call them “Oreo Cows” because they look like giant Oreo cookies - dark on either end and a pure white belt on their midsection. It is only in winter when the all of the leaves are gone from the vines and trees that they are truly visible to passersby. We look intently for them every time we drive by. It’s good to have many small things to look forward to every day rather than one big thing way down the road. Do you see them? 🦊❤️
1628. a bevy of breads
bread, bread and more bread
pumpernickel, boule, rye…
“i’ll take ham on white!” 🦊❤️
I was amazed at the variety of breads at a local coffee and bakery. What a line up of doughy delights. As a kid we had sliced white bread (Town Talk Bread) as our staple and once or twice a week our small town bakery, New Eagle Bakery, would sell loaves of crusty Italian Bread in white paper bags. It was a real treat when we had a loaf of New Eagle Italian bread. It made the best toast! 🦊❤️
1627. winter leaves
like leaves of summer
blackbirds dance on bare branches
ice falls from the sky 🦊❤️
As I was scraping ice from my car windows while trying not to slip on the slick ground, I heard birds clamoring from atop a nearby tree. They seemed all too comfortable and confident as they did a jitterbug on the ice covered branches. They reminded me of summer leaves and warm days. 🦊❤️
1626. bundle up kind of day
a frigid morning
everybody’s bundled up
a breath seeing day 🦊❤️
The older I get, the more intolerant I am of the cold and consequently the older I feel for being more intolerant of the cold. It’s a vicious cycle! I must say that when I saw this big, strong and sturdy horse all bundled up in multiple layers it made me feel less old… but not less cold! 🦊❤️
1625. the carousel
at the shopping mall
the ticket taker texting
no cowboys, cowgirls 🦊❤️
We visited two shopping malls yesterday looking for something. We rarely go to malls. We thankfully found what we were looking for. Many stores were closed in both malls and one mall posted a sign on the door that unaccompanied minors could not be at the mall without an adult during certain time periods. It was somewhat depressing. The quiet carousel where the ticket taker sat texting on their phone because of no customers seemed to say it all. Where have all the cowboys and cowgirls gone? 🦊❤️
1624. patience of a tree
i’m stuck in traffic
and i’m going nowhere fast
patience of a tree! 🦊❤️
As I sat in traffic I thought about my need for more patience and calm. Ah…. The patience of a tree is the remedy for me! 🦊❤️
1623. what a day for bird watching
just mere feet away
a dazed red tailed hawk did perch
in due time - it flew 🦊❤️
PA Game Commission 833-742-9453
1622. breathe and proceed
when i have no clue
about what i need to do
deep breath… do something 🦊❤️
Most of the canvases that I paint on are large. All that open space often intimidates me… “how can I ever fill it all up”. I generally procrastinate on starting the parts of the painting I anticipate to be the most challenging to express what I have in my head. Often I have no idea what to do to fill it. I convince myself that it really doesn't matter what I paint - and I blindly start painting something. (This is a tiny segment of my current in progress Wissahickon Wonders landscape entitled “Captain of His Ship”.) 🦊❤️
1621. arctic fox
on the icy ground
an arctic fox just appeared
soon he’ll melt away 🦊❤️
As we did our weekly qigong practice outside in the freezing air, I became fixated on blades of grass trapped in the icy puddle. I snapped a photo when we finished, already planning to use it for my next haiku post. I wrote the post but did not publish it at the last minute. I quickly composed and wrote another one for the day. I went back to revisit the abandoned post and lo and behold my focus moved from the grass to the image of a white fox (arctic fox) that seemed to appear at the top of the photo. I love it when patience pays off. I love it when unexpected surprises appear. Sadly yesterday’s warmer weather melted the Arctic Fox. 🦊❤️
1620. revealed
once below the bark
was the hidden world of bugs
now for all to see 🦊❤️
1619. the great sculptor
the work of water
never ending re-sculpting
making the earth new 🦊❤️
As I was walking around yesterday I found myself focusing on the chiseling and gouging that water has accomplished over the years. It removes earth from here and deposits it there. It replaces what is taken from here with earth from somewhere up there. Water… so soft but so powerful. 🦊❤️
1618. benches for remembering
years of joyful walks
all along the trails and paths
now… it’s time to rest 🦊❤️
***
it’s a lonely time
when the snow and cold descend
spring will soon arise 🦊❤️
The park’s paths are lined with benches dedicated to remembering loved ones who no longer walk those beautiful paths and trails. Some of the benches are well cared for, some have fallen into disrepair. It touches me when I see one that has been adorned with seasonal decorations or a simple bouquet of flowers. It angers me when I see ones that have been defaced. When winter cold arrives and they are covered with snow and ice I feel a tug at my heart - there is a lonely feeling. Benches have feelings too. 🦊❤️
1617. flashing fancy fingers
the car wash lady
was as proud as punch to flash
her dazzling digits 🦊❤️
I went to the car wash yesterday to have the crust of road salt chiseled off of my car that had accumulated over the last week. I noticed that one of the worker’s finger nails were really “blinged up”. I struck up a conversation and let her know how awesome her nails were as she skillfully punched my car’s work order into the control panel’s keyboard. She smiled ear to ear so I asked her if I could snap a shot of them. “Sure!!!!!!”, she said. She had a great smile too!!! 🦊❤️
1616. hoping for a sign
the shriveling rose
looks pleadingly at quan-yin
mother of mercy 🦊❤️
Quan-Yin is the Buddhist’s Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, similar to Mary the mother of Jesus in the Christian faith. The shriveling rose in today’s photograph was given to Yulan at an Our Lady of Guadalupe procession a few weeks ago by one of the participants. I thought it was a very cool positioning of the two items on Yulan’s window sill. I’m hoping the shriveling rose will turn bright red again very soon. 🦊❤️
1615. treasure map
creek once filled with fish
now frozen and filled with deer
seasons come and go 🦊❤️
Ground covered with snow is like a treasure map of sorts. It reveals the presence and comings and goings of the otherwise invisible creatures that constantly surround us. (Including people…) 🦊❤️
1614. watching ice form on the creek
from the old stone bridge
i look down into the creek
edged with tender ice 🦊❤️
How does ice form on a moving creek? Based on my best guess it starts on the shore lines with the individual ice crystals forming and holding on to each other. One by one. What appears to be a delicate film begins to appear and it grows outward and deepens until the ice meets in the center of the creek. I wish I had the patience to stand on the old stone bridge and watch it unfold… but it’s way too cold. It really is an amazing feat I think!!! 🦊❤️
1613. in a sea of cars
while i’m beached on red
waves of wires breaking ahead
far as i can see 🦊❤️
I love it whenever things in front of me are magically transformed into poetry. It happens in a split second. I must say that today’s captured magical moment is one of my faves of all time. 🦊❤️
1612. willow’s special spot
willow’s up above
her special spot misses her
now it’s filled with love 🦊❤️
A few months ago I featured my friend’s cat Willow in my daily blog (you can check it out later in the link below). I declared Willow as the newest addition to my cool cats list. Sadly Willow has passed on. My friend’s granddaughter created a very sweet memorial plaque for Willow. If you’ll remember, Willow was sightless and was missing an eye. I thought it was so wonderful that Willow was drawn with two eyes by my friend’s granddaughter. You are missed Willow. 🦊❤️
1611. out in the cold
i stand shiverin’
you lay on a bed of snow
single digit days 🦊❤️
There is nothing more humbling than watching wild animals “just being” in extreme weather conditions. There is no better illustration of acceptance of “what is”. All the while we check our phones for the current temperature and comment to just about everyone we encounter about just how cold it is. “Man it’s a cold one today!” 🦊❤️
1610. that’s a lot of sang’wich
what should i order?
a fried cauliflower sandwich?
how do i eat it? 🦊❤️
We went out to lunch at a cool place called “Terrain” with our friend Gloria after our recent museum visit. Yulan ordered a fried cauliflower sandwich. It brought a big smile to all of our faces. Even more fun was watching Yulan eat it!!! 🦊❤️
1609. a haiku moment
at the train’s blaring
i pause reading the poem book
a haiku moment… 🦊❤️
It was pouring snow outside the window near my warm seat where I was reading a book of haiku. Candles were flickering and the blanket over my legs felt wonderful. A live cam of a train crossroads in Deshler Ohio made no sound except the rustling of a flag in the wind. Snow was falling there too. The faint blaring of a train’s horn caused me to pause and travel there… 🦊❤️
1608. that lost ball
that lost ball’s still there
soon to be covered by snow
“see you when it melts” 🦊❤️
There is a ball that has been laying in the same spot for years in the field behind my apartment. It was deposited there by a flood. Every time I walk past the field I look down and there it is. For some reason I am amazed that it is still there each and every time that I see it. It will get covered up by today’s snow, but I know that it will be there when the snow melts. 🦊❤️
1607. do i hear a train?
it’s a drab gray day
out in deshler ohio
listnen’ for the trains 🦊❤️
It’s a lazy day. The sky is gray. It’s a perfect day to watch the trains roll through the little town of Deshler Ohio via live camera feed on youtube. I go about my business until I hear the faraway blaring of a train. Then I stop and wait for the train to make its appearance on the screen. What will this train carry? Coal and coke? Automobiles? Amazon Prime Containers? It’s a useless pasttime - but it sure is relaxing. Oh the clickety-clacking of the cars…. 🦊❤️
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)