Haiku: A Thanksgiving Gathering...

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." Gerald Good

Haiku: A Thanksgiving Gathering - First Thanksgiving painting by Brownscombe

Haiku: A Thanksgiving Gathering... A colorful Hanukkah Menorah via HuffPost

Before the bloodbath
Pilgrims, Abenaki ate
With Pawtuxet tribe

The Thankful gathered
Our Mayflower colonists
Broke bread in Plymouth

Many will agree
Turkeys, Torment, Thanksgiving
Shaped our history

Now, we meet to eat
Food, Family and Football
Giving thanks for all



 This week, the prompt is: Blood,  Thanks!

What is a haiku?
 As Leo of Haiku Heights aptly explains, a haiku is a three line poem. It shows what the author wants us to understand from it, rather than tell it directly. The limitation to a haiku is seventeen syllables. It can be at maximum, that much. If you wish to go by the traditional Japanese structure even with English haiku, you can use a 5-7-5 syllable, or 3-5-3 syllable structure 






With Thanksgiving around the corner, this is a perfect choice for the week. This year, we will celebrate a rare occurrence of the start of Hanukkah with Thanksgiving Day - dubbed Thanksgivukkah. What a gift to celebrate Thanks in more ways than one.  I've been thinking of all the ways we say Thanks and celebrate our gratitude for the blessings in our lives. What comes to mind is the passionate sermon offered by Pastor Frank Santora at Faith Church NYC.

At a recent Sunday service, he reminded us that it is important to always begin with ... saying Thanks to God because our Creator is good to us physically, emotionally, spiritually and readily helpful in all areas of our lives. So while we celebrate our love for family, friends, life, and more, lets begin with a big Thank you God! I agree.  Happy Hanukkah! Happy Thanksgiving! 
More Haiku - Tan Renga below

Haiku: Dreams Of A Seventh Haven...

"...True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length." C. H. Spurgeon

Haiku: Dreams Of a Seventh Haven - Above Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda

Hidden from the storms
Seven days had come and gone
A sacred cocoon

Anchored in a cove
Many in the boat, breathe, life.
Saved from destruction

Lips part in prayer
Requiem for souls lost at sea
Resting in heaven


 This week, the prompt is: Seven

What is a haiku?
 As Leo of Haiku Heights aptly explains, a haiku is a three line poem. It shows what the author wants us to understand from it, rather than tell it directly. The limitation to a haiku is seventeen syllables. It can be at maximum, that much. If you wish to go by the traditional Japanese structure even with English haiku, you can use a 5-7-5 syllable, or 3-5-3 syllable structure





In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy wroth by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the Philippines, my heart has been heavy with pain and prayer for the families affected by the typhoon. My deepest condolences and prayers go out to all the people of the Philippines during this difficult time. I had a dream that Mother Earth would avert natural disasters by creating pockets of safe havens for her children; cocoons of divine protection from earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis and hurricanes. So many people are suffering and need relief.

Haiku: Dreams of A Seventh Haven -  Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda Survivors do laundry near  debris of a boat.                           Photo Francis R Malasig/EPA

In times like this, we are reminded of the ephemeral nature of life, the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of offering compassionate aid to our fellow men, women and children. There are many organizations raising funds and helping out, please don't forget those affected and lets all so our bit; write, donate, volunteer, post an unselfie, - every gesture carries enormous weight. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

 If you are looking for ways to help, you  may contribute to/through the following sites: Feed the Hungry/Ayala Foundation USA, Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK), AmeriCares, UNICEF/GreaterGood, Compassion International, Things to donate -> MommyUnwired's post, Feed The Children  and NBC's List of Organizations Offering Relief.

See more Haiku: Tan Renga, Relief effort below!  More below!

Haiku: Watch A Blade Of Grass...

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." Henry Miller 

Haiku: Watch A Blade of Grass -  Above is a blade of flowering Zoysia Grass

Watch a blade of grass
Dancing gaily in the wind
Teeming, green with life

Cut a blade of grass
Leaking all its life, turns brown
One perspective? Death

Nurture all our grass
Planting, feeding, in season
What we sow, love grows

 This week, the prompt is: Grass

What is a haiku?
 As Leo of Haiku Heights aptly explains, a haiku is a three line poem. It shows what the author wants us to understand from it, rather than tell it directly. The limitation to a haiku is seventeen syllables. It can be at maximum, that much. If you wish to go by the traditional Japanese structure even with English haiku, you can use a 5-7-5 syllable, or 3-5-3 syllable structure





In addition to the weekly Haiku Heights piece above, I have joined the haiku poets of Carpe Diem to work on writing Ten Renga.  According to Kristjaan of Carpe Diem, "a Tan Renga is a short-linked poem which has two stanza, the first stanza has 5-7-5 syllables (the haiku assigned) and the second stanza has 7-7 syllables (I write it). The second stanza is a response on the first and has to have a 'kind of link' with the first stanza, but it can also be completely different say 'a kind of reaction or answer' on the first, but there always has to be, in some way, a 'link' with the first stanza." 
See more on this form of haiku below.