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



"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." Henry Ward Beecher 
 

Haiku: A Thanksgiving Gathering... A Thanksgiving at a military camp in 1861 by Alfred Waud

With light in your eyes
You embrace me in your arms
Our hearts beat as one (c) The Imaginator

For all the times we embrace (by Me)
Thanksgivings float to heaven                                           

oh, sweet october...
spare thy frost on yonder grapes
our sweet summer wine (c) Opie Houston

In November, teach us grace (by Me)
A thankful heart appreciates

October forest
With amethyst enchantment
Frost greeting sunlight (c) Gene

November rains, remind us (by Me)
Each season holds its blessings

gathering seashells
while ocean tide rise and falls
two sisters bicker(c) Sun

Gathering for Thanksgiving (by Me)
Family feuds, set aside

the Buddha himself
did not start enlightened
he walked the path (c) Cathy Tenzo

The path to full surrender (by Me)
Lay bare, a sharp razor's edge

old beacon
hailing all strangers -
mind the land (c) WabiSabi

Plymouth Pilgrims did oblige (by Me)
Gave God thanks and mined the land



Today, the words are:  Tan Renga:  With Light In Your Eyes,  Oh, Sweet October,  October Forest, Gathering Seashells,  The Buddha Himself,  Old Beacon, 

What is Carpe Diem?  Blog Owner, Kristjaan Panneman,  describes it as:  "a weblog on haiku. It's a new daily haiku meme where you can write a classical or non-classical haiku on a given prompt. Haiku is an ancient Japanese poetry form. A haiku has three short lines and describes a short moment (as short as the sound of a pebble thrown into water). Mostly a haiku counts 5-7-5 syllables and is sometimes called 'counted verse."





As much as I enjoy the indulgence of a Thanksgiving meal, I believe we should be thankful every day. In a world where many suffer, feel powerless, abused or ignored, offering daily thanks for our small and large miracles is imperative. What are you thankful for? For me, it begins with family, friends, health, love, and ends with gratitude for the gift of life. What about you?

By now, if you've read previous posts, you know what a Tan Renga is. This week, since I don't post daily, I've picked six more off Kristjaan of Carpe Diem's Tan Renga list. While I find them a bit more challenging than our usual 5-7-5 Haiku, I'm enjoying the process of learning to push my thinking cap over the creative edge. Would you like to try writing haiku? I must warn you that it can become addictive but worth the grey matter investment. If interested, visit the websites mentioned on this post, sign up and join in.  I'll happily support your haiku efforts. As always, my Tan Renga are below each color coded one above.  Thank you!

 
 
 Some Food for Thought: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What are you Thankful for?  What do you do differently for that special day?   If you could change one thing for others who are Thankful, what would it be? Happy Thanksgiving in  2013?   Love and Peace!

I would love to hear from you: Please leave me a comment. Thank You!

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photographs: First Thanksgiving by Brownscombe,  and Thanksgiving 1861,  via Wikipedia, News media, Flickr or my personal collection. Hanukkah Menorah via HuffPost

Tan Renga Haiku by The Imaginator "with light in your eyes."
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "with light in your eyes."
Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank

Tan Renga Haiku by Opie Houston "oh, sweet october."
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "oh, sweet october"
Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank

Tan Renga Haiku by Gene "October Forest"
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "October Forest"
Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank

Tan Renga Haiku by Sun "Gathering Seashell"
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "Gathering Seashell"
Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank

Tan Renga Haiku by Cathy Tenzo "The Buddha Himself"
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "The Buddha Himself"
 Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank

Tan Renga Haiku by WabiSabi "Old Beacon"
More Carpe Diem Tan Renga: "Old Beacon"
 Final two lines © 2013 by Me - E. Obih-Frank



 Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet