This overwhelming urge to get somewhere. To move time. The caterpillar to become the butterfly. The egg to become the bird. The bird to migrate. The seed to germinate, unfurl, put roots to the ground, stem to the sky. To flower, and in turn to court the bee, with its own irresistible urges to get somewhere.
internal clocks
eventually we all
stop ticking
_____________
Published in Haibun Today, Summer 2016
The Literary Kayak
Marianne Paul
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your hand
settling easily
into mine
the interlocking fingers
of river and shore
Editor's Choice, tanka, cattails
The poems examine the daily rituals of life and death, as rivers become symbols of mutability and mortality. The most memorable ones deal with the grief that accompanies deaths of loved ones, including father and mother.
~ Robert Reid, The Record
________________________________
bowl of cherry pits
my grandson tries to guess
my age
Winner, Canada category, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2016
"A haiku that captures attention by not mentioning cherry blossoms. Instead it focuses on the aftermath, edible fruit. It reminds us that blossoms are merely a fleeting prelude. The brilliant juxtaposition of cherry pits and growing old is deepened by the interaction of the grandchild and grandparent. The complexity of thought and feeling that results is the goal of every writer, but one not often achieved."
-Judge's comment
Interview - Cherry Blossom Festival
I had the delight of being asked some questions about my haiku-writing practices by Michael Dylan Welch. View the interview here.
© Marianne Paul 2011