Tournesol ~ dans un jardin: August 2014

2014/08/31

Sleepless (senyrû)

Cropped Photo: Mural street art - Montréal, October 2013 Cheryl-Lynn Roberts

phantoms of the night

crawl in joints, throbbing

sleepless

Haiku Shuukan #19, Sleepless

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/31

True Love (haiga)

Mary Cassaatt

True Love (senryû)

eyes raised with love
pure, honest devotion
suckling at her breast

+Our host at Haiku Shuukan has given us another interesting prompt. At "Sand and Foam" by Khalil Gibran, there is a verse about “tears”: [...] "There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea". [.. And the prompt this week is "Tears".

Here are two haiku, Chèvrefeuille, our host has written on tears.

with tears in my eyes
I see how the wind is ruining
fragile beauty

fragile beauty
a gust of wind tears apart
Cherry Blossoms

I am easily brought to tears when I am sad as much as when I am happy or exposed to exquisite beauty. I cry when I am emotionally touched like when my children were born, when I assisted to the birth of our grandson, and when I was hugged by Amma at a retreat in July; I cry when I have to say goodbye or when I meet family or friends after a time we`ve been apart. So many reasons. I have blue eyes and just walking outside if it is sunny or a bit windy, if it is cold like in winter, my eyes just tear up. My children used to watch me whenever a movie got to a sad part to see when I would cry; I even cry at commercials...so there you have it, I am a cry baby still at my age:) The most fun tears are those of joy and laughter, laughing until my tummy muscles hurt.

oceans filled with tales

joys, pain and suffering, spark

salty tears

tears of joy

finally after seven years

our son is born.

our daughter sings

with her angelic peers

awe illicit tears

fragile blue eyes

shy away from blaring sun

tears in the wind.

tearing

as the sun sets

on the water

© Tournesol '14

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/31

Haiku Shuukan #20, Tears

2014/08/30

eviction (senryû)

nature’s landlord

kicks tenant out in the cold

a beggar

thankless season

beggar’s lodgings

Berri Métro

saison ingrate

logement d’un sans abri

métro Berri

© Tournesol

Donnez au suivant - les sans abris
Give to others - homelessness

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts 2014/08/30

Submitted for Carpe Diem #550 Beggar

spices and herbs (haiga)

angels smiling
sprinkling sweet-smelling dreams
budding lilacs

Dreams are scattered spices and herbs making life palpable and fragrant.

The prompt at Carpe Diem #549 is "dreams" and our host has quoted several verses from Khalil Gibran.

[...] "How can I lose faith in the justice of life, when the dreams of those who sleep upon feathers are not more beautiful than the dreams of those who sleep upon the earth?" [...]

[...] "The flowers of spring are winter’s dreams related at the breakfast table of the angels". [...]

[...] "I would not be the least among men with dreams and the desire to fulfill them, rather than the greatest with no dreams and no desires".[...]

Our host wrote these dreamy haiku for this the second verse. The imagery is breathtaking.

[...] "The flowers of spring are winter’s dreams related at the breakfast table of the angels". [...]

breakfast with angels
as spring is starting after the cold -
flowering trees

after the dark winter
cherry trees are blooming again
Ah! what a joy!

© Chèvrefeuille

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts 2044/08/30 for Carpe Diem #549 Dreams

Harvesting (haiga)

ripe corn fields

cat and mouse playing

hide and seek

first harvest

young scanty berry bush

succulent

© Tournesol 2014

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/30

Carpe Diem Little Creatures #3 Seri

2014/08/29

Autumn fun (tan renga)

in the pond

reflected trees and drifting leaves

- autumn's last show

children stare up at the sky

giggling on a bed of leaves.

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/29

Journeys (senryû)

Khalil Gibran wrote:

“A traveler am I and a navigator, and every day I discover a new region within my soul”

do not measure

their journey in metrics,

insights

open paths of clarity,

enlightenment

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts 2014/08/29

Submitted for Carpe Diem #548, Traveller

Nana's dinner (Carpe Diem

harvest dusk--

sitting in the wheelbarrow

with the potatoes

boy in wheelbarrow

looking up to Grand-Dad

on the tractor

calls out to his protégé

time for dinner

Nana cooked shepherd’s pie

with day’s harvest

enjoying fresh sweet corn

and potatoes.

Submitted for: Carpe Diem Special #104, Jim Kacian's 5th "harvest dusk"

2014/08/27

kissed by serenity (tanka)

the river mirrors

sails hang loose in silence

wind stands still

coast on an inward journey

kissed by serenity.

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/27

Stillness comforts (senryû)

(senryû)

walking home at night

deep silence summons my muse

alone at night

deep stillness wraps me like

a duvet

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/28

Submittted for Carpe Diem's Vision quest, 1 day 3, Deep Silence

Untimely sunsests

Under sun kissed skies

she gasps at lavish blossoms

nature`s final act

sodden sense of sadness

inhales it all with wonder

I missed the sun

untimely sunsets tell a tale

announcing autumn

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/27

New beginnings (haibun)

My car broke down in the middle of the Jacques Cartier Bridge yesterday. My front wheel just ripped off the frame due to rust. I heard the sound of screeching burning rubber...cars behind me slamming on their brakes. Thank the Great Spirit they were swift. I am thankful I was not hit and I did not cause any accidents. Here I was in the middle of the bridge traffic coming and going on both sides of me. The endless possibilites... THAT is the only thing that kept playing in my mind...the cause of a multiple car pile up collision ...and it did not happen. No one was hurt...my car is scrapped...do not want anyone to EVER drive that killer trap. I signed it over to my mechanic and that is that. We now bury the remains of a shark (Tiburon Hyundai)...so be it!

(kyoka)

new moon
cosmos shift
scrapped my car

metal doctor diagnosed

its terminal fate

(American sentence)

let us all bow our heads in silence

as we mourn this pack of metal.

© Tournesol

Now that that is out of the way. I can respond to this prompt seriously.

Our host wrote:

new moon

she, our moon will grow again

a new life cycle

I know that January is the traditional calendar New Year but September has always been a new change, a new year. Even if children start a new year in September with school, how can we, as parents not be influenced by this new transformation. This time of year reminds me of new scribblers, brand new pens, writing real pretty on the first pages...it is a chance to start anew, to do better after a rest, vacation and it is an opportunity for students to grow...so much promise.

Illusion scene

new moon

hidden promise

cycle renewed

given a second chance

season pleads to survive

survival triumphs

new moon winks slyly

a new beginning

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/26

Submitted for Carpe Diem Vision Quest #1 day 1 "New Moon"

2014/08/24

silence (haibun)

One thing I have grown to appreciate more and more is “silence”. I have written many poems, haiku and senryû about silence inasmuch as the rivers and rapids listen to my silent pain and suffering. Sometimes it hears my frustrations after a long day or that I needed to find patience to finish my day with calm.

When our children were little, I remember riding my bike rapidly to the Chambly rapids to refuel. The children would want to come along and I would tell them to stay with their father for half an hour and then we could go for a family bike ride after supper. I would get to the rapids and sit on a rock and just the gushing of water noisily flowing down the damn into the rapids would embrace all my emotions, my silent screams would drown. All this washing me with a bit more serenity in the space of perhaps fifteen minutes.

Static Flickr

Days of frustrations

I sit by the river screaming

in silence.

In silence

purging qualms

soul soothing

Our miniature Schnauzer, Desirée died at 13 years old on the morning of 9/11. So much to absorb that day, week and months to come.

Unlocking the door

expect tiny paws clicking

silent vacancy

Life is filled with necessary losses

wrapped in burlap coverlets.

I am a sunset chaser. When I visit a new town or a new town around dusk, I need to sit and watch the sun bow the end of the day. My first and only condo I purchased on my own, I fell in love with the sun setting on the patio from the 20^th floor. I have noticed when sitting with a friend or lover during a sunset, there are brief moments that no words are necessary to tell each other to simply watch in captivated silence. That is another reason I love climbing up to the roof of our work building when I can to simply see this breathtaking show.

Tinted shades perform,

behold, speechless audience,

Show Time.

In my work, listening is essential. Silence is often necessary to give a youth time to regroup, think through his/her next disclosure. Moreover, sometimes the silence tells me more…feeling the emotions weeping sadly through the phone line; I wait with humility and embrace their trust.

Frantic ramblings

halt in screaming silence,

connected

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/24

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai #546, Silence

Mother Nature's loom (tanka-American sentence)

This is a prompt I missed due to lack of time but I keep rereading it and it spoke to me. Our host wrote such a beautiful piece relating to Life being a Tapestry and it is quite meaningful and insightful, so I am sharing it here:

Life is like a tapestry by Chèvrefeuille, August 18, 2014

The creation of a tapestry starts at the beginning with an empty weaving loom. The weaver sits in front of it and meditates and contemplates about what he/she would like to create. Is it just a piece of art-work or does it have meaning? It doesn’t really matter. The weaving technique is the same (I think), but the result can be so much different. After he/she has decided what to make he/she will make a sketch and decides which colours, which material and which technique will be used.

Than he/she starts to create his/her tapestry and while looking at that process one can see how the tapestry becomes as was the idea … the colours are coming together making patterns, creatures, flowers and so on are becoming real … at the end the weaver sits back looks at his/her work and will smile, maybe will applaud and yell “eureka!” Another wonderful tapestry has been created and can be sold … or just put on the wall at their home.

Chèvrefeuille goes on to say:

I think that our lives can be compared with a tapestry. As we are born the Weaver (God or Higher Self) starts his work with us. He looks at us and sees our future already, but he doesn’t know how our path would be going … which decisions we make … say ‘karma’ … The Weaver cannot interfere in our life. We are making our own mistakes, making the wrong decisions and so on. But … the Weaver has an idea about our lives. He has a design in mind for us and that design he starts weaving on his weaving loom. © Chèvrefeuille at Carpe Diem #542 Tapestry

I have added a photo that I took last Fall that felt like a "moment of grace" when I witnessed such beauty. I was driving East to visit my mother at the nursing home and had to stop the car off the highway and find a side street in a tiny village to catch this for I knew I would lose that sky by the time I reached my mother`s town.

Mother Nature’s loom.

(tanka)

toiling with patience

a chef d’oeurvre was created

muse des beaux arts

etched meticulously

ages before the Big Bang

(An American sentence)

Trees stood in reverence at a masterpiece woven with magenta threads.

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, 2014/08/24

a different bliss (haiga)

summer dining,

waiting patiently to feast

on their wastes.

a beggar I’m not,

welcome to my concert hall

midsummer blues

summer bliss

sleeping under moonbeams

beggar’s sunroof

Posted by Cheryl-Lynn Roberts 2014/08/24

Submitted for Carpe Diem Sparkling Stars #2, Kikaku's "The beggar"

2014/08/23

City wrens (haibun)

Parts and Pieces

Today I was walking to the office the oddest thing occurred. There are a few trees lined on the border of the cul de sac and telephone wires in between. I could not help but look up to see where all the chirping was coming from. One tree seemed to have hundreds of city wrens and now and then half of them would perch on the wire and chirp even louder. I had to laugh to myself, thinking, “Gee, I wonder if this is a subcommittee of something or other that has to come to a decision on the fate of the city wrens in Mile End on rue Bernard.” I looked up and saw a squirrel scurry quickly on the wire trying to join these birds. I hurried to take my smart phone out and aim…but alas, it was as if they could smell my anxiety or was it the squirrel who stopped the meeting?...they flew back to the trees. I got about 4 birds on the wire and lost the squirrel. Darn! So since I don’t have a photo, I still have that memory in my little brain. That’s all that really counts.

Last fall my son and I went for a drive in the Eastern Townships. We drove through two small mountains and now we were arriving at Mount Sutton. I asked him to take a few photos as the scenery especially the trees were just breathtaking. “No, Ma,” he said, “If we take a photo now, we won’t try to come back again to catch this beautiful scene.” And he was right. How did he get so smart?

perched on a wire

city wrens in session

squirrel butts in

city melodies (senryu)

In Montréal like many cities, there are many musicians who apply for a license to play in subways and certain downtown locations. This musician was at my Métro stop on my way to work and he would play such lovely sultry music. Imagine starting your day at work with this? Well, it was so hard to walk past him without leaning on the wall and listen to that sax. But I couldn't stay too long IF the escalator was out of service I would have to climb those 4 flights of stairs.

Commuters

entertained

underground

Last summer in the city of Montreal at this same Métro stop, Station Laurier, the Ville de Montréal placed a piano. It was left there for anyone who felt like giving it a go. Some played chopsticks and sometimes I would arrive and classical music would wash over me...such a pleasant surprise. One would expect hot, muggy, concrete streets...and yes, we have that too but what a lovely change to hear music, sit on a bench nearby and listen. sometimes it was a child with their mother attempting to show Maman what he or she still remembered from music lessons. But another time there was the piano man and two men jamming just for fun on the park bench across from that piano! Très cool!

mid-day interlude

city street recital

men at play

Two streets away from work there is city parking lot and a small park next to it. Last week I tried to park my car there and thought it fishy that there were only 4 cars on the lot. When I came to feed the metre, it had a plastic cover over it and a note saying only for monthly subscriber's. Hmm, I thought, well, I can`t take a chance and get a 50$ ticket and luckily a woman passed me in the lot and offered me her spot on the street because she was leaving. I love it when nice things like that happen!

There were three huge movie trailers parked at the end of the park and then I understood why the parking lot was not available. As I passed the park I saw a note saying if "you cross this area, you are accepting to be filmed." Cool! I might be a movie star!

In the evening after my shift, I took a photo of another cool piano in that park. I know when school starts in less than two weeks, they may remove it, so I really wanted that snapshot.

city dwellers

regal among trees

Tournesol ~ dans un jardin

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