Black tree silhouettes against an orange canvas
set a background for deer grazing the summer meadow.
They step closer to the house – and the apple tree,
hoping for small early fallen fruit; crunchy dessert
after the delicious yet limp blades of grass.
This gogyohka form poem was inspired by an incident yesterday. The deer graze the back meadow most nights, but last night, one stepped over the (mostly fallen) fence separating the back yard from the meadow and searched for fallen apples. Some may say the apples go to waste because I don’t harvest them. I say different.
Frank J. Tassone is the host of Haikai Challenge. Frank says:
This week, write the haikai poem of your choice (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) that alludes to summer meadow (natsuno).
Tao Talk 
Very good poem.
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Thank you so much, Sadje.
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You’re welcome my friend
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
#Haiku Happenings #1 (7/23/20): Jade Li’s latest #gogyohka for my current #haikai challenge!
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I used to love feeding the deer that cam in my back yard and they loved the peanuts that I threw out for them along with the cut up apples.
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I’m guessing this was before you moved to FL? What a pleasant memory to have. They’ve nibbled the tops off some of my lilies. They’ve always left more than they took, so it is easy to forgive them.
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I always find joy when I spy deer – ether on the other side of the creek or in the fields (though so few remain…) on the way to and fro on errands or to visit family.
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Food for thought as well as deer. (K)
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🙂
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Just coming back to Tao Talk after being away a while. This particular post really caught my eye. Also, a big thumbs up for the new (?) look and feel! — Greg
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So strange to see you here instead of at the grove, which sadly no longer exists in its yahoo incarnation. Moving the capital has been a good thing though. Nice to see you, Greg. What’s new? Do you have a Word Press blog now?
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No Word Press blog, but I see they give you an NICE environment to work and thrive. I’m looking forward to familiarizing myself with the site and perhaps contributing at least some comments.
I am doing well, healthwise. Fit. Been loosing weight since the quarantine via Weight Watchers and am back under 200. I still work full time, but from home with the Covid going around. I retire December 31st and have a countdown clock going. I divorced 2 years ago, after 15 years. Not planning a 3rd marriage, although I do date: primarily other musicians. When I retire, I intend to move somewhere else in CT, but more rural. Although moving to NE Pennsylvania is still a possibility, near family. I want to move because I’m in a pricy townhouse apartment that has served it’s post-divorce purpose between my day-job in Holyoke MA and all my orchestra gigs in the Hartford area. I’d love something by a lake where I can do my morning qigong and “stands” in peace.
Yes, I still study taijiquan and qigong; and still consider philosophical daoism my spiritual core.
Hope all is well on your end.
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Yes, WP is a user-friendly place and a great community to exist within. So you have your eyes on the retirement prize? Good for you. I know you’ll continue with your music performances, which I know is your true passion. Glad you’re staying fit and have a plan for yourself. I started walking down memory lane after seeing your original comment and realize it’s been almost 20 years 2001. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. If you want to continue this conversation, please send an email to ms_jade_li@hotmail.com.
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