when early winter dusk comes birds fly to hidden branches humans couch up, sip toddies, to netflix and chill image link watch: when chilly north winds blow chipmunks tunnel in snowdrifts one furry little face may suddenly pop out “A Warm Hearth,” by Christopher Holmes midnight warmth around the hearth punctuated with a knock neighbor…
Category: #TankaTuesday
24 SSPC 9 (1st wk — Nov 22 – Dec 6) Light Snow — Shosetsu
November’s Hourglasses donning hoody and quilted vest, she makes her way out to the mailbox. a pale, weak sun washes cold; no relief from wind, no warmth found between junk mail. in disappointment she turns. her steps scuff gravel gray path of the forgotten across the globe, on her deathbed, a woman mourns there’s no…
24 SSPC 8 (2nd wk) — The Beginning of Winter (Ritto) (Nov 7-21) — global warming theme (disturbing image warning)
the first month with sleetremains to be seen; it’s moot.snow dropped its blanket,pulled from Mother Nature’s hat;random, crazy bingo balls late winter gardenappears early Novembercrazy bingo ballswhere doom, rather than luck, rulesMother Nature’s imbalance blanket by the firewinter where icebergs existdistant memoriestimes before drought and floods rulebefore bears became extinct tanka formtop image link Colleen…
24 SSPC 7 (1st wk) — The Beginning of Winter (Ritto) (Nov 7-21) — Autumn Storm
As November’s globe ticks its way to other orientations, long nights imbalance with ever-shortening light. Today, rain is forecast. Noon’s pregnant clouds occlude what scant light there is; and by five o’clock landscape is but blurry shadow as the temperature drops. Dusk, a dingy blank upon which nothing is writ even crows silent moon feels…
24 SSPC 6 (2nd wk) — First Frost (Soukou) (Oct 23 – Nov 6)
Perennial Funeral The growing season has included a give and take with the local seed bank. I picked up sulphur orange cosmos seeds from them and donated the rest of a pack of black beauty zucchini seeds to them after keeping and planting five. I also donated the rest of a pack of mammoth sunflower…
24 SSPC 5 (1st wk) — First Frost (Soukou) (Oct 23 – Nov 6)
ripe kousa dogwood fruit clings; pudgy, dotted red geometric spheres stubborn, they dare first frost’s fingers. laughing on dry mulch, fallen friends (are) disinterested in season’s test Note: the Cornus Kousa (kousa dogwood) is not a native to the U.S., but there are two of them growing at my dentist’s office, right outside the door. …
24 SSPC 4 (2nd wk) — Cold Dew (Kanro) (Oct 8 – 22)
finch bob on thistle pecking dashed brown seeds, chirping in warm autumn wind nothing alive feels worried just joy with every breath kigo: (thistle) seeds, (warm) autumn wind Tanka form top image link bottom image link note: plants breathe too! Colleen Chesebro is the host of Tanka Tuesday.
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