Thought Prints

This summer of 2023 has been brutally hot many days.  The excessive heat has been the second highest in recorded history world wide.  Read more here .  The heat at Camp Mabry, the nearest official weather station to me, averaged the following: June 2023     -   97.9℉  36.6℃  (5 days above 100℉)        historical average - 89℉  31.6℃ July 2023      - 103.5℉  39.7℃  (6 days below 100℉)        historical average - 97℉  36.1℃ August 2023 - 104.9℉  40.5℃  (2 days below 100℉)        historical average - 96℉  35.5℃  prisoners  held captive by sun's blaze oil barons parched lips mouth prayers blessed fall © petra domina

oh the joy jasmine wafts on the breeze soul full That haiku was written in April, 2020.  In this year dominated by a worldwide pandemic the memory of the scent of jasmine brings comfort.  Doing what a mother does so well, nature nurturing. Anjali mudra breathing deeply peace Free write to spill out all the tangled thoughts.  Love, sadness, loss, fear, joy, excitement, dejection, failure, achievement all mixed in the whirlwind called life.  Diaphramic breathing brings prayerful calmness. worries written on parchment dissolve in flames Is the devil in the details or in the worry of things we cannot change?  Things that brush against our lives that leave stains on our thoughts, is that the devil?  Will I let go of the worries in the flames? sunrays in the arms of angels peace   

on summer's eve life ready to burst forth nest of eggs on autumn's wind the smell of decayed leaves angle of geese chill of winter neath the weight of snow sakura bows warm spring kiss leaves and petals unfurled nectar for the queen © petra domina

Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #42 Gaia Goddess Of Earth (new feature) logo credits In the four and a half years we have lived in this apartment the surrounding landscape has changed.  Multiple buildings and parking lots have replaced the open fields.  With habitat removed the morning visit of the the red-tailed hawk has stopped. swooping across the deep blue sky a red-tailed hawk Gaia wiped a tear remembering ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI  

Carpe Diem #1248 ending road raindrops now floods ©   petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Writing and Enjoying Haiku #3 classical haiku summer heat surrounds dragonfly seems not to mind hopeful thunder claps  ©   petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem #1151 Shikoku Island For just a moment close your eyes and imagine being in a traditional small Japanese boat crossing to the island meditation wasen bobs as pilgrims chant  creaking boards ©    petra domina (Boat photograph courtesy of Mr. Shinsuke Inoue) Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem #1140 arriving at the right moment sun angles instincts stir within  migration thoughts feathers preened and gullets full one takes flight into the blue warming breeze beneath their wings gives rise yearnings for homeland far brings focus to the flight there below the call is heard and passed along each glides to rest arrive with the sun's last rays it is just the perfect time ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem honors Jane Reichhold  (1937-2017)  E.) Fuji No Yama A few of our departed mentor's works: morning breeze coming in the window surf sounds  changing forms all around the Buddha clouds in a blue sky clouds flooding the river with spring spring cloud melt flooding river willows green leaves © Jane Reichhold (A Dictionary of Haiku, spring part) aqua waters springing from the glacier warming in the sun ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI ©    petra domina

Carpe Diem #1128 Imagine the Road to Santiago Somewhere along the Road to Santiago raindrops hit poncho boots heavy with mud   slow the pace clouds spill into the valley cleansing mountain air ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem honors Jane Reichhold (1937-2016) A.) already red Today, January 18th, is Jane's birthday.  The host of CDHK honors her with a few of her wonderful winter haiku:  swollen the amaryllis bud already red melted snow water trickling over the veins of a dried beech leaf moving around the wind in the pines comes home © Jane Reichhold To be a writer of honest haiku it seems a person needs to be one with nature.  To feel the cold waters of the melting snow.  To be the dried beech leaf lying on the forest floor.  To be the wind searching for home.   swelling from within as the bud grows at stems end new life unfolds ©    petra domina source:  Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, Chèvrefeuille Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem #1118 Recklessness trusting  the path to come too soon recklessness saved by words ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Tanka Splendor #3 rain the parched earth longs for the sound of thunder storm clouds gather throbbing with desire moisture enters Mother Earth ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Universal Jane #5 autumn scenes leaf covered the stone walkway greets with a crunch childhood memories wash across your feet with each step ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Tanka Splendor #1 Teika's first of Ten Tanka Writing Techniques "Mystery and Depth" movement beneath  the colored leaves shed from above new skin the color of leaves ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Full Circle #1-2016 deep rainbow colors announcing autumn flight seagulls fill the sky cranes arrive for winter warmth  cherry blossoms bid goodbye love's own call above sunflower fields fills the blue sky rainbow clouds on butterfly wings nectar drips as once more the old men sing, laugh and clink their mugs of beer ©    petra domina The challenge was to use the following words in order in a haiku or tanka....  how about a tan renga? 1. rainbow 2. autumn 3. seagull 4. crane 5. cherry blossom 6. love 7. sunflower 8. blue sky 9. clouds 10. butterfly 11. nectar 12. beer Give it a try and link up with the others at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.  Or just go and read for the fun of it! Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Imagination with Paul Militaru #2 "gentle scent of lavender" gentle scent of lavender Oh, the joys of walking in a garden filled with flowers, herbs and other scented plants. a weed spied gently brush aside the lavender as you bend, inhale aromatherapy ©  petra domina Today's challenge was to use the photo to the left as an inspiration for a haiku or tanka.  The Paul Militaru's works can be seen on his website by clicking here . Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on   CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem Special (3rd guest) Herman van Rompuy "the night has fallen" hundreds of crows' wings sweeping the light from the sky above the new grave ©    petra domina - - - - - - - - - Inspired by the following partial post from CDHK: [ ".. I have searched for haiku written by him all over the globe (of course virtually) and found several beauties. I hope to inspire you with these haiku written by Herman van Rompuy. the night has fallen the bare branches can be seen even more lonely © Herman van Rompuy This haiku, in my opinion, resonates in tune with the time of year, but in this haiku I also sense a reflection of that wonderful haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694): kare eda ni karasu no tomarikeri aki no kure on a bare branch a crow has stopped autumn dusk © Matsuo Basho ... o stay more close to the haiku of Herman van Rompuy I created the following haiku: the last sunrays painting shadows on the white wall abandoned f...

Carpe Diem #1072 paint colors spilled from nature onto canvas - - - - - - crushed melted and mixed rainbow on a brush - - - - - - smells oils and turpentine painter's perfume - - - - - - paint flowing from the brush mental orgasm ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI

Carpe Diem #1065 stars There is a song about the stars at night being big and bright in the heart of Texas.  There was a time ... oil rigs light from above  starry night ©    petra domina soul bathing in hot springs desert stars ©  Jane Reichhold Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on  CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI