Thought Prints

I awake.  The clock's short hand is reaching toward 11.  Going to bed at 3:30 AM caused that late sleep.  Laying in the comfort of the bed, toes wiggling, slowly the day comes to me.  Thoughts, wishes, hopes, and memories.  Memories laced with joys and regrets.  Good choices, bad choices.  A life that is getting closer to the end.  Will it be this year?  Not likely.  Will I live well into my 90's?  Not my goal. So, having written all of this, I am looking within myself, my future, heck just today.  Really, this moment is all I have. in the distant haze there stands the mighty mountains glaciers retreating thought I was a mountain just sand by the sea petra domina ©

Three different types of rocks are on this blue orb.   Metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks are the types with the later being formed by the cooling of the liquid center of the earth. trickling waters smoothing the rock's edge languid eyes dreaming of creation rocks hold to eternity © petra domina

sitting in my empire buzzer on a clothes dryer acts like an umpire calling me out at home pray Ruth does not retire though some for that conspire the Constitution is on fire the orange cheeto just brays once reporters could inquire and not be called a liar droves continue to expire government giveaways the crow sits on a tire child's kite flies even higher secret deals still transpire the markets are up today siting in my empire news stations are for hire I'll never call him Sire he's an irritable bowel syndrome © petra domina

Carpe Diem #1802 New Beginnings ... without beginning Deathpoem by Shinsui (* - 1769) beginning first steps final breath © petra domian

Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Wednesday #10 such a cold night kazuki fusu futon ya samuki yo ya sugoki lying down with quilts over the head such a cold night © Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold) curled into his warming hold memories of young love unfold © petra domina

Carpe Diem #1800 New Beginnings ... first leaf falling breezy morn silently first red leaf falls moon set  © petra domina Simply click on the opening line of this post and you can visit the Carpe Diem Haiku Kai challenge of the day.  Home page can be reached here .

Carpe Diem #1794 New Beginnings ... new born In our 1999 Jeep Wrangler Hubby, Janer and I were bouncing along the country lane one early spring day.  Top down, enjoying every bit of nature along the way.  Just on the other side of a barbed wire fence we heard a sound.  The momma cow dropped a new baby. tender grass shoots embracing the new born calf tongue's caress © petra domina One of the most inviting and helpful haiku and Japanese Poetry sites on the web is Chèvrefeuille's Carpe Diem Haiku Kai .  Come join the fun and write a few lines yourself!

Carpe Diem #1792 New Beginnings ... New Year's Day © petra domina first sun rises glassful of mulled rice wine  toasting lion dance © petra domina From our Master's original post/challenge: " The theme for this month is New Beginnings and today we start with ... New Year's Day ... Our classical haiku masters wrote a lot of haiku about New Year's Day ... here are a few examples:" it’s play for the cranes flying up to the clouds the year’s first sunrise … © Chiyo-ni the first dream of the year — I keep it a secret and smile to myself © Sho-u New Year’s Day– everything is in blossom! I feel about average. © Issa Year after year on the monkey’s face a monkey’s face © Basho New Year's eve -- through the bare branches the wind as always © Chèvrefeuille Come join in the fun of haiku at the Carpe Diem Haiku Kai .

The morning light shines not on my face.   Clouds cover the sun and will all week.   After months of the drying, high heat  clouds bring more hope than a sunrise.  Northwest to a local hospital about 6.5 miles away if a crow were to fly in that direction. Looking north from the fifth level of the parking garage. A pair of hawks resting on top of the main apartment complex. Clouds to north, reflections to the south.

Carpe Diem's Renga Challenge #2 logged tree Here the six (6) haiku to use to use to complete the renga challenge were written by  © Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold). Logged Tree (I couldn't retrieve the owner of this image. If you know the owner or are the owner of this image please let me know) the blue sea in waves smelling of saké tonight's full moon  © Basho silhouetting the fishermen lowering their sails ©  petra domina rainy season sea glow lights held up by the night watchman © Basho slightly swaying the light with his rain soaked arm  ©  petra domina early summer rain the green of a rock cypress lasting how long  © Basho harvesting hydrangea leaves   ama-cha for kan-butsu-e ©  petra domina still alive under the slightness of my hat enjoying the coolness © Basho sultry air heavy with the racket of cicadas ©  petra domina ...

Carpe Diem #1463 old bush warbler (oiuguisu) bush warbler skips across the patio serenading me ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI   Little Yellow Warbler

Carpe Diem #1461 waterfall (taki) In this world there are so many different waterfalls.  The almost quiet waterfalls of a gentle brook.  The thunderous ones such as Victoria Falls or Niagara Falls.  My old garden had a small waterfall we had made.  Each and every waterfall with its own voice. cool mist nourishes delicate ferns a waterfall sings ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI    

Carpe Diem Crossroads #12 young birds are raised Our most gracious host for this group has given to us another challenge. "... The task is to create a so called "fusion"-haiku from the given haiku. With that task you create a symbiosis between the two haiku."  This is going to be extra challenging for me as just yesterday a young mockingbird was learning to fly.  It landed in our large container garden.  It seemed lost.  I moved to close to it and away it awkwardly flew.  The young wings were carrying it only a meter or two with each attempt.  If was, however, quickly into the road.  Before I could rise and get to the bird a car passed over it.  Fortunately no wheel made contact.  Four or five more attempts had the bird across the street and to safety.  Within minutes it had moved out of sight completely. fountain trickles hedge branches conceal the young white tipped wings falter ©    petra domina Her...

Carpe Diem #1458 short night (mijikayo) listening footfalls of youth returning late on this short night ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI  

nostrils filled with gun smoke flare in anger nostrils filled with chlorine gas gasp for air nostrils filled best by the auroma of jasmine ©    petra domina

Carpe Diem #1361 Chang'an (Northern Route) [...] "After the usual time of the exercise in meditation had passed, Govinda rose. The evening had come, it was time to perform the evening's ablution. He called Siddhartha's name. Siddhartha did not answer. Siddhartha sat there lost in thought, his eyes were rigidly focused towards a very distant target, the tip of his tongue was protruding a little between the teeth, he seemed not to breathe. Thus sat he, wrapped up in contemplation, thinking Om, his soul sent after the Brahman as an arrow." [...] (Source: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse) morning sun falls across the haunches pack horse blessed ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI  

Carpe Diem #1270 desert travellers (Karunesh) weary camels rest sparks spiral skyward day's warmth retreats  skirts whirl through dreams to the music of the desert ©    petra domina To hear the music that inspired this post click here .  The music is toward the end of the post.  A facinating article about desert nomads making a yearly trek is here . Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI  

Carpe Diem #1264 Borealis (Northern Lights) frozen plains alight in dancing colors souls of caribou thundering across meadows once grazed in winter's long night ©    petra domina Thanks to Chèvrefeuille for daily prompts on CARPE DIEM HAIKU KAI