Haibun: Incoming

I sit curled into the end of my couch with my tea, still too hot for sipping. The curtain is pulled back a few inches, just enough for me to view the morning show of winged wonders. I’ve come to visually identify many and now my interest turns to their unique sounds, their songs, the music that fills the Spring air. The robin has a few up his sleeve but none on my favourite play list. The chickadees have my heart with their “chick -a -dee- dee- dee” and whistles of “fee-bee, fee-bee” in their black and white tuxedos. I take my first sip of tea and savour the memory of feeding them from my hands. Oh..here comes “Woody”. Whether downy or red-bellied, I ponder whether a woodpecker is truly a songbird but his percussion cannot be ignored. They amuse me tapping on the feeder for invisible bugs, finally settling for seeds.

My ceramic mug still feels warm. I sink into thoughts of fight or flight, watching sparrows sparring in mid air before landing on the ledge of the feeder. In contrast, they sing a joyful composition of “cheeps” and “chirrups”. I pull a plush blanket around my chilled ankles and wait for the next performer. The bird feeder sways, empty. The silence feels like an unwanted intermission at a concert. Intuition tells me the king will arrive soon. Yes. The cardinal appears in his royal red suit, and matching crown. His mate is only seconds behind him, looking a bit chubby but stunning in her fancy feathered hat and vibrant orange lipstick. I wonder if somewhere she carries a purse. Together they will sing a glorious duet, but not today as their beaks are brimming with sunflower seeds. Now, red is replaced by yellow, ablaze. One incoming golden finch is quickly followed by another. My tea sits cold.

minstrels of the morning

trilling softly, stealing time

we sip on sunshine

For Haibun Monday at dVerse Poets Pub. Frank is our host. Join us!

Weathered

does she remember love?

the taste of chamomile

or colour of sky blushing?

did the clouds burst all at once

or trickle with each taunting poke

until she lay saturated,

unable to feel the pain-drops

streaming down her face?

are sun-smudged days only dreams?

I am your host for the Quadrille at

dVerse Poets Pub.

We are working with the word “smudge”, blending it into our 44 word poems.

Doors open at 3 p.m. EST

Aerodynamics

I let my thoughts run wild

through flaxen fields, sun-kissed

they had my blessing

 so they dove naked

 into cloud dollops

whispered secrets to the wind

followed the flight of the loon

plucking stars, poking moon

I watch them wave to me

grinning, teasing but I

coax them back into jars

of ordinary, one by one

labeling them logic, tragic

dramatic, sporadic

screw the lid tight on panic

and I wait for another day

to fly

It’s Open Link Night. I am your host. You can link up ONE poem of your choice.

Join us at dVerse Poets Pub!

If

 

 

if the sun can move

mandarin peels over linen skies

 ocean tides turn

at the beckon of the moon

 clouds can criss-cross

horizon-bound

tiny hummingbird flies solo

hundreds of miles

if winds can spiral

and earth can shift

you too will find your way

 

 

Lisa is hosting our Quadrille prompt this week at

dVerse Poets Pub

Write a poem of exactly 44 words in length, not including the title. 

It must include the word “way”. Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

Be Leaf

 

autumn exhales a deep breath

as feeble leaves lose their grip

whispering sweet farewells

to nurturing limbs

I watch them cradle-rock

to the pulse of Mother Earth’s song

silently sweeping, weeping

but bravely repelling

the magnet of years past

finding new ways to grow

 

It’s Quadrille Monday at dVerse Poets Pub.

Write a poem of 44 words not including the title, including the word “magnet”.

De is our host.

Haiku: At the Lake

 

blankets of blues

summer in sapphire and teal

I breathe between hues

seven ride the waves

still nuzzled in mother’s wing

paddling seasons past

gliding on thermals

freedom to speak or squawk while

clouds only whisper

It is Open Link Night at

dVerse Poets Pub.

You can link up ONE poem of your choice.

I am your host and hope you will join us. Doors open at 3 p.m. EST

 

 

On Your Birthday

 

Announced today, we can hug.

In the park, you watch a tiny chipmunk scamper up a tree.

A cool breeze blows through your longish, white hair.

I watch you smile.

 

clouds move for the sun

time slips through silver threads

nature’s drum beats on

 

 

A Quadrille for dVerse Poets Pub.

Write a poem of exactly 44 words including the word “drum”.

Doors open at 3 p.m. EST. Happy to be your host.

Southwest

 

you are my green chile

kokopelli dream

soft sound of hiking boots

tapping on sandstone

my sun, uninterrupted

blessing mesas

the aqua blue of desert skies

set against canyons calling

in sacred language of silence

scents of cedar, earth and peace

you reset me

 

 

 

44 words is a quadrille, our original poetry form at

dVerse Poet’s Pub.

Merril is our host and the given word is “set”. Feel free to join in.

The Hush

 

 

It’s the space between steps

hollow of waves curling

gleam of seagull’s wings

 

  the slow

       tranquil

            ex

             hale

                  slipping off lips

 

as clouds collage in peach

and magenta

 

It’s the wander

without map or path

where trees speak in tongues

of nature lover’s dreams

 

 

A Quadrille for

dVerse Poet’s Pub

 Lillian has offered us “tranquility”

to include in our 44 word poems.

You can join in too!

 

Water Play

 

waves are winking, teasing

making my heart sing silly

each one feeding the void

I am soaked, featherweight

vulnerable, alive

this infinite lake

will swallow you whole

if you let it

I let it nibble

 

 

 

 

 

A pier in Lake Michigan. Key word “in” as the Great Lakes hit record high water levels. 

Join us for Open Link Night over at dVerse Poets Pub.I am your host. Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

 

Return

 

 

Follow me, child

Phoneless and free

Where earth sings

Songs of your roots

Ancient and pure

Pluck stars from indigo skies

Put them back into your eyes

Decorate your pale skin

In leaf shadows and sunlight

Relish in the riches

And blessings of nature

 

 

 

It’s Quadrille Monday and Kim is our host. She has offered us the word “rich” to incorporate into a 44 word poem, not including the title. Join in the fun!

dVerse Poets Pub

Under the Same Moon

 

I stand starstruck

Inhaling the unknown

Surrendering all that is logical

To Luna’s light

You pinpoint planets

That I’ll never know

That I’ll never remember

And never want to

Autumn Hush

 

It was an early phone call for a Saturday. My brother’s caller ID but not his voice. My mother forced words she could not yet comprehend herself. He was gone. I asked where he went.

 

moonbeams radiate

October sky remembers

flicker of fallen star

 

 

For Quadrille Monday at dVerse. Kim has offered us the word “early” for our 44 word poems. This prompt is open all week.

Only Promises

 

 

Sunflower stuns in season’s end

Transparent as secrets of summer

Undeniable beauty bows to earth

Vowing warily to return again

Woodpecker chuckles between mouthfuls

Xiphoid petals wilt and wonder

 

 

Lillian is hosting “Meeting the Bar” at dVerse.

She has asked us to write an “alphabet sestet” using a six letter sequence.

Feel free to join in!

 

Maritime

 

 

In awe I stand

Feet steadied upon

Emerald cliffs

Inhaling breath of sky

Heart-quickened, earth-smitten

Tickle of sea mist on my tongue

I surrender thoughts to the waves

Trundle with ocean’s tide

Erasing all but this moment

Time still…. (passes)

Each second a blessing

 

 

Written for De’s Quadrille prompt , “Quick! Write Something!”   

dVerse Poets Pub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chimera

 

 

From a window seat view

I watch clouds casting shadows

In puzzle-like fashion

Beauty mimicked from skies, majestic

To desolate, desert floors

In solitude they roam

Longing for home

I cushion them gently between

My thumb and pointer finger

Dreaming each piece into place

 

 

Its Quadrille Monday at dVerse Poets Pub and I am your host.

You are welcome to join in! Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

Photo taken in flight over Nevada.

 

(St)ratification

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is an itch

And so we scratch

Underlying layers of lies

Shifty sediments of alibis

Searching for the glorious

Sheen of the bedrock

And as the stone cold truth

Stares blatantly

Into the naivety of our eyes

We scramble

To spread the topsoil

 

 

dVerse Poets Pub is celebrating 7 years!

We are not feeling the “itch” as we continue to inspire and be inspired by each other.

We are very proud of our Anthology

Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light, dVerse Anthology, 2017

But yes….”itch” is the word for this week’s Quadrille prompt.

Your lovely host is Grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Mistakes

 

It’s hard to write as

I crawl between your fingers wagging

Aging my way to judgement day

Repentance reeking of self righteousness

Heavy scents of sincerity

You keep sending me notes and epiphanies

Squeezing through doors already sealed

Making your points ethereal

My nemesis, always the witty one

Wagering with my very soul

You are dust, still stirring

From my careless catastrophes

I do confess, I need you less

But please….stay close enough

To haunt me gently

 

 

Written for dVerse – “Meeting the Bar with a Letter”. Bjorn is our host.

Ashen

 

 

I embrace the grey. Where pavement glistens in the rain. Where clouds paint every inch of sky in shades of loneliness. I am touched by the greys of nature, stones peppered in hues of silver, the undersides of lifeless leaves, glistening beach sand and broken twigs.  My eyes wander off clear cut paths to spot the fluff of squirrels’ tails or the fringe of a bird’s feather now fallen. An ancient tree speaks to me in somber tones, begging to share his story. Does he remember the forest floors of ancient times? Or is it all a foggy blur? I caress the rough, dappled bark of a walnut tree. It’s ok. I’d love you anyway. Grey takes me to a place where black and white, wrong and right can mix and mingle into maybes.

 

 

dull sky, sparrow spies

the grizzle drizzle of grey

open wings take flight

 

It’s Haibun Monday, open all week at dVerse Poets Pub. Bjorn has asked us to consider grey as a subject for our haibun, ” to bring grey into a personal (non-fictional) piece of prose. Add to that a haiku (with season and nature)”. Feel free to join in with us.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Tour Guide

In response to The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Tour Guide

Welcome to a small town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. These are only two of our distinct and unique seasons.

 

 

Strong winds + bitter temperatures + river =  masterpiece.

 

Sunset over lake + para-sail + sense of adventure = summer solitude.

 

 

 

 

 

The Field

 

 

We grew up here. The soft breezes of summer carry me from our white brick house to this place of solitude. My feet greet the weathered path, making the hollow, tapping sound I so remember.  Again I wonder how this hard packed earth can feel like clouds under my feet….but it does.  I love the tickle of tall grasses against my bare legs and how the skies match my eyes today. I still marvel at the delicate design of Queen Anne’s Lace as it stands stoic beside red clover. A grasshopper leaps ahead of me, dodging my every step. He has nothing to fear but I cannot resist the urge to pull apart a milkweed. The same silky threads still comfort me. I roll them between my palms and set them free. They dazzle like white satin in sunlight before the greenery embraces them.

My journey curves around a cluster of wild bergamot. I pause to inhale the scent of sweet citrus. Just ahead to the left of the trail I see the large crevice or “crater” as we called it. A place to pretend, when we used to do that. Golden rod bouquets border the path in brilliant yellow. I run my fingers along them as I pass. They seem to be early. Finally I reach the neighbour’s orchard where I once believed swiping a few apples was a major crime. “Run!!”, I remember saying to my brother. He just laughed at me….the way he always did.

 

 

nurtured by nature

summer silenced by the fall

some seeds will die young

 

 

 

Written for Haibun Monday

~ dVerse Poets Pub ~

The theme is “Hometown” and I am your host.

Doors open at 3 p.m. EST. Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

Luna

 

  Oh Luna, you light monger

  Peddling your parables

  Poeming me pretty words

  Hobnobbing with the clouds

  As I am left sleepless

  Tossed and tangled

  Between lucid thoughts

  And muddled dreams

  You’re so astronomical

  But I find you comical

  Spinning your tales in the stars

 

 

It’s time to Q44 at dVerse Poets Pub. Victoria is our lovely host. Join us with your own quadrille, a poem with exactly 44 words, not including the title. It must include the given word or a form of it and this week the word is “poem”.

 

Unwritten

 

An Italian leather notebook sits empty at my bedside. A gift from a dear friend with an encouraging,  handwritten message. The sun sneaks through wooden blinds just enough to illuminate dust particles dancing over it. I run my fingers across the engraved designs on the cover that seem to speak of great things to come. I look inside, as if expecting to find something that wasn’t there before. Between each fine line there is silence, words yet to be unraveled in garlands and strokes unique to me. A lovely pen waits for the warmth of my hands, but has lost all hope.

I type to the rhythm of my random thoughts wondering why this has become my only mode of composition. Somehow I have forgotten the crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s. I have left behind the curves and arches, loops and flairs. I have left behind a piece of myself.

 

frozen river breaks

mallard writes in cursive form

freed by early thaw

 

 

 

Written for Kim’s Haibun Monday. The theme of the prose is “communication through pen or pencil and paper, followed by a traditional Haiku that includes reference to a season.” You can join in too at dVerse Poets Pub. The prompt opens at 3 p.m. EST and is open all week.

 

The Fall

Sharon Knight – leaf and light

 

Illuminate me

Chloro- fill my veins

Colour me in carotene

Kisses and sugar sap

Decorate my heart

With strands of starlight

Let me sail

Over moonlight memories

Pinstripe my path

In strokes of midnight

Before I surrender to the fall

Sun-shine my soul

 

 

Today I am hosting Poetics for dVerse Poets Pub and I am excited to share the photography of Sharon Knight at sunearthsky.com for our poetic muse! You are welcome to join in at 3 p.m EST. 

 

 

Mystic

 

 

Another year beckons

Coups and calamities

Landmarks unknown

Patches of prediction

Stepping, stumbling

Your ragged heart fumbling

As history hangs in the fog

 

Let these mosaic moments

Melt in your mouth

Roll off your tongue,

Roll off your soul

Leap forward

                               With eyes closed

 

 ~Lake Huron, Ontario

 

 

 

Feel free to join us at dVerse for our first Quadrille prompt of 2018.

What is a quadrille?

It’s simply a poem of exactly 44 words, no more, no less, excluding the title. It must include the given word. Grace has chosen the word “leap”. The form is your choice.

 

Happy reading and writing for 2018!

Don’t forget to order your copy of 

“Chiaroscuro ~ Darkness and Light ~ Voices from poets – dVerse Anthology”

Now available on amazon.com and amazon.uk

No What If’s

 

It all happens in

One unexpected trice

The way the wind catches the door

The instant the ocean bursts into art form

As it crashes against the reef

The fluke of snowflakes in April

Your heart gives you wings

Unpredictable things and you

Can either

…………..pause

watching them pass

Or leap

 

We welcome Merril as a new pubtender at dVerse Poets Pub, hosting our first Poetics for 2019!

She has asked us to “consider time and space and what if?” Join us!

Happy New Year!

 

Blessed

 

 

 

 

I find my religion

in song and stars

not far from the dazzle

of dew drops at dawn

in chiseled red rock

set aglow by the sun

in the voice of the trees

that silence me

strokes of pastel

over indigo skies

moonlight shadows

that dance in my eyes

the strength of the spider web

in gale’s great force

and of course

it all feels magical

 

Paul is tending bar at dVerse Poets Pub today and he has us brewing up a little magic into our poems.

Want to read some enchanting poetry?  Feel free to join in. Just wave your magic wand over this: 

*** MAGIC***

Fusion

 

 

I am of you and you of me

Mingled blues upon the sea

Gentle sway of burnished brine

We fall and rise in tide, in time

 

We fall and rise in tide, in time

Gentle sway of burnished brine

Mingled blues upon the sea

I am of you and you of me

Flicker

 

 

When nightfall finds you

Breathless under muted moon

Your shattered heart fumbling

Tumbling faster than your thoughts

May you count stars instead of tears

Echo the moments, over years

Summon one precious particle

Of light within your soul

Carry on, my friend

Carry on

This life is not over

 

 

Written for dVerse as Paul brings us a beautiful prompt for Poetics, called

“Blessings”

Fawns and Simpler Things

 

 

I am your Spring

Spindly, unspoken

Mending your dreams

Faded and broken

 

Sweet woodland grasses

Kissed by the sun

Nurture my soul

Teach me to run

 

Delve in my eyes

Of nature’s unknown

I hold your heart

I am your home

 

We are writing “From Nature’s Point of View”.

at dVerse Poets Pub.

 3 p.m. EST.

 

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 52 – Pass it On!

We did it!! We set out, 52 poems and photos ago, to collaborate in bringing peace to this cyber-village of poets. In the process we each found a kindred soul and a shared passion that was not bound by borders. Now that we have reached our goal, we are asking you to continue this journey of peace. Reach out to a fellow poet or photographer (amateur or otherwise). Combine your talents to express your thoughts about peace and inspire others to do the same. At the very least, you will challenge each other, and make a meaningful connection from across the miles. Let us know in the comments if you have decided to take on the challenge. We would love to hear from you and follow your collaboration.

For our last post for “Collaboration for Peace”, Candy and I decided to share our answers to some questions about PEACE. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

Photo: Candace Kubinec

What does peace look like to you?

Candy: Peace is a moment (or two) of calmness in a busy life. A time without fear or worry.

Mish: It’s not about rainbows and butterflies, peace signs and such. For me, peace looks like a world united, with non judgemental faces and open minds.

 

Photo: Mish

How do you experience inner peace?

Candy: Being outdoors is where I find peace to quiet my inner self, to prioritize. As an introvert, I need those moments to recharge.

Mish: When I feel turmoil in my life, I try to remind myself of my priorities, what truly matters in my life and eliminate the “small stuff” that gets in the way. I find inner peace when I am in nature, examining a wildflower in the woods or watching a hawk soaring above me. I think the simplicity of nature has many lessons for discovering inner peace.

Photo: Mish

What do you believe needs to happen for peace to happen?

Candy: We need to learn to respect others and appreciate our differences. And then follow up with actions that demonstrate that respect. A genuine smile goes a long way to promoting peace.

Mish: We have to break free from societal walls. We need to build bridges instead of walls. Respect and embrace our differences. Become part of the melting pot. Let go of our fears. Stop celebrating any country as the strongest or the best. No country is better than another. These arrogant personas do not support the goals of peace.

 

Photo: Candace Kubinec

What can we do as individuals to promote peace in the world?

Candy: Don’t give in to what is popular but do what you know is right. If you want to promote peace in the world it must start in your own neighborhood – a ripple of peace that will spread outward.

Mish: Reach out. Speak to others who look nothing like you. Learn first hand about their culture and beliefs. Give up the stereotypes. Become educated before you speak. Make connections. You will be enriched and enlightened.

 

Thank you to all of you who have “liked”, commented and supported our Collaboration for Peace project. We hope you continue our journey of peace.

We leave you now with our final collaboration, a poem written by Candy and a photo taken from one of my most peaceful places.

Photo: Mish

Peace Enough

 

I wish you peace enough

to last not just for tomorrow

but until we no longer

need to wish

 

I wish you peace enough

to share with those you love

and those you fear

so you may fear less

 

I wish you peace enough

to carry you through

turbulence and pain

so your heart may smile again

 

I wish you peace enough

to calm your inner self

then ripple out from you

to calm your world

 

© Candace Kubinec

 

You can follow Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com

Thank you, Candace Kubinec for sharing this experience with me, for your amazing way with words, your lovely photography and especially for your friendship.

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 51

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

Sol

Shadows still play

On the path to peace

Veins of the vicious

Testing our strength

To reach for the light

 

Dodge the darkness

Stretch your arms

To the sun

Embrace the heart

Of humanity

 

Stay tuned next Sunday for our final post for Collaboration for Peace. This has been an amazing experience. We hope to pass on the torch of peace to you, that you will join in the power of creativity and kindness to inspire others.

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 50

Photo: Mish

 

Dreams of Peace

 

we hang our dreams from

broken branches of hope

where they flutter listlessly

until the breath of peace

whispers aside the clouds

and we dream once more

 

© Candace Kubinec

 

Check out more of Candy’s poetry at rhymeswithbug.com

Collaboration for Peace – 49

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

Betterment

 

Let the past remind us

Not rewind us

Peace will bloom in

Soils of change

Winds of wisdom

Hearts enlightened

Let us not forget

That we are the rain

 

 

 

Mélange

 

It’s a short drive to the park. Winter has made a whimsical return as if to poke fun at Spring. Snow powdered trees appear to float in rainwater lagoons. I throw my daydreams into placid pools and wish for sunlight. In the foreground, flakes fall melting instantly on a glass stage. In the distance, they unite to soften the woods with a whitewash.  This portrait is life, mirrored and stilled by the indecisiveness of Mother Nature.  I join in reflections of branches blurred and blended, losing myself in the scene.

 

Seasonal squabble

Geese ponder their homeward flight

Nature simply paints

 

Björn leads our Haibun Monday this week.  He explains two techniques, “ekphrasis” and “haiga” as we combine art and poetry.

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 48

Photo: Mish

 

Proliferation

 

Plant me some peace

Sow me some unity

Let it rise up out of the

Darkness of discord

Let it spread seeds of

Understanding and tolerance

Until the weediness of fighting

Is overrun with reconciliation

 

© Candace Kubinec

Collaboration for Peace – 47

Image credit: Candace Kubinec

 

Forward

 

Why are we backpedaling

While currents of clarity

Still flow at our feet?

How does one drop of impurity

Poison our possibilities?

When are we accountable

For the inevitable,

Witnesses to the destruction?

 

We are the ripples of hope

On waters, stagnant

The ancient sunlight shimmer

Dancing over shadows

We are the reflections

Of persistent hands of change

And this world did not evolve

Without us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunny Side Up

She liked her eggs sunny side up
Runny……

      … running away
Like she always did

She poked the yolks
Releasing them, releasing her
From destinies and obligations
Yellow trickles of madness

Ooooozing……

Soaking grainy plateaus on her plate
Mesas she never climbed
The people left behind
Standing there
Like the salt and pepper shakers
Stoically staring her down

This.. a mere snippet of it all
Life served on a platter
Exchanged for prices
And slices of her heart
She toyed with the lettuce
Lifting it, loathing it
A worthless embellishment

     Wilting…

Dying in front of her
Like all the rest

 
For Open Link Night at dVerse. Grace is our host!

Originally written for a poetic prompt in 2015 where we were challenged by Claudia Schoenfeld to write layered poetry.

If you are new to dVerse, OLN is an opportunity to share one poem with other poets in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment. We would love to have you join us.  Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

Collaboration for Peace – 46

Photo:  Candace Kubinec

 

In Flight

 

Life me up

For I have spiraled, wingless

In whirls of worldly matter

That do not matter

Much to me

 

Cradle my heart

For I have stumbled, tumbled

To humble places

Grant me peace

And let me fly

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 45

Photo: mishunderstood.wordpress.com

 

Stones from a Glass House

It was just one pebble
Thrown in jest
No harm intended
And then one more
Hidden in soft words
Another disguised by
A smile
More and more were
Piled on top until
At last
Peace was smothered

© Candace Kubinec

Collaboration for Peace – 44

 

 

Reach Up, Reach Out

 

I reach up
Spread my arms
To embrace the sky
 
The sky that looks
Down on every person –
Like and unlike me
 
Every person receives
Equal share of the day
And the night
 
The sun and stars
The moon lights the
Corners of darkness
 
Regardless of color or shape
Weeping or joyful
We’re all the same
 
I reach out
To embrace the world
That the sky looks
Down upon in peace
 

 

© Candace Kubinec

 

We’re back! Candy and I bring you a few more weeks of uniting photography with poetry, all in the name of PEACE.

Knock, Knock….Peace, are you there?

 

 

We create our own castles

Brick by brick

We build walls

High enough to obscure faces

And far away places

Pain and anguish muffled

By our own missions

 

We wonder but don’t worry

Slow down from our hurry

Only to throw a few pennies

Or thoughts without physically

Touching a soul

 

We wait for peace like we’re

Waiting for the sun to

Burn holes through mortar

Did we forget how to open a door?

Poem written by Mish

Photo credit: Candace Kubinec

Sharing with Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub.

Candy and I have worked together for over a year on a project we call “Collaboration for Peace”. We have been inspired by each others photos, writing poems that ponder and promote peace in our world or within ourselves. It has been an amazing experience and I am blessed to have shared it with such a wonderful person and poet.

This post was “Collaboration for Peace – 29” posted back in July. We only have a few more to go as we’re determined to reach our goal of 52. We post every Sunday and will return after the holidays.

PEACE!

Collaboration for Peace – 43

Free Fall

we’re free falling
flying without wings
hands clasped
tugging
at the cord that binds
us to the past
leaving behind the strife
the worries
the discord
and drifting into the
open arms of peace

 

© Candace Kubinec

Photo: Mish

Candy and I are taking a short break. We’ll be back with more photos and poetry in January. Our goal is to reach 52 posts – a whole year of collaboration!

Collaboration for Peace – 42

 

 

Barriers

we build walls trying
to define our space
outline the boundaries of

what belongs to us
construct tangled barriers to
keep others at a distance

so no one will know us too well
we assume a prickly air
attempting to protect our hearts

alone inside our armor of safety
we long for the touch of another
the understanding of a neighbor

the love of a friend
yet we are afraid to reach out
take a risk

seek peace

 

© Candace Kubinec

Seasonal Affair

 

My little maple

Of glistening gold

Flaunting, fluttering as

Sol sister laughs

She knows wind is only

Teasing, breezing by for

One last kiss of autumn

The final dance before

The chill and I will

Cherish your leaves

As fall still breathes

Through winter

 

It’s Quadrille time again and we’d love for you to join us over at dVerse Poets Pub. As your host, I am asking you to write a poem of 44 words (not including the title) and your quadrille must contain the word…

b…r…e…a…t…h…e

or breath, breathtaking, breathable…any variation of the word

Doors open at 3 p.m. EST

Collaboration for Peace – 41

 

Let Peace Flow

When you see sorrow
of another
Let joy flow from
Your soul
To cover the dark in light

When you hear hatred
toward a neighbor
Let love flow from
Your heart
To cover the hard in softness

When you feel the anguish
of humanity
Let peace flow from
Your mind
To cover the shattered in healing

© Candace Kubinec

Moon Trippin’

 

Supermoon sent us scrambling to the nearest park for open ground. Cameras in hand, we had visions of something extraordinary. The awe came when I did not focus on or with my camera but stood with mind silenced, tracing her perfection. I imagined some funky God of Geometry with a giant compass and extremely steady hands, carving our cosmic muse into carbon paper skies. He didn’t know her beauty until the asteroids and meteorites chiseled her barren cheeks and the sun dazzled her silly.

We heard the unmistakable howl of a coyote in the nearby woods. Believing in the myth added to the ambience.  I became lost in the mystery of moon tides and the depths of craters. I wondered where I stood with her in astrological terms, being born on the first day of the whole zodiac. I am clearly a beginning…to something.  Her porcelain face revealed no secrets. With fuzzy photos, we turned to go home. She followed,  her golden light gushing over darkened streets.  I drank her energy, let her sparkle my spirit one more time, just in case I would not see her Supermoon magic again.

 

sun in Scorpio

stars of Aries kiss Luna

November clouds drift

 

 

Written for dVerse, “Haibun Monday: You say it’s your birthday?” Toni is back and she has given us options for this haibun challenge. “You have three choices:  birthday, full moon, or combine the two.” Check it out. There’s still time to join in!

 

 

Collaboration for Peace – 40

 

The Beacon

Adrift I float
No gentle breeze
To send me home
only dreams
To guide me
To urge me forward
Through doubts and fears
I am not afraid
To travel on
Hope shines brightly
A beacon on the horizon

© Candace Kubinec

 

Photo: Mish

Photo: Mish

There is Light

 

The sun paints for you
In hues against blues
Reflections of great sorrow
You gallantly cope
Through beacons of hope
For sunrises and tomorrows

Let skies amaze you
Daybreak embrace you
Memories warmly whisper
Layers of love shine
Heal in your own time
He lives in your heart, sister

 

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Michelle.

~

At dVerse Poets Pub, Gayle introduces The Alouette, a poetic form consisting of “two or more stanzas of 6 lines each (sestets) with the following set rules: Syllables/Meter: 5, 5, 7, 5, 5, 7 Rhyme Scheme: a, a, b, c, c, b”. 

Collaboration for Peace – 39

 

Doldrums and Dragonflies

 

Even in flight

I am not alone

Cradled

By the zephyrs

Warm embrace

This too is my calm

My inner field of felicity

Double-winged, I will sing

To the flutter of my heart

In shades of iridescence

 

 

 

I feel blessed to have met Candy, my friend in collaboration as we continue to be inspired by each others work. You can find more of her photography and poetry at rhymeswithbug.com

Collaboration for Peace – 38

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

We Wait

For ashen skies to

Drift and greet the sun

For time to turn this

Turmoil to tranquility

As gifted abilities

Go to waste

We wait for walls to

Fall but they will stand

Unbroken as long as

Goals remain unspoken

We wait for peace

To magically evolve

Like childhood dreams

And it clearly seems

That we have lost our way

 

 

Photo by Candy

rhymeswithbug.com

First Embrace

 

Oh my little sea anemone

I didn’t know your name

Or if your game included me

My intrusion, your confusion

My bucket list of fickleness

But somehow I knew

I knew you would reach for me

The first time I touched you

 

Sea anemone, Laguna Beach

 

Written for Poetics: “first things first”. Kelly has returned for a visit and has asked us to write a poem about a first.  This brief interaction was most likely a first for both of us.

Stranded

I am sanded by time

Battered by the tempest

Scattered and cast away

Losing my edges

Making my pledges

To the wind

Gutless, un-glittered

I twirl in curls of waves

Bask in suns, unseen

Do you even know

What I mean?

I am un-sparkled

Every other Monday at dVerse, we create quadrilles.   44 words with one specific word to be included. Today, De has chosen the word “spark” or a word that contains spark as the root word such as sparkle, sparkly…you get the idea. The fun begins at 3 p.m. EST. 

Collaboration for Peace – 37

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

 

Nature sings to me

In melodies of sun

And baritone shadows

Harmony on forest’s floor

Echos of peace

 

 

Visit Candy at rhymeswithbug.com

 

 

Urban Undertones

 

This town begs to be a city. Eclectic shops come and go. Dreams blossom and wilt. Still it swallows me whole sometimes. Just like it did when I was seventeen.  A few high rises line the river offering penthouse status, sparkles of blue and a clear view of another country. Seagulls circle over small boutiques, flea markets and the latest hang out for organic cuisine. I smirk at the English pub I used to frequent often with friends. The raw acoustic sound wraps itself around me like a familiar hug.  The old theater, now a venue for live performances is lit up like Vegas in vintage cinema letters. I pass the art gallery, a martini bar and a retro music store before finally reaching the library. This is the last stop before the scenery becomes a bit dicey. Or… you can make your way to the chemical plants, where this town hides the best of its big city lights.

 

I was small under fall of leaves

Colossal in the spring of youth

Shadowed in wake of winter

Summer sun, my only light

 

 

 

This week, we are taking our haibun to the city with a contemporary approach to the form. Bjorn shares all the details over at dVerse.  Hope to meet up with you there!

 

Collaboration for Peace – 36

Photo: Candace Kubinec

 

It may be narrow

Obscured by our own

Selfish shadows we

So carelessly cast

We may trip

Fall

Stumble

Or stray aimlessly

From the path

But there is always

A gateway to peace

Honestly

 

 

Sometimes I like to

Dangle in dewdrops

Laugh hysterically in

Cynical times

Find a way to face

My own face

It is not always easy

To celebrate

Life

~

Life

Is to celebrate

I will face my own

Cynical times

I will laugh at myself

Yes, hysterically

Because sometimes

It is easy to dangle

In dewdrops

 

Written for Walt’s poetic prompt, “A Cause For Celebration”.

Come celebrate with a poem over at dVerse Poets Pub.

Collaboration for Peace – 35

Photo: Mish

Uncommon Friend

 

some say you

don’t belong

don’t  fit in

a nonconformist –

trouble

and so they

don’t

give you a chance

but you are bright and

sparkling

adding zing to my

dull life

zest to my ordinary days

balance to my humble story

and I am better for

knowing you

 

© Candace Kubinec

The Abyss

 

From the abyss, I will emerge
Stand before myself, drained and hallow
Stare at the surface, rippled and shallow
I have been here before
Facing shadows
Gasping for air
As the sun dances on waves
I have been here before
In temped waters, soft and salty
Floating on falacies
And misunderstandings
Bidding farewell

Lost meanings travel the tide
Currents are destined to ride
With freighters and greater things
But I will meet with the ocean floor
Where life begins again
One breath, arms weightless
I will become one with life’s blood
Until my hands find the rocks
And my heart finds the courage
To rise up again

I am hosting Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub. No prompt required although you may want to use one you’ve missed to spark your muse. We are a friendly bunch. Drop in, share your work and engage with other poets! Doors open at 3 p.m. EST.

Do You See Herons?

 

Herons? Yes, I see them often…from a distance. Familiar sights on regular hikes through marshlands and parks. They appear to me as a privilege, preening on a rock amidst the reeds or sailing overhead in glorious flight. Grey. That is common or sometimes a Great White Egret, with plumage of an angel set aglow by the sun. It is always enough to slightly dazzle me. Today I am given a gift. From the top of the bridge that arches over a murky green creek, I stand only a few feet away from him. Staring motionless at the water with one leg spindly and bent, he waits. He waits more patiently than I do. He cares not that I watch. I become a similar statue, camera in hand anticipating his next move. And there it is. Saaaa-nap! His elongated beak now holds firmly to a tiny wriggling fish along with an innocent leaf caught in the hunt. An ordinary day for him. I am a guest, if only to admire a great heron’s dinner.

 

leaves ride in ripples

twilight grants one last favour

over humdrum day

 

 

 

 

We are looking for the “extra” in the ordinary for Haibun Monday. Grace is our host and she has reacquainted us with the form.  Hope you can join us!