almighty dollar
promoting consumerism
ensuing mayhem
dissatisfaction
with illusory bliss
self-medication
going nowhere fast
in pursuit of happiness
amazing rat race
This haiku triplet is in response to Haiku Review Challenge by The Secret Keeper. The short film offered for review is a trailer for Happiness by Steve Cutts, found on Vimeo. It’s 4m 16s in length, but you will want to pause frequently to see all of the details in this parody of consumerism.
This space holds no resentment.
Anguish and despair
were its contents,
thanks to you.
(I thought, in spite
of my longing.)
Time heals, perspective
its gift. Recognition
through introspection.
Memories fade,
the space that held them
nearly gone.
The one-word Daily Prompt from the WordPress Daily Post is cavity.
Fade from Black
What then, when ink turns to grey
and the words that rest on the page,
once alive, begin to fade
and take with them thoughts
and emotions that kept us anchored here?
Will poetry continue to live in our minds?
This is my response to The Secret Keeper’s Weekly Writing Prompt #126, with the words rest, grey, ink, alive & here.
Missouri weather
nothing like
Buffalo
snow may fall
most likely it won’t
redefining expectations
In response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #17 Out of the Carpe Diem Box, this is my first attempt to write a cherita.
Cherita (the Malay word for story or tale)
~ [1 — 2 — 3] – a single stanza of a one-line verse, followed by a two-line verse, and then finishing with a three-line verse
~ written solo or with up to three partners
Image: Missouri, February 2013
contrast light and dark
baring truths as they appear
recognize wisdom
consider both near and far
with an eye to the present
Frank Tassone’s Winter Storm Challenge
Image source: goodfreephotos.com
Heel-to-Toe
I walked in your footsteps,
different as they were from mine.
Our collars were the same,
though yours were more worn, and sometimes
I felt like I was swimming, heel-to-toe.
Experience, and the value of a dollar.
Did we treat our children the same?
You knew hardship and cold nights
in your childhood, so you worked hard
to spare me from adversity. My childhood
may not have been free of trials,
but it was carefree, even when
worn soles were patched with cardboard.
Does that forgive spoiling my children
to save them from hardship? Layers and years
separate your experience from mine,
but when you peel them back
we are not all that different.
This is my response to The Secret Keeper’s Weekly Writing Prompt #125, with the words step, treat, cold, hole & peel.
Image source: vangoghgallery.com (A Pair of Shoes, Vincent van Gogh)
Osprey Circles High
As I paddle downstream, a raptor tracks my progress from a tall sycamore. Taking flight as I approach, its wings lifting with broad strokes, it catches a thermal that takes it higher and higher, gliding as it watches. Taking sight on movement in the water, it starts an aerial dive, striking its prey just below the surface. The great bird flies away in a ballet of wings and fins as I continue to paddle, thankful for the beauty of nature.
osprey circles high
hitting water in steep dive
fish struggles in vain
Frank Tassone’s Hawk Challenge
Image: Osprey with catch, over the Osage River, Missouri
