Butterfly lights upon my cheek,
It seems to make itself at home,
Freezing like a sculpture of Rome,
I welcome it; its friendship seek,
Though I am strong, and it is weak.
A mosquito’s friendship I’d reject,
A honeybee, I would protect,
Although in a more distant way,
My butterfly’s welcome to stay,
A better friendship, I suspect.
© Susan Joy Clark 2021
wings flutter in air,
wisps of antennae tickle,
a butterfly’s kiss
© Susan Joy Clark 2021
This was written for Ronovan Writes decima challenge. The requirement was to put “cheek” in the A rhyme line. Ronovan suggested tying the decima in with the haiku challenge, using the words “air” and “wisp.”
White clover, dandelion, buttercup and wild violets line the pathway that I walk. Just between the path’s edge and the grass, golden, stringy pollen catkins, which have fallen from the oaks, collect themselves. A miniscule, yellow-tan butterfly alights on a branch of Cherokee rose, and a beetle crosses my path. As I climb the hill, the trees overshadow me, and I am grateful for their shielding from the hot sun. A chipmunk clambers over a log, and a robin, perched in a tree, flits away as I approach.
in the shadow of
the trees, a doe hides herself
from human presence
© Susan Joy Clark 2021
This is an autobiographical account. My phone was out of battery power or I would have taken my own woodsy photo. The theme this week for Tanka Tuesday, hosted by Colleen Chesebro of Word Craft Prose & Poetry, is “travel/journeys,” so I thought it worked perfectly with a haibun and another walk in the woods.
The moon shines full through a purple-gray veil of cloud. She peers through, partially hiding her face, but the cloud can not completely conceal her glow and beauty. The wind stirs the garden under the moonlight, rustling the trees and shrubs and carrying the scent of May flowers. Branches of the weeping cherry tree sway, dancing with the rhythm of the wind. The peonies’ heavy blossoms, bursting with frills like dancers’ tutus, join in the wind dance. Birds twitter their lullabies and evening songs.
And in the distance,
Dogs join the bird song with howls.
Howling at the moon?
© Susan Joy Clark 2021
This haibun and haiku was written for dVerse’s “Flower Moon” haibun challenge. It is a mostly true account, a kind of composite of experiences. I did walk outside in the garden for inspiration. It seemed like a very poetic thing to do to go outside and stare at the moon.
