Around the Table

When I first saw that the topic for the November/ December 2011 Sketchbook thread was “candle(s)”, I wondered what I could possibly write about. But then I got into it and submitted four haiku, and probably could have thought up a whole lot more if the holidays weren’t upon me. There is just something about the flickering light of a candle’s flame. All of my haiku were selected as Editor’s Choice by Karina Klesko, John Daleiden, or Bernard Gieske, and one was chosen by all three and was favorited by John, with a very thoughtful write-up, which can be read here (scroll down). It’s special to me, as it was written about the last Thanksgiving I spent with my parents.

around the table…
three generations
in the candles’ glow

My other haiku for the candle thread:

early dusk
the candle melts
into itself

birthday candles
too many tree rings
to count

rice paper moon
another candle
on the cake

creepy crawlers

When I saw “insects / bugs” for the  July/ Aug Sketchbook haiku thread kigo, I was temporarily stumped. What was there to say about these critters that hasn’t already been said, by Issa in particular. But then,  I picked up my pen and wrote the following:

Tai Chi morning
a spider climbs slowly
up the wall

shortest night
on the breeze, one thousand
cricket voices

is it love?
moths circle
before a flame

sultry afternoon
the iridescent sheen
of dragonfly wings

cricket song –
sleeping at night
with an open window

The entire thread can be read here.

Four of these haiku made John Daleiden’s Editor’s Choice list, and rather than just list the haiku randomly, John chose to arrange them into haiku sequences. My haiku appear in “Cricket Songs: A Haiku Sequence”, “Hometown Memories: A Haiku Sequence”, and “Shadow Darners: A Haiku Sequence”. All the haiku sequences can be read here.