We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

19.2.26

Ten Views of the Moon

 (haiku)


1.

harvest moon

great wheel riding the sky

keeps pace with us


2.

the moon’s face

smiled in through my window

all my childhood


3.

stormy moon

on a wild ride half-glimpsed

through shadowy clouds


4.

I’m with Omar:

Ah, moon of my delight

that knows no wane!


5.

after the night 

I keep within me the moon’s

persistent light 


6.

morning –

the moon sinks from the sky

into the sea 


7.

dark night –

without that bright face

I’m lonely 


8.

full moon

in a ring of clouds

gazing back 


9.

daylight moon

ethereal as cloud

ghostly on blue


10.

the moon –

even in a sliver

fully present



This came from an exercise: to write 10 haiku about the moon, then remove the word 'moon' everywhere and craft a new poem from what remains. I did, but I liked this haiku sequence better than my final poem. 


(NB: The plural of 'haiku' is 'haiku'.)


Sharing (off-prompt) with Poets and Storytellers United at Friday Writings #215 .




17 comments:

  1. What an achievement to write ten haikus about the moon - it is hard to choose a favourite. They all shine brightly - Jae

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  2. I think Number 8 is my favourite but they are all good.

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  3. If I had to choose one Nr 10 resonates the most but I love the whole series of moon Haiku's

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    1. No need to choose! I'm glad you love the whole series.

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    2. (That being said, and having got to know you somewhat over the years of sharing poems, it doesn't surprise me that you particularly like #10. And it's probably the one that speaks for me the most, too.)

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  4. Nice haiku poem. I like the second verse most I had in common with. Growing upwe had a two bedroom house. My little sister got the second and I slept out on the screened in front porch. Lots of moonlight shining in.

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    1. We had a house on a sloping block, so the front was one storey and the back two. My bedroom being towards the back of the house, my window was high up and uncurtained.

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  5. Ten Haiku's with moon as the central theme is a great feat in itself. I love the second one the most ... very nostalgic and full of hope. Took me back in time.
    "the moon’s face
    smiled in through my window
    all my childhood"

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    1. You're right, it was very nostalgic; also the moon felt like a reassuring presence to child me.

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  6. Oh lovely... 4.6.7, 10 especially... 10 most of all, I think, but there's Omar!! Wonderful set..!!!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed them so much, Rajani! And that you have some fellow-feeling re Omar. (And I'm glad #10 arrived as the final one, where I think it's well-placed.)

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  7. Each is so lovely ~~~ but number seven stole my heart.

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  8. Those are nice, and I'm fascinated by the exercise! If we're picking favorites, mine is #3.

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    Replies
    1. Ha ha, it appears that everyone IS picking favourites, so I'm glad to add yours to the list. I'm even gladder to note that it seems they all have appeal.

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