February is Haiku Month

[Tinker]

Hi Y'all, I have been away for over a year to care for my husband (with amazing assistance from St Joseph's Hospice) and to finish the last of my 40 year financial career.  November 30, 2021 I closed my Agency two weeks after my husband of 58 years, passed.  I'm still taking care of loose ends from my former life but I am tentatively picking up the pen and want to get back into writing. 

Reading that February is Haiku Month was the spark that I needed to ease in.  So here I am on February 1, 2022, Chinese New Year - The Year of the Tiger.    Maybe a haiku a day for 28 days will get me going.  You are welcome to join me if you feel so inclined.  I missed this community.

~~Tink

2022 #1

sleeping tiger wakes
to the sounds of celebration
Gong hei fat choy!
                         jvg

[Tinker]

Today is Feb 2, Groundhog Day
2022   #2  

Punxsutawny Phil
saw his shadow this morning
winter, six more weeks
                         jvg

I promise I'll get better. 
I'd never seen a real live groundhog until I took a trip a few years ago and visited Pennsylvania.  While driving in a rural area one early evening we noticed an animal just pop up out of the ground then pop back down. It was the size of a medium sized dog.   It so intrigued us we had to stop and watch.  From then on we were very aware of the groundhog activity in open fields and just drove around looking for them.  They must be terrible on good farmland but in an open field, so fun to watch. 

[Tinker]

Feb 3,
2022   #3

smiling daffodils
cluster in frozen garden
late winter's sunshine
                jvg
 
 

[Tinker]

Today is Feb 4,  Opening Day, 24th Winter Olympics, Bejing China
2022 #4

single drop of ink
creates turbulent river  
host city locked down
                 ~~~ jvg

2022 #5

Stepford Wives' smiles
behind opening speakers
Bejing's welcome
                    ~~jvg

 I was expecting something spectacular along the lines of China's last Olympic opening with those amazing drummers.  I'm totally disappointed, a bit creeped out, and a little angry at the transparent political postures of the opening ceremonies. Did anyone else find the smiling faces behind the speakers at the opening ceremony creepy?   And what was with the caldron?  A candle flame in a paper snowflake?  

Let the games begin!    

[Tinker]

2022 #6

crumpled sheets
restless legs disturb kitty
empty king-sized bed
                   ~~jvg

[Tinker]

February 6   National Pay a Compliment Day
2022 # 7

your attention
to my scribbles on this page
complete its purpose
                         ~~jvg

Thanks for reading
Today is

[Tinker]

Monday February 7
2022 #8

flips into blue sky
to land on white icy slope
snowbirds tumble
                     ~~jvg

[Tinker]

Tuesday February 8   National Laugh and Be Rich Day
2022 #9

novel propped open
pages turn to last chapter
all else can wait
              ~~hvg
 

[tonyv]

                  Stay Away

Don't stay away as long as you did stay
away, just stay and never stay away.

Don't Stay Away (Tom Rain & Max Lyazgin Remix)

Haiku in iambic pentameter? 🤔

[Tinker]

36 minutes ago, tonyv said:

Haiku in iambic pentameter? 🤔

Very inventive Tony.  We were in touch, thank you for that.

Wednesday Feb 9
2022 # 10

to stay at home
and not to stray today
I guess, I'll play 
            jvg

iambic not pentameter but under 17 syllables short/long/short  haiku

[tonyv]

5 minutes ago, Tinker said:

to stay at home
and not to stray today
I guess, I'll play 

Welcome home, Judi. I love the ambivalence ... 😊

[Tinker]

Thursday Feb 10  National Wear Flannel Day
2022 #11

trucks clog border
reject government mandates
land of the free
               ~~jvg  

[Tinker]

Friday Feb 11  Peppermint Patty Day
2022 #12

"important" papers
clutter my desk, wait order
one page at a time
                 ~~jvg

I've now been retired 2 months and 11 days and I still have paperwork to complete to finalize the close of my agency.  This includes a fiduciary audit and a Workers Comp audit.   Busy bureaucracy.  I hate spread sheets.  
 

[Tinker]

Saturday Feb 12  Abraham Lincoln's Birthday  14th President of the United States of America

Taking a side trip from haiku and include a tanka today.

Honest Abe

War between brothers
raged to preserve a union.
Way of life threatened,
chains of the enslaved, broken.
President Lincoln prevailed.
                           ~~jvg

[Tinker]

Sunday Feb 13 Super Bowl Sunday

2022 #13

run, sack, hike and spike
tackle, pass, receive and score
pigskin game day

[Tinker]

Monday Feb 14   Happy Valentine's Day

2022 #14   

the brush of a hand
a sideward glance, secret smile
young butterflies dance

[Tinker]

Tuesday Feb 15      Susan B Anthony Day

2022  #15

a voice, a choice
simply checking a box
can change destinies

[Tinker]

Wednesday Feb 16

2022 #16

heat on kitty's coat
from nap under winter's sun
blossoms spring forth

 

[Tinker]

Thursday Feb 17   Random Acts of Kindness Day

2022 #17

ice shards stab
at my waking bones
hot shower steams

[Tinker]

Friday Feb 18
2022  #18

platinum plastic
swipes to buy silver ovens
old white fridge functions
                            ~~jvg

[Tinker]

Saturday Feb 19
2022 #19

through the glass, morning
light, colors shaped by nature
dust streaks window panes

[Tinker]

Sunday Feb 20

2022 #20

bristled tail, Molly
runs full tilt into my room
what dangers lurk?

[Tinker]

Monday Feb 21 President's Day and my granddaughter Trinity's 21st birthday
2022 #21

little black dress
Delta Zeta induction
high heeled shoes

Tuesday  Feb 22
2022 #22

heavy eye lids
cloak tired oculus
still sleep eludes


Wednesday Feb 23
2022 # 23

field of yellow blooms
in green grass bend in the wind
chilled by the north
 

[Tinker]

Thursday February 24   National Chili Day    Russia invades Ukraine
2022 #24

ball of fire bursts
on the horizon of Kyiv
borders assaulted
 

[Tinker]

Friday 25       National Clam Chowder Day
2022  #25

steam rises
visible aroma
white cream

[Tinker]

Saturday Feb 26   
2022 #26

I wake in my bed
others wake in bomb shelters
we are one people

 

[Tinker]

Sunday  Feb 27    International Polar Bear Day

2022  #27

Molotof cocktails
thrown at Russian supply trucks
children play turtle 

 

[Tinker]

Monday Feb 28   
2022 # 28

mothers with babies
shelter from bombs in basements
long lines for bare shelves

[Tinker]

March 1,  Fat or Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras

2022 #29

booze, boobs and bangles
saxophones wail cool jazz
tomorrow we fast

Well I did it.   A haiku a day for the month of February.  Not always well done, and a couple were late being posted but there are 28 haiku in 28 days with an added bonus for March 1 in honor of Mardi Gras.

Hopefully this exercise unlocked my writer hiatus and I can get some regular writing going. But I still don't feel ready to just let the ink flow.  I will go back to basics and use some of the forms and genres I researched of which I haven't before written examples in an attempt to wake my muse.