Hooked on Haiku

My haiku – some funny, some weird and others serious

by

There is no “between the lines”

Do unto others

Do not read between the lines

It’s no mystery

Haiku Horizons - prompt BETWEEN

Haiku Horizons – prompt BETWEEN

The Golden Rule originates in a well-known Torah verse (Hebrew: “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”):

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. —Leviticus 19:18

Baha’i:  Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship . . . So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. Baha’u’llah, Teachings on Spiritual Reality

Christianity: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.  Matthew 7:12

Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary. Talmud, Shabbat 31:a

Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you. Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. Sunnah

Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Udana Varga 5:18

Confucianism: Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you. Analects 15:23

Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself. (Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5).

Jainism: Killing a living being is killing one’s own self; showing compassion to a living being is showing compassion to oneself. He who desires his own good, should avoid causing any harm to a living being. Suman Suttam , verse 151

by

It’s SWEEPS “weak”

Haven’t blogged in a while. The last few weeks have been rough – the fibro-fatigue-fiends frolicking fearlessly.  I’m looking for my mop.

mad, sad, fatigue, fear

sweeping away sanity

the broom of my brain

92db0134526be573f75d3cf4e9645951

dust storm of feelings

tiny particles of dirt

blowing through my mind

6827_view

wring out the debris 

clean clear water, bucket brain

gratitude mop up

 

by

Can you imagine what it will be like 50 years from now?

Scientists have grown the entire forelimb of a rat in a lab . . . and it moves!

 Hidden in plain sight

God’s miraculous secrets*

Waiting to be found

photo curtesy of

Bernhard Jank, MD/Ott Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine

Dr. Harold Ott, head of the Ott Laboratory for Organ Engineering and Regeneration, and his team at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston were able to “engineer rat forelimbs with functioning vascular and muscle tissue,”  . . .

“This may be an important first step leading to the eventual creation of functional, bioartificial limbs that could be used in transplants.”

Ott says this work “finally proved that we can regenerate functional muscle.” (They know because they ran an electrical current through the muscle tissue — and the little rat limb began to twitch).”

“They’ve since applied the first part of this technology — stripping cells from the framework — to the arms of primates, showing the process might work on the human scale.”

Read the article: In Massachusetts Lab Scientists Grow an Artificial Rat Limb

by

Soul Song

Sing it from your soul

words of grace and gratitude

melodies of love

images-1

by

Who said life was fair?

Alas, fair maiden

bereft of  biting remarks

all your teeth are gone

*     *     *

a judy doodle

a judy doodle

Alas, fair maiden

your ears continue to grow

as your stature shrinks

*     *     *

Alas, fair maiden

eat chocolate, drink wine, love, laugh

life is pretty good

*     *     *

Bob Blobfish sez: ". . . no comment . . "

Bob Blobfish sez: “. . . who needs teeth?  . . “

Haiku Horizons - prompt FAIR

Haiku Horizons – prompt FAIR

 

 

by

A prayer, a plea and a promise

May heavenly rain

water the hearts of mankind

with loving-kindness

th_004K0516FTa-1

*     *     *

Flotsam of our past

it’s water under the bridge

Wave from river banks

*     *     *

Washed away through tears

Cleansed through the sweat of our brow

human suffering

*     *     * 

by

Beyond the A to Z Challenge, well beyond . . . Eternity

Recently two very close and dear friends died. They were both younger than me – by at least 10 years.  I was hit by painful sadness and simultaneously comforted by a belief:

Several years ago I was depressed.  Life was the color of dirty grey.  I was in a fibromyalgia flare and feeling helpless.  I wasn’t suicidal, just weary, really weary, of pushing through the pain and exhaustion. Half jokingly I wrote to my Baha’i friend and mentor something to the effect:  “I’m ready to leave this earthly plane. Beam me up into eternity”

He wrote back four words which rocked me to my core:  “You are in eternity.”

Judy's journal page, mixed media
Looking Beyond, a judy-journal page, mixed media

You see, I had always assumed life here on earth as a human was separate from the “eternal realm”.  I thought that after I died I would then be in eternity.  It was a paradigm shift for me.  It is strangely comforting to know we are all already in eternity – you, me, my friends.

Believing knowing

we are in eternity

life is never short

 

by

“F” is for Fire and Fate

When two disparate elements come together – it’s Fate!  Haiku Horizon‘s “Fire” prompt meets the A to Z Challenge letter “F”!!!!!!

Fire in my belly

A surge of motivation?

 More likely it’s gas

"She's an embarasment to all primates"

“She’s an embarrassment to all primates”

Haiku Horizons - prompt FIRE

Haiku Horizons – prompt FIRE

by

A is for Anything Goes

The A-Z writing challenge is Absurdly Zonkers.  Writing a post every day (except on Sunday) using the alphabet is not for the faint of heart. So that’s why I’m absolutely doing it.

A – Haiku

It’s the first letter

the beginning not the end

“A” is not the last

__________

A – Angry Doodle

IMG_0014

__________

A – Saying

An apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away

by Michael Pomranz

“Remember when you were a little kid and Mom used to tell you, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” And then remember when you became a snotty teenager and you told Mom she was an idiot? Well, turns out Mom was wrong, and you were right!”

“A team of researchers recently set out to see if the old apple rhyme actually held any water. After looking at over 8,000 participants, their study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, provided no statically significant proof that an apple a day actually leads to fewer doctor’s visits.

“What researchers did uncover, however, was that apple eaters were “marginally more successful at avoiding prescription medications” than non-apple eaters. “Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” the study’s authors concluded, “however, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications.” Hopefully, Republicans are paying attention: Encouraging people to eat more apples might be a great Obamacare replacement.”

Ahhhhhhhhh.  “A“ down and “B” to go . . .

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/
by

Freddie Parker, Poet* – This will make you weep

“Weep”, sing it out now

like a song bird with a lisp

thweep, thweep, thweep, thweep, thweep

"Gotta admit . . . that boy has a way with words."

“Gotta admit . . . that boy has a way with words.”

Say it five times fast

weepweepyweepyweepy

Very weird word weep

Freddie Parker Westerfield, Pulblished Poet

Thanks for reading! Freddie Parker Westerfield, Published Poet

*One who is especially gifted in the perception and expression of the beautiful or lyrical

The Free Dictionary

Haiku Horizons - prompt WEEP

Haiku Horizons – prompt WEEP

by

Post-Traumatic GROWTH?

Skimming my surface

tell-tale signs of suffering

The pain buried deep

My haiku was inspired by Carolyn Thomas’ Post-Traumatic Growth: how a crisis makes life better – or not.  Carolyn had a myocardial infarction – the “widowmaker” heart attack.  Since that life altering experience she has been overwhelmingly affected by the ongoing pain of coronary microvascular disease.

Mask by moi

Mask by moi

Until I read Carolyn’s excellent post I had never heard of Post Traumatic GROWTH:

“Post-Traumatic Growth is the experience of positive change that occurs as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life crises.

“Although the term is new, the idea that great good can come from great suffering is ancient.”

“Reports of Post-Traumatic Growth have been found in people who have experienced bereavement, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV infection, cancer, bone marrow transplantation, heart attacks, coping with the medical problems of children, transportation accidents, house fires, sexual assault and sexual abuse, combat, refugee experiences, and being taken hostage.” 

Read this informative and thought-provoking post and Carolyn’s concern for patients & people regarding this concept.  Click HERE

by

Always a full CIRCLE

Billowing smokescreens

round, round, around in our minds

obscuring what’s real

All is connected

round, round, around in our souls

encircled by love

P1040563

Acrylic painting by moi

(poem with 2 “haiku verses”, Haiku Horizons’ prompt CIRCLE)

Haiku Horizons - prompt CIRCLE

Haiku Horizons – prompt CIRCLE

by

My Tasty Recipe – it’s JUST so easy!

Compassion Compote,  3 steps

Take human beings

peel, discarding all ego

gently fold and mix

 

add justice and love.

Gorge yourself on compassion

easy to digest

“Let us pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, and for hearts that long for peace.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha- Paris Talks, Baha’i World Faith

 

 

by

My Holiday Haiku

images-1To all far and near

singing prayers for harmony

musical love notes

 

images-1

 

 

 

 

by

Paying Lip Service for RUBY

Pucker up your lips

pucker up rooooooobe red lips 

to round out the sound

puckered_lips

Color-bound Ruby

yearning for green “compliment”

stuck in monochrome

by

My Birthday Season – 70 is HOT!

Very well seasoned

been cook’n for a long time 

Get me while I’m hot

a judy doodle

a judy doodle

Been chewed up, spit out

Fiery personality

tastes too hot for some

 

Body slowing down

counting up to seventy

 as my brain cools off

Haiku Horizons - prompt HOT
Haiku Horizons – prompt HOT
by

GIVE me a break, it’s just haiku

Give, strange little word

neither melodic nor quaint

quixotic at best

 Give it to me now

give in, give out, so giving

Don’t ever give up

A give-or-take verb

Frankly I don’t give a darn

 a strange little word

I'm thinking about it . . .

“Give ME a break – Judy’s the one who’s strange . . .”

by

Retirement is in STORE – I could try this!

What’s in store for me

besides the pangs of my youth?

Retirement looms

*

Stored deep in my heart 

silver lame and muscles

shimmer and quiver

Looking at all my possibilities in retirement.  Anyone know where I can get silver lame Spanx*?

 

Thanks Bernice. Can I borrow *yours?

by

NEWS! My Cherry Pie Scoop

When I’m tired I crave something sweet:  Frozen cherry pie, on sale, can’t be beat . . . unless I drop it on my feet . . . .

Drop it upside down

Fastest way to cool a pie

Would you like a scoop?

DSCN6135Unretouched photo of cherry pie scraped off the bottom of the oven.*

*Since this is a cherry pie I cannot tell a lie.  If it were apple I would have scraped it into a pan and called it cobbler.

by

The Arctic Circle of My Mind

Indecision strikes

in the heat of the moment

Frozen in my tracks

Waiting for the thaw

mind mindlessly numbed with cold

limbs frozen in space

passion beckons me

slowly move forward in time

melting my reserve

Lotsa ways of keeping warm!

In the Arctic ya gotta keep moving to not freeze in place!

"she's soooo transparent"

by

FIGHTING for Peace – an Oxymoron

 “God has created the world as one—the boundaries are marked out by man.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha

Earth’s soil fertilized

artificial poppies grow

in human blood, bones

*     *     *

Fallen in battle 

 It’s time for falling in love

Soul’s soil fertilized

SEa of Poppies

Sea of Ceramic Poppies, Tower of London, England

IMGP3134

The exhibition entitled Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red, is the work of Derbyshire-based ceramic artist Paul Cummins, and was set up to Commemorate the 100 years since the beginning of the First World War Each poppy representing each British and Commonwealth death during the conflict.

See view from drone http://bcove.me/qgvfevz2

poppy installation London Tower 6

One of the reasons I follow the Baha’i World Faith:

“To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” ‘

Abdu’l-Bahá

Haiku Horizons - prompt FULL

Haiku Horizons – prompt FULL

by

Retirement is DAWNing

Retirement Dawns

in the dusk of my life

The moon lights the way

Someone asked, with concern,  how I was feeling about my impending retirement.  Sounded a bit like my impending demise!  I am actually feeling a bit of relief and am preferring to think of it as re-treading as opposed to retire-ment!

DSCN6130

My tires aren’t blown

just ready for re-treading

Fill up my gas tank!

Haiku Horizons - prompt DAWN

Haiku Horizons – prompt DAWN

by

Do you remember Englebert Humperdink?

Haiku “Ode” to Fibromyalgia

(haiku prompt “RELEASE”)

Fibromyalgia!

Please release me let me go!

romance is kaput

* * *

Unrequited love

I don’t want you anymore

time to get a life

 

How about adopting this song as the National Chronic Conditions Anthem!!  Wadda ya think?

Please release me let me go
for I don’t love you anymore
To waste our lives would be a sin
Release me and let me love again

I have found a new love dear
And I will always want her near
her lips are warm while yours are cold
Release me my darling let me go

for I don’t love you anymore
So release me and let me love again

Please release me can’t you see
you’d be A fool to cling to me
To live a lie would bring us pain
So release me and let me love again

I'm thinking about it . . .

I’m thinking about it . . .

“Release Me” (sometimes rendered as “Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)”), is a popular song written by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, and James Pebworth[1] under the pseudonym Dub Williams,[2][3] published in 1946 . (Wikipedia)

by

Am I Whining? you bet!

“Thou Shalt Not Whine”  is a hand embroidered sign in my office that was given to me by my good friend Sharon.

DSCN6093

I do try to live up to that motto but today I am whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiining.   I have a headache, my body aches all over, my feet are burning, my brain is fogged and the only energy I had was depleted by the effort it took me to get in bed and take a nap*.  Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!  Woe is me! Oh! woe is me!

"I'm not lissssssstening"

“I’m not lissssssstening”

Like all (or many) of us living with chronic conditions the key is life-style management to keep the symptoms at a low simmer instead of a rolling boil.  In the last several decades I’ve perfected life-style management:

judy’s Life-Style Management 

Overdo it quick

take advantage of the lull

then crash, moan and groan.

Whimper quietly

when no one is listening

It’s free therapy

1024px-Crying-girl

Did whining make me feel better?  Nope.  But it’s nice to know that even if I’m not feeling well

 my inner child is alive and kicking.

 *You don’t have to wash your hands after reading this post.  I’m not contagious.  It’s just fibromyalgia letting me know who’s in charge.

by

HOME on the range warmed over

Gene Autry singing Home, Home on the Range inspired my original Haiku ( posted the last time the prompt was “home”).  For your literary pleasure I’ve added a another “homey” haiku.

Bob the Blobfish sez: "Here she goes again. . ."

Bob the Blobfish sez:
“Here she goes again. . .”

Panic on the Prairie Haiku

Home, home on the range
it’s much more comfortable
when the gas is off

by judy's brain

by judy

When the cold wind blows

be careful warming your buns

by the home fires

by

Hooked on the Haiku BRANCH – tu haiku for yu

 Rooted in God’s love

we are all leaves of one tree

and fruits of one branch

“A fundamental teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i faith,  is the oneness of the world of humanity. Addressing mankind, He says: “Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.”  

“In this way His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh expressed the oneness of humankind whereas in all religious teachings of the past, the human world has been represented as divided into two parts, one known as the people of the Book of God or the pure tree and the other the people of infidelity and error or the evil tree.”

“The former were considered as belonging to the faithful and the others to the hosts of the irreligious and infidel; one part of humanity the recipients of divine mercy and the other the object of the wrath of their Creator.

His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh removed this by proclaiming the oneness of the world of humanity and this principle is specialized in His teachings for He has submerged all mankind in the sea of divine generosity. Some are asleep; they need to be awakened. Some are ailing; they need to be healed. Some are immature as children; they need to be trained. But all are recipients of the bounty and bestowals of God.”

Golden Snub Nose

Golden Snub Nose

When you’re stuck in mud

need to climb to higher ground

any branch will do

 

Haiku Horizons – prompt BRANCH

On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea, Becca Givens 

The Baha’i World Faith

by

“Ode” to Sugar

Refined sugar is my drug of choice.   Lately I’ve been on a binge.   When my energy is flagging sugar is my go-to drug.  It’s also my choice when I’m bored . . .in pain . . . when I’m sad, happy . . . when it’s raining . . . snowing (anywhere in the world) . . . cloudy, clear, night or day . . .  

O’ lovely sugar

sweetest seductress ever

you never grow stale

*

O’  sugar of mine

as pure as the falling snow

cooling my senses

*

O’ sugar my love

with pangs in my head &  heart

you are a goner

I’ve not been feeling very well lately and no longer know which comes first – sugar or my symptoms.  Ultimately it makes no matter for I know that sugar is not good for me.  For the next month I’m going to ATTEMPT to keep refined sugar and it’s “carrier” white flour at least 10 feet from my lips.  (I was going to say mouth but I need those extra inches for safety.)

judy's journal, collage

judy’s journal, collage

I’ve tried abstaining from eating refined sugar before . . . . wish me strength of character and will (luck isn’t going to cut it). 

P.S.  Rosemary Lee, Seeking Equilibrium, is joining me.  Anyone else?  

Add your name in the comments box.  I dare you!

by

Sneek a Peek into my sketchy book – Irritating Doodle Birds

Irritating Irritated Birds Haiku

Birds of a feather  

dislike flocking together 

When annoyed, wing it

Doodle w/ watercolor
Doodle Birds w/ watercolor

 

S’more Irritating Irritated Birds:

Irritated Birds collage in the Drink

Irritated torn paper Birds, the originals

Irritated Birds collage – Let Sleeping Birds Lie

by

Hooked on Haiku – No BONES about it

My bones are creaking

past sinking, future winking

ain’t it glorious!

judy journal page, mixed media

judy journal page, mixed media

Haiku Horizons - prompt BONE

Haiku Horizons – prompt BONES

by

Sneek a Peek – Let Sleeping Birds Lie

Irritated Birds . . .

sleep on fiber fill

not to insult fellow birds

down pillows offend

*       *        *

Cable network down

irritated bird snores

Network TV bores

Mixed Medium, Irritatingly Irritated Bird

Mixed Media, Irritating Irritated Bird

 

just can’t cut it out

got nothing better to do

What more can I say?

I'm not lisssssssstening . . .

I’m not lisssssssstening . . 

Haiku Horizons - prompt CUT

Haiku Horizons – prompt CUT

by

Sneek a Peek – Irritating Irritated Birds in the Drink

Who Nu Haiku

Much too much to drink

Irritated birds can’t fly

“water – logged” will sink

Mixed media - Irritated Birds
Mixed media – Irritated Birds
"There she goes . . .again"

Bob the Blobfish sez: “There she goes . . .again”

by

A “Don’t quote me” Haiku

Enough said . . .

unnamed

*    *    *

 Renouncing reason

 not very reasonable

It’s just logical

 

 

by

Hooked on Haiku – prompt DRIVE

Don’t drive me crrrrrrrrazy!

be gentle with my psyche

I’m already nuts.

P1020543

"There she goes . . .again"
Bob the Blobfish sez: “Here she goes . . . . . again”

Driven together –

I’m crazy, you’re crazy too

Love is always blind

 

 


by

Hooked on Haiku & Love

July 4th

Independence Day

when hate and greed are banished

from land of plenty

P1040188

 Fireworks of mind

respect, compassion and love 

sparklers of the heart

P1040239

It’s freedom for all

when the world is lit in love

until then we pray

P1040232

 

by

Watch at your own risk – (and haiku)

Baby elephant Navann plays in the mud pit and takes a dip in the river with his mother and nanny at Elephant Nature Park in Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.  

all elephants fly

on joyous spirit wings   

as they roll in mud

Haiku Horizons - prompt FLY

Haiku Horizons – prompt FLY

by

Sneak a Peek . . . into my mind

Murky recesses of my Mind

haiku & doodles too

Now you know what lurks

it’s always one-of-a-kind

deep inside my mind

DSCN5877
Doodles with one continuous line . . . or two . . . or three . . .
by

Hooked on Haiku & George Clooney

Rats! George Clooney is off the market!  I rarely write about celebrities but Clooney is an exception.  I was in love with him before he was famous.  He played detective James Falconer on the TV show Sisters in 1993. I didn’t have a clue who he was. I only watched the show to see him.

Unrequited love

messes around with the mind

not with the body

Clooney Rat

Clooney Rat

You’ll have to read my only other Clooney post: You Mean I Could Have George Clooney’s Baby (and a Hacked Haiku)

George Clooney and me

(Science or idle fancy?)

rat baby makes three!

 

 

by

Hooked on Haiku – CLOSE

Social Commentary

What’s up

when minds close down?

Ignorance

images-1

 •      •      •

Technological Reality

Tech humility

When computer closes down

my mind follows course

My computer’s been in the hospital.  Aliment unknown.  (using my Husband’s computer – when available).

 •      •      •

Close Calls

It’s open or shut

either it is or isn’t

neither here nor there

 •      •      •

Your Gamble

Behind all closed doors

there lurks possibility

or nothing at all

 

 

 

 

 

by

Sneak a Peek into my Mind – it’s still the same.

This weeks’ haiku prompt is HOME.  My Haiku (which I’ already posted the last time the prompt was “home”) is inspired by Gene Autry singing Home, Home on the Range.  

Panic on the Prairie Haiku

Home, home on the range
it’s much more comfortable
when the gas is off

by judy's brain

by judy’s brain

by

Year of the Fairy Tale & 3 Completely USELESS Haiku

Killing two creative outbursts with one post.  

 My froggie-character-study-in-progress (She’s going to be the heroine of my Fairy-Poem) AND  3 USELESS haiku:

Creativity
can’t use it for anything
except nourishment

Non-dominant hand drawings

Non-dominant hand drawings

Non-dominant hand

competing for attention

with dominant brain

DSCN5522

Dominant Hand Drawing

It’s useless to think

talent and “art” are the same

just proceed on faith

Non-dominant hand and dominant hand drawing

Non-dominant and dominant hand drawing

In case you missed my other character-studies:

Year of the Fairy Tale – character development (mine)

Year of the Fairy Tale – Let’s Face it

by

A Sharp Fairy Tale

Not a fairy tale

My memory speeds downhill

sharp blades on my skis

Year of Fairy Tale has begun!

Just got our first monthly assignment.  After watching the introductory video I’m not as intimidated cuz there are 3 different groups – beginners, intermediate and advanced students.

I can’t give you access to the course itself but here’s the charming intro so you can see what I’ll be doing. It’s not too late to sign up (unpaid, unsolicited announcement!)

https://vimeo.com/84569348