The air is intense and fragrant with meadowsweet and elder, the burn of summer a reminder that everything is changing. Seasons will always come and go, the moon and love will wax and wane, giving us another reason to lie down in green meadows, breathe in the sweet trickle of bee-kissed honeysuckle and slumber lazy […]
A Salvaged Soul
She took a deep breath, reached beyond life and death, and exhaled her soul, spat it out with a spray of bitter bile. All the while, the devil waited patiently with a silver salver to collect it for eternity. Her empty carapace echoed with gratitude, free of the dead weight of responsibility. Kim M. Russell, […]
Contemplation
focused and serene empty palms drawn together a sacred hello Kim M. Russell, 3rd July 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1466 Contemplation Today we have a new image to inspire Japanese poetry, which is enitled “contemplation”. It’s the image of a young monk praying.
The Blue Door
behind the blue door peace and shade of a courtyard a trickling fountain Kim M. Russell, 2nd July 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1465 The Blue Door We are kicking off a new month full of Imagination Without Limits with the first of many images: The Blue Door
A Distant Mountain
paulownia leaves dappling dusty mountain tracks a ray of sunlight paulownia leaves heart-shaped parasols quiver a young girl’s dowry dappling dusty mountain tracks saplings are dancing embracing the breeze a ray of sunlight painting clouds red and purple twilit peak glows Kim M. Russell, 1st July 2018 My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #40 […]
Flash Burn
After the bomb, when radiation wreaked its devastation and the world turned monochrome, life leached from crooked limbs of blackened trees and poisoned humans. In the midst of chaos and confusion, a mother’s love lit up the sky, just like the radiation before the mushroom imprinted shadows on our souls. Kim M. Russell, 1st July […]
Careless
Sometimes, I can’t remember who I am. I look at photographs and wonder, where did she go, that carefree girl, that careful mother, so careless with herself? I often feel disjointed, as if part of me has broken off, a branch hanging, buffeted by the wind of time, and wonder, is it mine? When I […]
Wind in the Verdure
abundant landscape a riot of cool green shade tousled by the wind Kim M. Russell, 28th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1464 wind in the verdure (aoarashi) In the last regular episode of June, our classical summer kigo is: wind in the verdure (aoarashi): wind through green leaves or the greenness of summer.
Logged Tree
logged tree see the larger cut end is a harvest moon pale rings of age radiate […]
Japanese Nightingale
the day’s stagnant heat ripples with fluid warbling the fading blossom Kim M. Russell, 28th June 2018 My response to Carpe Diem #1463 old bush warbler (oiuguisu) Today’s classical summer kigo is ‘old bush warbler’ (oiuguisu), also known as the Japanese nightingale. We have several examples of haiku and tanka with this kigo for inspiration.
