A few of the nice things I received for Christmas are pictured in the fuzzy photo at left; two were gifts from coworkers and one was a gift to myself. The magnetic poetry kit and haiku handbook were gifts from Kathy and Debbie after I expressed an interest in both. The 2007 magnetic poetry calendar I bought for myself because it includes a magnetic board that I can use at work where my fabric-covered cubicle doesn't allow for easy magnetic poetry writing. The magnetic poetry kits are a fun toy - I had one years ago, but it's lost in the attic - so I was looking for another to replace that one and to play with at work.What's especially nice about the calendar is that it includes a monthly quote and writing prompt. The prompt for January is called *New Thinking* and talks about how often the challenge of moving forward isn't just seeing the path ahead, but being able to take the first step. It suggests that the wanna-be poet choose a favorite word for the month and use that word in the first line of a poem, using it as differently as possible each day: as a noun, a verb, an adjective, as something good, as something bad, etc. to see where this one word can take you.
There are a little more than 200 magnetic word tiles included with the calendar and the word I selected for this first day of the first month of the new year was *promise* and I composed this haiku:
promise of morning
murmur of rain melts the dark
dreams of another
As if writing haiku isn't challenging enough by itself, I limited myself to the 200 words that are included with the calendar. I think I ended up with a haiku that's a bit darker than I would have liked for a New Year's Day poem, but today was a dark and dreary day. I like that I was able to express some of the hope and promise that dawns with a new day and a new year.
For more New Year poetry visit One Deep Breath.
17 comments:
I've been curious about haiku since first seeing a contest at the Japanese Garden located at Sonnenberg Gardens. I like the one you came up with! It will be interesting to see what you come up with in the future.
You will make good use of your gifts, for sure. This is what struck a chord with me:
"The prompt for January is called *New Thinking* and talks about how often the challenge of moving forward isn't just seeing the path ahead, but being able to take the first step."
The words "first step" are important. I'll remember them.
In my former fabric cubicle, we used cubicle pins that worked very well to show our little treasures. I liked my cubicle - it was efficient and mine. Instead of a "Home Sweet Home" plaque, mine read, "Cubicle Sweet Cubicle".
Nah, nah- that's not dark, Laura. It's lovely. Esp. "Dreams of another" That line puts me in mmind of that sort of hynogogic place between sleeping and waking when dreaming takes on that awareness of dreaming.
It rained all day here but it was fine because it was warm enough to have the doors wide open and with a new covered porch I was able to be outside and enjoy it.
Happy New Year, Laura!
I like your haiku, Laura.
All the words you chose are soft and peaceful.
Happy New Haiku Year!
As always Laura, your words are beautiful. More!
I like it very much! The Haiku Magnetic Poetry think sounds great!
Looking forward to more compositions! :)
I read the poem in the photo, and added the last two words shown:
promise of morning
murmur of rain melts the dark
dreams of another
puddle goddess
I have skim ice on the water in my ditch, and it's easy to think there is a dark puddle goddess lurking there, thwarted by the sun emerging and melting her protective roof of ice!
lovely entry
Wonderful work (and from within the ku form and the further limit of fewer words to choose from). May the New Year fulfill exciting and creative promises for everyone.
Your writing is very inspiring. I do wish I could compose real poetry instead of the random writings I post!
=:8
I really enjoyed your haiku, because it conjured up a real sensory image for me. Very nicely done!
And the magnetic poetry calendar sounds like great fun! I'm going to look for one of those myself.
It's interesting, Laura - how most of us struggle with dreary rainy days. I know only one person who claims she loves this weather. I suspect she says this for the attention it garners from those sitting around the table with her - their eyes rolling in their heads.
I think the haiku is lovely.
Naturewoman: I'm having much more fun with it than I ever did in school.
Mary: I love to see the way people decorate their cubicles. Mine is such a mismash of things - I think I must appear ever more disorganized than I really am!
Vicki: What I like so much about the poetry kits is that it feels like playing - just combining words to see what *happens*.
Sandy: Thanks - hopefully I'll make some progress this year with haiku.
Lynne: Thanks - you are a glutton for punishment! ;-)
Liza: Thanks - it's a fun toy.
Jenn: I love it that way!! I was playing around with the word tiles and put *puddle goddess* there to the side to come back to later - but I think it fits this poem in a really neat way - thanks for that!
Jennifer: Thank you!
Roswila: Thanks for stopping by to read my poem.
Somebunnyslove: Thanks - though I'm hesitant to call this *real* poetry!
Becca: Hi - thanks! I think I found it at Border's.
You are an inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing.
A calendar with writing prompts and a magnetic poetry kit - sounds like a very creative start to the new year. I enjoyed reading your haiku too!
“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” -- Martin Luther King
Nicely done, Laura.
The flow of this haiku was magical!
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