Unique

Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Paul Horner

one dandelion

endless expanse of green lawn

unique is lonely

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

A TRIO FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE

A TRIO FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE

hark back 

(@MerriamWebster word of the day today) 

flip through old calendar 

new blank replacement 

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018



New Year's Eve rain 

desperate refugee is trapped 

mouse in the attic 

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018



gusty wind 

unraked leaves switch yards 

vagabonds 

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

AFTER A DAY-LONG MARATHON OF GRADING

procrastination 

sooner or later you pay 

in this case...today 

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Time

past meets present

decorations on the tree

time flows two ways

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

School Work

Photo via Unsplash

Christmas Day school work

piles sorted, dross recycled

enough for today

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Full Moon

Photo via Unsplash

full moon

not a star, not in the east

still glorious

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

You will find me

today you will find

notebook, pencil, Christmas tree

cup of tea and me

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

In her Solstice post, Amy LV invited readers to borrow the line, "You will find me." So I did.

Shut Off My Internal Alarm Clock, Please

why can't I sleep in

longest night of the year

cats have all the fun

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Solstice

Photo via Unsplash

how can Earth orbit

when all revolves around me

preadolescence

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Cutting Snowflakes

I can't believe I took pictures of the mess...but not the finished flakes!

folding thirds is hard

but opening the snowflake

reveals magic

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Priorities

Photo via Unsplash

pruney fingers

almost ready for Solstice guests

school work waits again

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

I'm Already Late So I Might As Well Sing!

Photo via Unsplash

train blocks the crossing

Christmas carol sing along

merry and bright

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Haiku-ish

Photo via Unsplash

avocado toast

(practice mindfulness)

four days until winter break

(sipping my hot tea)

new student today

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

And for the other side of the story, this beautiful response haiku by Amy LV:

Honey Nut Cheerios

 (a little scared) 

four days until winter break 

(drinking orange juice) 

will my new teacher be kind?

©Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, 2018

Last Luminaria

six a.m.

the last luminaria

shines bravely on

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Holiday Decorating

micromanager

big job needs supervision

until - yawn - nap time

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

lights and ornaments

evergreen visitor holds

childhood memories

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

A Visit From Poets!

My class was lucky enough today to visit with Irene Latham and Charles Waters via Zoom! What a generous gift of time for Irene and Charles to answer the students' questions.

Here are two found #haikuforhope from their talk:

nothing will change if

we shut our mouths and refuse

to talk about race

(Irene's words)

writing

is telling

the truth

(Charles' words)

Winter Swim

natatorium

so steamy the ceiling drips

gratitude practice

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Hope

photo via Unsplash

every small action

of resistance and hope

matters

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

There's Always a Choice

Bad Housekeeping, Or...?

Photo via Unsplash

rays of morning sun

we are all made of star dust

justification

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Ripe

photo via unsplash

sweet and juicy

just a bit gritty

red winter pear

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Time

earth spins

earth orbits

time flies

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Shh...

Unsplash photo by Andrew Ridley

winter oak

hiss of new snow

on fallen leaves

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Meeting of Minds

Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Peter Radunzel

early morning dark

two deer just there as I walk

our eyes meet

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Holiday Open House

noisy crowd in back

a cappella choir up front 

harmony wins

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

(I know it's a bell choir and not the a cappella choir, but I got a picture of the one,

 but not the other.)

Creativity

creativity

the well is never empty

fling your bucket in

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

December Rain

via Unspalsh

Welcome, December

windshield wipers slap-a-slap

steam rises from tea

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Autumn Cadenza

Unsplash photo by NordWood Themes

Autumn Cadenza

Oak leaves drift down, a brown rustle.
Crickets are hushed.
Only sound --
plop --
acorns bonk roof.
Steady
drop.
Winter is here
when they
stop.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018


This poem is a Zeno, a form invented by J. Patrick Lewis. It has 10 lines with a syllable count that goes 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1. The single syllable words rhyme.

The Poetry of US

Click to enlarge 

Click to enlarge

Choosing Teams

Flickr Creative Commons photo by VirtualEyeSee

Choosing Teams

There are owls in the neighborhood now.
Two barred owls wondering,

“Who cooks for you?”

They wake us in the middle of the night.
We worry about the littlest skunk.

The one with white angel wings.

The silent puff of scent who cleans up dropped seed
beneath our bird feeders each dusk.

We are simply spectators in this backyard drama.

Is it bad form to cheer equally
for predator and for prey?

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018