Peace

Hemingway helped me launch Playing With Poetry by reminding me to PLAY with the Haikubes. He LOVES the sound they make. When I dumped them on the carpet, he came running. At first he supervised while I made my choices.

But pretty soon, he wanted to click the cubes himself, then carry one away to hide under the couch.

Here's my haiku for April 1:

we, you, us...all wrong:

fortune will flock to places

parallel with peace

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

Surprises

Surprises

The first surprise--
on the logjam that crosses the river,
a mink.

Not a muskrat.

A mink.

In Ohio.

The best surprise--
turned to look upstream, checking the footing for my next step,
my eyes off the line and
a tug
a yank
a fight
a trout.

Not a bass.
A rainbow trout.
In Ohio.

The last surprise--
I've forgotten
the achingly numb feet
from a day spent standing in
fast flowing
forty degree water with a
fly rod.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

2019 Poetry Month -- Playing With Poetry

Nothing Gold -- After Robert Frost

Nothing Gold
after Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold
or, in the case of that bush
with its six inches of new growth,
red.

Or, in the case of that forsythia
on the south-facing side of the house,
an unbelievable shade of bright
yellow.

Or, in the case of those new shoots
knifing up from exposed iris bulbs,
a simultaneously fragile but violent
green.

All these early hues
in leaf, in flower
hard to hold as the earth moves
along its path
hour by hour
by day by day
by season by season,

not so much subsiding
as being subsumed
in the golden Eden
of Life.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

The Women Who Made Me Who I Am

The women who made me who I am
     gave each other home perms
     led Cub Scout dens and Brownie Scout troops
     grew asparagus for the challenge of it
     ran the swimming pool and coached the swim team.

The women who made me who I am
     opened businesses
     drove tractors
     canned pickles
     read voraciously.

The women who made me who I am
     put meals on the table
     put kids to bed
     put petunias in the planter
     put family first.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

Today

"The secret of happiness is low expectations." 

in Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver. Chapter 17

Today

Today I allow myself to say
it's too cold to go outside.

Instead, I watch the sky
through my window,

imagine the knife blade breeze
that stirs winter-bare branches,

and lie like a cat with the patch of sun
moving slowly across me; time measured in warmth.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

Postcard Haikus

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