#59 (2) Whispers of Spring

Carpe Diem Prompt: Coming of Spring

lilac's lingering scent
whispers of springs arrival
winter wind long past

Laughing Large

our noah came to play this week
who delights in garden birds and
enjoys the brilliant flowers
who dances with mickey mouse and
loves to jump on beds
good natured noah who
laughs and laughs and laughs and 
leaves a sad void when it's time to go

noah who laughs large

loves to play in the garden

with birds and flowers

#58 (2) Bright Meadow

Carpe Diem Special #24: Butterfly by Chiyo-Ni

Photo from MS Image Gallery

colorful meadow
delightful butterflies flit
among flora bright

Hawks, Strangers in Grass, and Birds

Photo from  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARed-Tailed-Hawk.jpg

the hawk sails high overhead

scans the snow covered ground

for brave souls who dare to venture

dangerously into the white open space

hawk sails high

scans for brave creatures

in white open

Photo from MS Image Gallery

Carpe Diem prompt: Strangers
Haiku Circle prompt: Grass

gathered in tall grass

glittering with morning dew

strangers watch balloons

Photo from Google Images

http://www.fullfreesoftware.com/post/bl/bluejay.html

blue jays and cardinals

join robins, finches, starlings

in daily food search

Caterpillars and Heros

Carpe Diem prompt: Caterpillar

striped yellow and black
caterpillars enjoy the herbs
growing in the garden pots
growing enough for both of us
i enjoy the lovely show

caterpillars bright

chow down on growing herbs

in the garden pots

Photo from Google Images
http://www.aim.org

Haiku Circle prompt: Hero

unsung hero

avoids spotlight bright

action over fame

Crows, Snow and the Moon

Photo from Google Images
http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2010/02/27/earthsky-tonight-feb-28-2010-full-moon-comes-february-28/

Carpe Diem Prompt: Full Snow Moon

dying light succumbs 
to a full snow moon
shining down from the heavens
on the crows' last search
in new fallen snow

crows' last search

newly fallen snow

full snow moon

Sun-catchers and Forsythia

Photo from Google Images

Haiku Heights Prompt: Shimmer

watching in fascination 
the rainbow as it shimmers
oh so briefly on the floor
the sparkling sun-catcher turns
slowly in the morning light

morning light

sparkling sun-catcher

shimmers brief

Carpe Diem Prompt: Forsythia

photo from Wikipedia Commons

early morning light
forsythia sparkles bright
diamonds of dew

Castle Shelter

Image from Google Images

born into castles strong
lovingly sheltered from trials
in a world we do not yet know
but stones begin to crumble 
towers fall from view
as inner battles commence
toward the realities of our life

sheltered in castles

towers crumble with the weight

of life's knowledge gained

Carpe Diem prompt: Castle

Distrust

Photo from MS image gallery

"We should distrust each other, it is the only defense against treason." Source unknown

posted by a friend
no knowledge of source
to "distrust each other"
as a "defense against treason"
how sad and lonely 
a life that would be

to doubt against pain

all who choose to come your way

lonely life that be

Haiku Circle prompt: Roots

lonely life it be

if distrust our roots be based

no one could we trust

3 Prompts, Verse and Haiku

Photo from MS image gallery

Haiku Circle Prompt: Sorrow

a rare weather day
first in two years
children dance happy
no school today!
no sorrow here

bad weather

children dance happy

no sorrow

Photo from MS image gallery

Carpe Diem Prompt: Courage

ice thick on the roads
courage and skill to drive safe
accidents occur

Photo from MS image gallery

NaHaiWriMo Prompt: Living Room

freezing rain, fierce wind

the living room is cozy

fire blazes warmth 

Late Season Storm

Photo from MS image gallery

tension rises with the news
forecasting gloom and doom
for those in the path of the storm

grocery stores are packed with people
concerned about being stranded for days
in their homes without enough to get by

gloom and doom forecast

concern for being stranded

for those in storm's path

Calm Before the Storm

© 2011 Salem Gray

finches forage in the sleeping garden
the sunlight is bright, not a cloud in sight
no sign of the coming storm
threatening with rain and snow and ice

finches forage seed

sunlight bright, no cloud in sight

coming storm unseen

Frost and Ice

Photo from MS clip gallery

Carpe Diem Prompt: Iceberg

Frosty tension is common in those who do not know,

massive iceberg typical in those who do not wish to know.

The thaw is quicker for the Frosties, 

sometimes hours, sometimes days.

Icebergs take much longer,

sometimes years, often never.

massive icebergs norm

in those who don't wish to know

thaws often never

The Mission Bell

Photo from MS clip art gallery

a whiff of smoke arrives in the cool breeze

with the melancholy sound of the mission bell

the bell tolls for the past, and for the future

warning lingers in its lonely sound

heed the lessons of the past

to mend the promise of the future

a warning lingers

as the mission bell tolls clear

heed past, mend future

Dream World: Dream of Dreaming

© 2010 Dana Norberg

i dream of dreaming of those who came before

though clearly known to my dream self

i have no remembrance of these smiles

terrified of the dream, she closes her eyes

to the sight of their faces, and she wills us awake

as the smiles dissolve in morning mist

dream of dreaming past

no memories of the smiles

dissolve into mist

Light

Photo courtesy of Microsoft clip art gallery

I'm not sure where this came from, but I was compelled to write it down as soon as I woke...

see the sky, behold the light

see the light, behold the truth

see the truth, behold the wisdom

Summer's Last Bounty

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

sparrows spar for prime positions
on a bush nearly bare
greedy for summer's last bounty
as mother nature prepares renewal

bush near bare

greedy birds spar

for last seeds

Life's Storms

the sky is darker before the tempest
the clouds blacker before the rain
but after the roiling storm
gray becomes light, vision clearer
we find we are wiser for the tumult

after the dark rain

gray turns light, vision clear

wisdom from the storm

La Dolce Vita

© 2011 Dana Norberg

my heart longs for friends far away
it misses a language not yet its own
it dreams of lively gatherings, animated conversation
wholesome food, great wine and plump olives
my heart longs to be away to a life 
lived less hastily and with verve

Call Gone Bad

Courtesy MS clip art gallery

a conversation began in good faith
a simple informational call meant for 5 minutes
turns accusatory and tense 
as faulty meaning is accorded my words
whoa! whoa! whoa! i say, surprised by this turn
i back up, my purpose explained with fresh clarity
as i wonder just how her day has been

Teachable Moments

© 2012 Dana Norberg

Into the classroom my students bring
hopes, fears, experiences, preconceptions
to learn a language not their own
but the teachable moments are mine
as they share struggles, troubles, disappointments
yet holding fast to dreams that brought them here

students bring hope

to learn language unknown

holding fast to dreams

Waiting for Nature's Nod

the garden is dead, says she
no, say i, only sleeping
but nothing grows, says she
i point to rosemary green
to garlic fronds and spreading thyme
and to green native plants peaking through brown
not dead, say i, only awaiting nature's nod

garden nothing grows

native plants peak through brown grass

not dead just waiting

Unfocused

My mind is unfocused

unable to stay the task

as random thoughts

parade past my mind's eye

Darkness Returns

Photo courtesy of MS clip art gallery

darkness makes a return attempt
dulling senses with gray gossamer 
pushing desperately against the dark omen
preferring the sunny days of late

the darkness returns

gray mist dulls the senses

push back hard for sun

An Image of Me

on a light day I peruse the past

studying photos of old

I gaze at the image of a granddaughter

with her blond hair, her happy smile

the face is hers, but the eyes are blue

with surprise I realize the photo is mine

and my granddaughter is the image 

of her grandmother with brown eyes

Barking

a neighbor angry about incessant barking

a sleeper by day, a nurse by night

frustrated by the difference in schedules 

preventing the meeting she desires

to ask the owner to muzzle his dogs

or expect legal retaliation from her

Spring's First Show

delicate white flora is presented

as spring's first show arrives

encouraged by the rains and balmy air of previous

she braves the cruel cold-snap of the moment

to present a promise of spring to come

Sparkling Conversation

a sparkling young lady strikes up a conversation

waiting for her mother busy with the stylist

she confesses that her hair is very short

because "by accident" she cut it

ms. sparkles tells me conspiratorially

that when her hair is long

 like shelby's, rapunzel's, and sara's

she will wear it in braids and ponytails

with bows and feathers and beads

Morning News

today we hear about a man

furious to be denied a gun

by a pawn owner following rules

into the shop comes a borrowed caddie

guided by the angered customer

three injured, all will live

the reporter reminds us of dual facts

the mandatory background check did its job

and one only needs a vehicle for attack

The Language of Migraines

dizzy, nauseous, throbbing

lost in fuzz, throbbing

sharp pain, "don't talk so loud!", throbbing

light too bright, "close the shades!", needles throbbing

cold pack, can't see, throbbing

ice pick pain, ugh, throbbing

my lovely day