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November 14, 2014

Poetry Friday--Autumn

Autumn seems to linger. It's not that I want to hurry winter, I'm simply tired of autumn. I don't like it. Scram! Go already!

I'm going to wrap up autumn in a neat little haiku sequence for today, and then, not another word about leaves until it's spring leaf-unfurling time.

Click on the image to enlarge. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Painting by Adolf Kaufmann, courtesy The Athenaeum.

Last week a new haiku and art journal, Muttering Thunder, released its first issue. It's online and can be downloaded for free! For those of you who may not be familiar with the names of haiku poets, take note of the ones featured in Muttering Thunder, they're the cream of the crop! And, if you're still trying to wrap your head around non-5-7-5 haiku, be prepared for the monostich--a haiku in one line! The monostich has grown in popularity over the last few years and is something to be aware of when talking about contemporary English language haiku. By all means, if you're interested in writing haiku, please read the essay by Robert Spiess, "Specific Objects in Haiku," which appears nears the end. After reading it, and looking at the haiku in my sequence, I may have missed an opportunity for specificity! There is always something to be learned about writing haiku.

Another haiku poet, Keri Collins Lewis of Keri Recommends is rounding up the poetry this week from the state of Mississippi! Autumn in Mississippi must be vastly different from what it is in New Hampshire!


19 comments:

  1. In Louisiana, it seems we just pulled out the long pants and now it's winter. This arctic blast has made it this far and we are in the 30's. Unusual for November. Your poem is a beautiful combination of image and words. Thanks for the haiku resource.

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  2. I'm not ready for autumn to leave at all. Lovely poem and photo pairing as usual. And thanks for the heads up about Muttering Thunder :)!

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    1. The quicker autumn is over, the quicker winter will be over, and then's it's my favorite time of year--SPRING!

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  3. Enjoyed your Autumn collection very much, Diane.
    "Muttering Thunder" is an interesting name!

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    1. It's from a Robert Spiess haiku:

      muttering thunder…
      the bottom of the river
      scattered with clams

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  4. Yes, I am forgetting about those gloves, too. On purpose, no doubt! :)

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    1. As much as I hate having to put on gloves, my hands become a dried, cracked, mess unless I wear them!

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  5. The betweens in seasons makes it difficult to remember things like boots and gloves - and in my case, even a jacket.

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    1. I often run off to work in something that's way too thin, but this morning cured me of that--it was cold, cold, cold, and in some parts of town there was snow!

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  6. Each autumn poem in your sequence evokes a different emotion. I especially like the "clocks set back" poem - reminds me of one of the perks of living in AZ where we don't mess with our clocks. Thanks for heads up about Muttering Thunder - I'm going to check it out. =)

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    1. I wish we would stop messing with the clocks. I think it's totally unnecessary. An extra hour of light in the early morning doesn't make a bit of difference.

      There's a nice sampling of contemporary haiku in Muttering Thunder, I'm sure everyone will enjoy it.

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  7. I enjoy reading your haiku every time, Diane, wonder if I'll ever 'get there' with them. The leafy poem stage is definitely over here, but it's been quite a wonderful autumn here. Thanks for the Muttering Thunder sharing.

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    1. Linda, you'll get there. "There" is whatever about your haiku that satisfies you.

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  8. How can you possible hate autumn?!?! Oh, well. Each to her own. At least you got some fabulous haiku out of it!!

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    1. Think of it like this: you go grocery shopping, you enjoy picking the fresh fruits, desserts, etc. But, you get home and you have to cook and clean and it turns out you're cooking for a last supper. That's fall's lead up to winter for me.

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  9. Your opening cracked me up! Tired of leaves? Well, there is beauty in bare branches against the sky. Am going to check out the journal and the monastics. Loved your sequence.

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    1. Thanks, Jone.

      After a while, all those fallen leaves are nothing but litter! (However, I like the idea that some of it goes into leaf beds for little animals.)

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