Haiku Sticky #592

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

first lilac sighting
an overwhelming urge
to rip off my mask

Happy Haiga Day!

I decided it was high time I set up a label titled "pandemic."  Today's post will be labeled as such, and I'll go back over the past year and add the rest.  It may take a few days.

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

 

her highest single
word score ever

regrettably played
against an opponent
named "Practice"

pandemic year

Ekphrastic April, Day 30: "Two Sleeping Cats"

I'm going to end my 4th annual National Poetry Month series of ekphrastic cherita with a cat painting  by Wanda Gág, author and illustrator of one of my favorite picture books, Millions of Cats.

"Two Sleeping Cats" (1928) by Wanda Gág [1893-1946].

a pat of butter melting
on a slice of hot toast

a sleeping cat

a Saturday morning 

with a cup of coffee 

and nowhere else to be

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 29: "[Black and white, an informal portrait of a young Negro woman surrounded by laundry in Newport, R.I.]"

 

"[Black and white, an informal portrait of a young Negro woman surrounded by laundry in Newport, R.I.]" (1903) by Gertrude Käsebier [1852-1934].

 

an artist has the freedom
to play with perspective
to show things in new ways

we notice, then wonder
what else we've missed...

...let's go play!

  

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 28: "Shorty"

 

"Shorty" by Ada May Plante [1875-1950]. 

the ability to dream
with eyes wide open

to be transported
great distances from words
best left unheard

is an admirable trait

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 27: "A Knock at the Door"

 

"A Knock at the Door" (1897) by Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema [1852-1909].

 

my child, he is here

take a deep breath,
another...and one more
check your hair, your dress

slow down, give him
the time to breathe, too

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 26: "Les Tricoteuses"

 

"Les Tricoteuses" 1915 by Jacqueline Marval [1866-1932] 

I am a cat

and cannot control
my innate impulses

humans knit in front
of me as if they expect
I won't go for the kill

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 25: "The Milliner"

 

"The Milliner" (circa 1877) by Eva Gonzalès [1849-1883].

a palette of ribbons
and silk flowers

her use of color is flawless

I do draw the line at
feathers--my adornment
is not worth a song

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 24: "Flora"

 

"Flora" (1913) by Louise Abbéma [1853-1927].

 

I am housemaid to an artist

portrait sitters are prim--
no clean up required

those who partake in a
tableau vivant vex me with
drama (and flower petals)

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 23: "Bermuda Scene"

 

"Bermuda Scene" by Mariquita Gill [1861 - 1915].

 

the house is painted white
against the blazing sun

the reflected yellow
repaints the blue sky
a nauseating green

to match my disposition

 

 © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, April 22: "Glacier et Aiguille du Tour..."

 "Glacier et Aiguille du Tour, Mer de la Table au Chantre (Buet)" by Georgette Agutte [1867-1922].

 

she painted a glacier
more than 100 years ago

never realizing she was
providing us with evidence
that nature can be destroyed

while art remains

 

 © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 21: "Self-portrait with Green Background and Blue Irises"

 

"Self-portrait with Green Background and Blue Irises" (circa 1905) by Paula Modersohn-Becker [1876-1907].

 

portrait with green background

in 1905 she thought she'd
have many more irises to paint

but death hid grinning in
the foliage--he knew she
had only two springs more

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 20: "Edge of Abruzzi; Boat with Three People on a Lake"

 

"Edge of Abruzzi; Boat with Three People on a Lake" (1924) by Winifred Knights [1899-1947].

 

knowing that nothing
exists beyond what is
seen on the canvas

these two dimensions

possess a magic that makes
me believe I can climb in

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 19: "Chez Moi"

 

"Chez Moi" (1887) by Harriet Backer [1845-1932].

 

my room full of sunlight

when I, too, am sunny
I close the door to play

and sing a dance hall ditty
before settling down to
more interminable practice

 

 © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 18: "Achill Horses"

 

"Achill Horses" (1941) by Mainie Jellett [1897-1944].

I have seen the white horse
on the high cliff this morning
 
luck should be mine today

but what to make of
the babe in the cradle
already afloat on the sea?

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 17: "Afterglow"

 

"Afterglow" (1914) by Florence H. McGillivray [1864–1938].

 

when the sun seems
to breathe its last

there is an afterglow

and fantastical words--
crepuscular, vespertine--
describe its creatures

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 16: "At the Dressing Table"

 

"At the Dressing Table. Self-Portrait" (1909) by Zinaida Serebriakova [1884-1967].

 

whites and tints
highlight the triangle

of terracotta and
auburn with her face
at its apex

she lives her art

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

 

 

Ekphrastic April, Day 15: "Blooming Apple-trees. The Trees are in Blossom"

 

"Blooming apple-trees. The trees are in blossom" (1899) by Maria Yakunchikova [1870-1902].

apple trees in bloom

spring, albeit briefly,
perfumes the air

in a few months the scent
of over-ripe apples will
languish through autumn

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 14: "Lady Affixing Pennant to a Knight's Spear"

Today's artist is more famous as being the model for others' work.  Perhaps most recognizable is the portrayal of her as "Ophelia" by John Everett Millais.  Her husband, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, was a well-known poet and artist, so I imagine it may have been a struggle to get herself recognized as a poet and artist, too.  Read a fascinating BBC article here.

 

 "Lady Affixing Pennant to a Knight's Spear" by Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal [1829-1862].

 

sidestep the vicissitudes
of physical beauty

dare to become
a person of artistic
accomplishments

the impossibilities, endless

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. 

Ekphrastic April, Day 13: "The Tiff"

 

"The Tiff" (c. 1902) by Florence Carlyle [1864-1923].

 

I do not mind sulking

it gives us both the time
to think--him about
the unkind thing he said

me about the apologetic
kisses he will soon offer

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. 

 

Ekphrastic April, Day 12: "Bathing Baby"

 

"Bathing Baby" by Elanor Colburn [1866-1939].

 

if only she would sit
in the water without
that sodden rabbit

bathing baby

requires patience

and many many towels

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. 

Ekphrastic April, Day 11: "Skaters"

 

"Skaters" by Marianne von Werefkin [1860-1938].

 

ice skating

at night I think of myself
as a dark presence flying

over the ice snatching
bits of private conversations
like a bat catches mosquitoes

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

 

 

Ekphrastic April, Day 10: "In a Boat"

 

"In a Boat" (1907) by Lilla Cabot Perry [1848-1933].

 

they mock me for my views
of the modern woman
 
I will shush them by
taking up the oars to paddle
myself across the lake

...I keep going nowhere

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. 

 

 

Ekphrastic April, Day 9: "Poor Cupid, or Love Ensnared."

Please read this Smithsonian post about sculptor, Edmonia Lewis.  As an American woman artist she faced many hurdles.  As a woman of color, she faced even more.  After growing up in the US, it's no wonder she decided to move to Europe.  

 

"Poor Cupid, or Love Ensnared" (c. 1872-1876) by Edmonia Lewis [c. 1843-1879].

I sculpt the myths

of men in marble

cold and white

they resemble their

viewers--white and blind

 

never free

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.   

Ekphrastic April, Day 8: "A Summer Shower"

 

 

 "A Summer Shower" (1883) by Edith Hayllar [1860-1948].

 

a summer shower
a blessed respite

from badminton

and the sty stink
emanating from those
who are playing it 

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 7: "Self-Portrait in Purple Velvet"

 

 "Self-Portrait in Purple Velvet" by Mary Bradish Titcomb [1858-1927].

 

 
self portrait

you think you know me
--an old maid in purple

I may dress the part, but
under no man's thumb I can
wander, paint, and BE me

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.  

Ekphrastic April, Day 6: "Bird's Nest in Cattails"

 

"Bird's Nest in Cattails" (1875) by Fidelia Bridges [1834-1923].

 

spring heralded by
red-winged blackbirds

co-ka keeeeeeee

nests in the cattails rock
hatchlings to the rhythm
co-ka keeeeeeee

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.  

Ekphrastic April, Day 5: "Les volets clos"

 

 "Les volets clos" (c. 1900) by Elizabeth Nourse [1859-1938].  The title translates into English as "The Closed Shutters."

 

shutters closed

decorum is simply
a part of growing old

that's what I tell myself
as I look for new ways
to conceal age's effects

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 4: "The Boston Sunday Herald: Easter"

 "The Boston Sunday Herald: Easter" (1895) by Ethel Reed [1874-1912] 

 

a happy Easter!

 

just 21 years of age
and making a living

my bills are being
posted around Boston
--the world is next

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

 

Ethel Reed quickly became an illustrator of note in the mid-1890s.  She created posters (then known as handbills or bills), book covers, and illustrations.  She had turned 21 on March 13, 1895 and Easter was on April 14 that year.  Sadly, she passed away in 1912.

Ekphrastic April, Day 3: "Peace Monument and U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C."

I don't believe I've used a photograph in my prior three years of Ekphrastic April posts.  Nor have I included living artists since I only use works in the public domain, but, after yesterday's incident at the US Capitol, I'm using a photograph by a living woman!  Carol M. Highsmith has donated her work to the Library of Congress and has designated them in the public domain.  The photo I selected, "Peace Monument and U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C." is reflective of April 2021 when once again we weep and wish for peace.

 

"Peace Monument and U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C." (between 1980 and 2006) by Carol M. Highsmith [1946-].

 

this year of debility

many misguided souls
see the people's house
as a fortress to be scaled

we trust it will not crumble
under the weight of fear

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Ekphrastic April, Day 2: "At Granny's"

 

 

"At Granny's" by Helen Allingham [1848-1926].

 

a visit with Granny

the kettle always on
a bannock and a pot
of jam at the ready

her tales would make
even the spiders blush

 
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

 

Ekphrastic April, Day 1: "Monet's Dining Room at Giverny (Tea)"

Welcome to Day 1 of the 2021 edition of Ekphrastic April in celebration of National Poetry Month. Come back each day during April for works of art created by women, each one is accompanied by an original cherita inspired by the work. The poem may describe the picture, be an emotional reaction to it, relate to the creator of the art, or any of the various ways art can inspire.

Haiku Sticky and Happy Haiga Day! posts will resume in May.

 

"Monet's Dining Room at Giverny (Tea)" by Blanche Hoschedé-Monet [1865-1947].

  

by the calendar
winter is gone

spring is tarrying

let's take matters
into our own hands
and make sunshine 

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

Haiku Sticky #591

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

I sip my coffee
each morning in March
 
outside the window
 
swelling buds redden
turn to gold, chartreuse,
then full-on spring

 

Happy Haiga Day!

Fellow poet, Tabatha Yeatts, will be featuring poems in two languages for National Poetry Month, which starts on Thursday.  She asked readers of her blog to contribute a short poem.  Read more here.  Here is my attempt, illustrated, of course.

 

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

windows
open again in spring--oh!
...the barking, barking

les fenêtres
s'ouvrent à nouveau au printemps--oh!
...les aboiements, les aboiements

 

 

Haiku Sticky #590

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:  

definition of paradox

my second dose of vaccine
delivered by a member
of the military

I've marched against
war for fifty years

 

Happy Haiga Day!

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

pandemic year two

the old signposts have
been worn away

now's not the time to
realize that moss can grow
on all sides of a tree

Haiku Sticky #589

I'm not going to call this a haiku, nor is it a senryu.  I think of it as a quip.

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

March 17th:
New England boiled dinner's
day in the sun

Happy Haiga Day!

In years past I've forced many a hyacinth bulb.  The flowers were always full and fragrant and an inspiration for many of the poems found under the label, "hyacinths and other flowers."  The photo below is the best of the four bulbs I attempted to force this year.  The rest barely poked up their heads before shriveling.

 

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

 
forcing hyacinths

during this pandemic
the wait unbearable

and in the end
delight for neither
eyes nor nose

Haiku Sticky #588

 Starting this week, Haiku Sticky day will be on Wednesdays.

 

 © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Text:

snow recedes

is that a bit of green

I see?

Happy Haiga Day!

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

Text:

the musicality of March sunshine

Haiku Sticky #587

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

rain again
kicking off the blankets
reluctantly

Happy Haiga Day!

This was written as part of a writing challenge. It was inspired by a poem, "Underwear", by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who died last week. The title of my poem is a line borrowed from Ferlinghetti.

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

Underwear on Clothesline a Great Flag of Freedom  

A long time ago, before clothes dryers,
there were lines of rope strung between
house and tree, or from one apartment
to a second one the next street over. 
Underwear and socks were pinned
to the lines and seemed to benefit
from the time they spent in the sun.

There was hope that whatever stink left
after washers had done their job would
be replaced by the scent of clean, crisp,
fresh breezes. If the socks, briefs and
boxers, panties and brassieres could talk
they would have shouted. "Freedom!"
Those who put them back on would purr.

Haiku Sticky #586

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

Covid vaccine

the size of the needle

scares her

Happy Haiga Day!

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

winter continues...
cat has forgotten
the smell of fresh air

Haiku Sticky #585

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text: 

Prayer on the Eve of an Ice Storm

If there is to be ice tomorrow,
let there be sun the day after
to stun us with the brilliance
of a convergence of opposites.

Happy Haiga Day!

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

mid-February

longing for the first
signs of green--maybe
a four-leaf clover

2021 could be luckier
in more ways than one

Haiku Sticky #584

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

pandemic persists
following headlights across
my bedroom wall

Happy Haiga Day!

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text: 

second storm in a week

shoulders still aching
she looks beyond the trees

to piles of snow that
will only grow higher
and last until spring

Haiku Sticky #583

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

zero degrees...
the static spark
between them

Happy Haiga Day!

 

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Text:

forecast of snow...
a mere dusting and a crow
would suffice

 

My thanks to Robert Frost for the inspiration!