Ekphrastic April 2019, Day 27: "Ogunquit Beach"

Ogunquit, ME is one of my favorite places. The beach is as expansive today as it was a century ago when this was painted. Only the outfits on the beach-goers have changed.

"Ogunquit Beach" (date unknown) by Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts [1871-1927].

Ogunquit Beach

a continuous roar of waves
and the wailing of gulls

the giddiness at having
found the remnants of boats,
bottles, and bivalves

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Here are a few photos I took over the years at Ogunquit:

Photos © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

A cherita is a haiku-like poem of three stanzas that tells a "story." The first stanza is one line and sets the scene. Stanza two is two lines, stanza three is three lines. A cherita terbalik is a cherita with the order of the stanzas rearranged.

Poetry Friday--"Treasure"

Michelle H. Barnes's DMC Challenge for March was provided by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.

Small as a Chickadee:
Write a poem about something small, an animal or object you see every day and do not usually give much thought.

I picked up a flat sparkly stone on my trip to Ogunquit last September and I keep it on the bathroom sink. I barely notice it most days because it doesn't sparkle much when it is dry. The times I do notice it, I say to myself, "Why are you keeping that?" Then I think, "It's found treasure!"

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

I enhanced the shine of the pebble for the illustration. It's more silver than gold in real life.

Irene, who has recently been traveling in FL to share her two newly published books of poems, is home and hosting the Round-Up at Live Your Poem.

Happy Haiga Day!

Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Tomorrow, writer, Irene Latham is celebrating her 10th anniversary as a blogger at Live Your Poem... Bloggers will be posting on a theme close to Irene's heart, WILD, and she will be rounding up the links during the day so that everyone can "go wild." I can't wait to read all the approaches bloggers have taken. Congratulations to Irene on a decade of posts!

About the illustrated poem above. The photo was taken in September in Ogunquit, ME. Originally, I was thinking of writing a haiku and came up with a few. Here's one:

periwinkle trail
...wild adventures begin
without our knowing

The photo shows the determination of the snail. There's a haiku by Issa on the idea that can't be beat:

little snail
inch by inch, climb
Mount Fuji!

Translated by David G. Lanoue.

Rather than compete with the master, I wrote a small poem that incorporated both Issa's idea and the one that I tried to get across with my haiku. I took the determination idea and worked the wild in. Determination will only take you so far when faced with elements out of your direct control, for example, the weather, the tides, or a kid with a plastic pail. When one gives up thought of control, who knows what adventures will ensue?

A rather Dickinsonesque poem, don't you think?

Update: it is now 9:00 pm, and Irene's wild link-up has begun! Check it out!

Poetry Friday--What I Did on My Summer Vacation

My vacation last week actually straddled the seasons. I went to Ogunquit, Maine and was there for the last day of summer and the first few days of autumn. Except for Friday, when it was a bit nippy, the weather was gorgeous! I went with all intentions of packing a year's worth of walking into 3 1/2 days by the sea. On Wednesday I walked 26,035 steps! My Fitbit thought it had been worn by someone else! I cut back by about half on Thursday due to a blister on one of my toes. There is a trolley that runs around town and costs $2.00, so I rode the trolley twice that day.

I still spent plenty of time on the beach on Thursday. To add commentary to the following photo would be superfluous. I thank whomever it was who walked the beach before me and somehow expressed my feelings exactly.

I took lots and lots of photos with my little point and shoot camera, and my cell phone. Several I have made into haiga (haiku with illustration). I also took short video clips of Piping Plovers.

Amazing little birds that remind me of mice in the way they scurry. I can't imagine how they get much nourishment pecking the sand at lightning speed!

Haiga inspired by the time spent by the sea (click on the images to enlarge):

A vacation "paradise" highlights the inequality gap as it exists in America today. Private beach vs. public beach. Service demanding tourists vs. immigrants working for minimum wage in the tourism services industry.

Even the weeds on the beach were alive with bees preparing for winter!

I have more photos that will provide me with additional haiga opportunities. Look for them in future Happy Haiga Day! posts (on Sundays).

Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe is hosting today's Poetry Friday Round-Up. Stop by and see what Heidi and her Diamond Miners have for us this week!

By the way, if you're looking to travel to Ogunquit, I recommend staying at The Puffin Inn, a bed and breakfast. If my recommendation isn't enough, take a look at one of the breakfasts I had sitting out on the porch. It's caramelized mango French toast, and tucked underneath is sausage!

All photos, video, and haiga © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.