The Autumn Sun: exercise in haikus

Today’s post is an all-in-one, collating a multitude of shots of inspiration from within this cherished platform. This is a collective thank you.

The writers and readers I discover here feed my thoughts, make generous space for me and fuel my inspiration. What they write gives me joy, makes me think and write differently.

Through Jason McBride’s

Weirdo Poetry

, I recently discovered haikus and the following exercises are the results. From Tricycle, I followed the prompt “autumn sun.” I decided to practice within the constraints of a 5/7/5 syllables haiku. I like succinct, but usually share poems I wrote years ago, often revised several times over and sometimes extensively re-written. The following I only wrote a few days ago. This is completely out of my comfort zone, yet it felt quite natural.

As I went through the exercise, I wondered about incorporating the phrases or words that I jot down as I read other newsletters and comments. Words I treasure because they make me smile, they are liquid kindness, they teach me something.

This then became a modest accolade and a giant thank you; I have italicised each word or idea so you may find yourself easily. 💚

1. The panther of fear

through her gilded autumn suns

blinks a hungry squeal~

2. Watch the autumn sun

As it gallops through the fields

Burning like kindling~

3. There is no more fear

hissed the swollen autumn sun,

through dishevelled tears~

4. Punctures in the sky

reveal seven autumn suns;

God is juggling now~

5. Please don’t drown alone,

May your oceans be gentle

and each autumn sun~

6. Arid or pluvial

in tender autumn suns:

hug a marsupial~

7. Soy hopeless, mon Dieu!

Babbling through the autumn suns,

Bambies and bead ferns~

8. Put the kettle on,

Enough of this persiflage:

Drink the autumn sun~

9. Such mess, such wastage…

the best cure for griffonage

is the autumn sun~

10. Thoughtful platypus

in liminal harmonies

vows the autumn sun~

11. Detonate or save

what is left of the planet,

autumn sun granite~

12. Como un bébé

crawling in the autumn sun

it makes my heart sway~

13. Within a haiku

hid a lune; autumn sunburn,

Mock orange for plumes~

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