Mustard Field

  

While driving on a country road in England I saw a mustard field. It was just the right time when all the plants were in bloom, a patch of vibrant color on the landscape. I had to stop, take a photo, ponder the source of mustard, like Jesus sitting in the countryside, saw its brilliance and told a parable about the man who planted a mustard seed in his own field. It was a simple truth, one the people could relate to. It was a healing plant, an ancient mustard recipe. He used it to demonstrate the kingdom.

Pliny the Elder wrote of it. It can grow wild but when cultivated it is much improved. Once it is sown it is hard to get rid of it. The tiniest of seed yet Jesus said it will grow into a tree that shelters the birds.

the sound of yellow
vibrates from 2000 years
says my kingdom come

dVerse prompt on sound. Pliny the Elder wrote about natural history circa 23 to 79AD.

Press

set type                                                    spread ink

upside down backwards               thin layer on the plate

use space                                     ink rollers

know pica                               choice of paper

composing stick                                   pull heavy handle

lay of the nick                                   does all the work

what to say                                         printed word

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dVerse prompt to write a contrapuntal poem – read three ways – column one read down – column two read down – read across each line

Rain Making

We camped in the rainforest

Olympic Mountains

trail blocked by wind fall

blown out fir trees

yet we found our way

pitched tent 

built campfire

and ate

The tent was small

no rainfly 

in the night

the sound of water

my husband making rain

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dVerse quadrillé prompt on rain

In My Dream

In my dream I am swimming again
Through the air
But this time
The air feels like water
It has substance 
I can get a hold on it
And move forward

Scent

a small tabu

just a little too

of all these things we knew

what was and was not tabu

greater was my sin

of all the scents combined 

it spread on the skin very thin

 a choice was made every time 

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dVerse prompt using two brands of perfume – these two (My Sin and Tabu) my mother kept on her dresser.  

Owl

    
Owls are in the neighborhood, calling to each other, a distinct voice in the woodland.  Tonight a pair hunt for frogs by the pond as I watch their heads swivel, eyes set for any movement.  Mayflies hop all day over the water but where are the birds?

There have been other predator, a hawk, kingfisher and great blue heron.  We stopped putting fish in.  The frogs come on their own.  One year there were so many tadpoles!  Where are they now?  Where are the frogs, chipmunk, the squirrel?

beauty of nature

springs forth at the edge of pond

predator with prey

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dVerse prompt – haibun with a sense of compassion

Monday Muddle

Here’s what to do when you haven’t a clue 

and find yourself stuck in a muddle

It’s been raining all day but that’s okay

go outside and play in a puddle

If that doesn’t send confusion away

forget it find something to cuddle
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dVerse prompt on “muddle” quadrille

Wild Ride

Wild

Ride

carnival time

the drop of death

takes you up so high

drops you down to the depth

programmed to stop with a jolt

now on to the next ride

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dVerse prompt on “wild”

A Walk in the Garden

There is always a weed to pull.  Brush to cut or tend a bed of flowers coming back from a hard winter. There were a few casualties.  Some late transplants made it through and seem to be alive.  The seeds are in and now the wait.

I wait with the hope of food from a row of beets, spinach, lettuce, beans, chard, carrots and two kinds of radish.  Today a walk in the garden despite the chill of the air.  There is promise and warmth in the earth.  Out on the edge the tiniest blossoms of primrose.

spring is renewal

time of greatest rejoicing

seeds and plants that bloom