Framed walls
Mementos telling stories
home sweet home
Vintage table
Drop leaf holding laptop
Home office transformed
Spare room
Filled with books
No room for guests
(C) Tournesol ‘20/05/23
mother’s presence
A place called home
Mid century dreams
(C) Tournesol ‘20/05/23
(c) Clr ’20
where’ve they all gone
tumbling early in the morn
hollow echoes
where’ve they all gone
absent footsteps
abandoned stairwell
tumbling early in the morn
like clockwork
with purpose
hollow echoes
not so long ago
safely indoors
keeping satellites busy
friends and family reconnect
defend one and all
Mother Nature breathing life
Isolation saves
© Tournesol ‘20/05/07
Daily Moments – May 7 2020 No Exits Troiku
During her lunch break she wanted to go out for a walk but there were too many people walking the street. Some two by two, a teen on roller blades and cyclist in shorts. Resigning to taking the garbage out, she felt she might soak up the sun for a few minutes. When she walked out her heart skipped a beat…”No, don’t close the gate yet, I need to bring mine”…standing at 5 metres from them she felt her heart swell…
finally spring
showing its warmth
sun beaming
finally spring
forced her out
a brief moment
showing its warmth
two ladies by the dumpster
excites her
sun beaming
halos circle their heads
smiling at me
She is not alone. That is what the isolation makes you feel as if you are alone feeling what feel. The women both nodded that they had good days and bad days. Yes!! It was such a relief to speak to live women close to her age …we share the love for our offspring, the worry, the longing. And even though it is a sad reality, she walked back to her unit with a lighter foot.
she’s okay
speaking to live humans in person
sighs
© Tournesol 2020/04/29
Daily moments – Day 48 Meal break (haibun)
So many people were out; some looked content others look serious and walked with purpose. A few only exposed their eyes.
It appeared chilly since many were still wearing wool tuques and scarves. At least in our winters and spring here we can lift a scarf over our mouth and nose without it looking out of place…too much. She is debating whether she should go out or not. She looks from her balcony wringing her dry hands like an old scared woman.
Strangers on her street
Face masks, the new spring fashion
peeks from her window
trying to catch up
youngster pedals with a purpose
father in slow motion
sanitizers flow
exhaustion showers over her
toxins linger
(c) Tournesol ‘2020/04/24 Daily Moments Day 42
(c) Clr ‘2019
Watching a stand up comic she bursts out laughing. It is such a wonderful distraction these days. The third comic show, she starts weeping and doesn’t know why…or does she?
Salty tears
Drawing paths on wrinkled cheeks
Laugh therapy
Laugh therapy
coming from a secret place
finally letting go
© Tournesol ‘2020-04-19
Daily Moments – letting go
Tick tock
Toss and turn
Mind won’t shut off!
May as well stay up and drop when I can no longer stay awake. It’s Saturday today…soon the sun will come up. I went for a teeny tiny walk last night after I brought the garbage out. It was after nine and no one was on the street except for one young man busy talking on his phone. I just walked up and down my street twice, staying within my close quarters since I had not brought my cane or walking stick and you just never know when that knee will give way, so it came out to 2km. I’m pleased with that. I think I will continue walking at that time each night. Granted I would love to soak up the sun in the daytime but with the cool weather we’ve been having, wind comes along with the sunny skies and evenings it just seems calmer and feels warmer.
I surfed the net a bit to see how the world was coping…I found an interesting segment from France covered byFrance 24which is aired weekly. Oh my, to see the drones the police are using to check up on people who are not abiding with social distancing!!! That is pretty awesome actually but like one woman cyclist with her two children commented, it does feel futuristic and one wonders if you are doing to get attacked by the drones. It’s a great idea actually and saves a lot of manpower so police can also be available for emergencies rather than patrolling street by street, park after park.
I noticed our police patrol Easter Sunday. Good thing they came by a few hours after this couple rendezvoused in front of my building. He brought her a gift and stretched out his arm to hand it to her. Then they spoke briefly a good two metres apart. She had leggings and a nice long sweater hanging off one shoulder and four inch heels!! I kid you not! It was so adorable to see them. They looked in their late thirty’s or mid forty’s. I found it so romantic! Hey, I don’t get to see much these days, so this was a real life treat And I even wrote about it on my an Easter datealong with a haiku on Sunday.
I ordered watercolours and paper this week. I am kicking myself for having given all my paints, crayons and artsy things when I moved here. Who knew I would have so much time on my hands that I could relax trying to paint? I have never really painted with watercolours except fooling around with my grandson and when I was a kid but lately I found a few Youtubers who explain it well and I want to try. My goal is to make greeting cards, just for fun and maybe even create lovely haiga with my artwork. So far, I have only done haiga with my photos but it would be a nice change. If I don’t succeed at least I will have practiced an art form that relaxes me.
Years ago I had to take some art courses to be accepted in an Art Therapy class at my university. So I took 24 lessons in oil painting. I did not really find I did anything pretty but every week those three hours went by like ten minutes.
It’s 5:30 and I’m not sure I will be able to stay up until the sun comes up. My eyes are getting a bit heavy (finally). I think I will have breakfast so hunger will not wake me up at 8am and I can sleep in as late as I want. Yes, that is a great idea!
Thanks for listening, Emma. There are not many people I can talk their ear off at this time and you are such a great listener.
Night sounds
Hum of the fridge
The old cat snores
© Tournesol ‘2020-04-18
Ah if only I could disconnect like my feline friends. I hear one snore softly. I felt pumped when I first woke up and seeing the sunny skies. The sun was so warm, the bedroom temperatures went up I had to open the windows. And then I watched the news…
bursts of energy
sun beams through my window
lifting spirits
dark clouds
menacing those light blue skies
hold uncertainty
emotions
riding the roller coaster
little engine doubts
I think I can, I know I can
because I have a plan
there is no shame
in reaching out
call out their name
so comforting
a face smiling back at me
YOU, inside my screen!
Feeling pumped again after a nice video chat with my son and daugther in law…yes, I definitely can get through these times.
© Tournesol ‘2020/04/17 Daily moments
A visit I had a few weeks ago from my son and daughter in law …can’t really have that anymore. Police are patrolling regularly now.
A good samaritan from Canadian Tire delivered the above order my cousin sent me from Oakville, On.
Sunny morning
Snow flurry afternoon
Springtime in Quebec
Care package
Loving cousin from afar
Left at my door
Lovely fragrance
Disinfectant everywhere
New scent du jour
© Tournesol ‘2020/04/16
Daily moments April 16 2020 Care package (senryü)
Three hours of sleep reads her Fitbit. Hmmm, that’s odd, and yet she feels refreshed this morning. She runs a bath and prepares her coffee at the same time. She seems to have energy today despite the lack of sleep. She strips her bed and prepares for laundry and finally when her coffee is ready she slips into her bubble bath and turns on her tablet to watch something silly on Netflix, The Big Show.
A great way to start her day and once dressed and logged onto her laptop, she feels an energy she has not felt in weeks.
The universe gave her what she needed.
isolation
digging at their psyches
discovering normal
offering hope
exploring
possibilities
© Tournesol ‘2020/04/15
Last night I was surprised to see the time when I woke up at only 2 in the morning. It’s amazing how a deep sleep can feel like you have slept for a long time. I slipped back to sleep and then…
I was riding my bike back home to the house where I grew up in my hometown. It was not quite dawn…the sky was grey and the sun had not started to come up yet. As I approached the house, I thought I should put my bike in the house not to get it stolen.
“How come I had not thought of that before since there are so many robberies at this part of town?”
Suddenly I saw my car parked and decided to stick the bike in the car but then I saw a car backing up to come and talk to me, so frantically shoved the bike in the front but was not fast enough and the car was about a metre from me. He rolled down his window and I was about to approach out of habit…but then I froze realizing the social distancing advised was two metres. I knew I was dreaming, and I really wanted to wake up because I sensed there was danger. The man wanted to talk, said he felt socially isolated and got out of his car …I ran to house but could not unlock the door fast enough and close it behind me…he pushed the door and as I backed away he came closer and I thought he was going to rape me. But he just wanted to hold someone…just wanted someone to talk to. My heart totally understood but my brain was speeding and telling me this was way too dangerous.
I kept backing up slowly but still listening. One could tell this man was suffering but I was not sure if he could control his frustrations.
I woke up at 5:30 AM and there was still an hour or so before I should get up for work…but I could not help but feel I might go back to the same dream. I put on my mask for my eyes and kept repeating my mantra and imagining the face of Amma, hoping I could fall asleep…I did but not in a deep sleep but back into the same dream…
We talked in the living room…I was sitting on the couch and he on the footstool with such a heavy look of defeat. I felt so bad that this virus had done this to him but also worried for my health. Feeling guilty for thinking of myself and feeling empathy for him…not a great place to be…and then I woke up at 6:30 and got up. Enough already!!
I took my time getting ready for work, setting up my laptop, my tv as a second monitor and sticking important papers on my cupboard door to have everything in my view.
I took out the garbage and recycling as well since it was very early and pouring rain I could avoid seeing anyone. I wore my new white cotton gloves and then dumped them in the wash and logged onto my laptop.
What a way to start my day!
hearing their stories
describing a dystopia
makes my skin crawl
© Tournesol ‘2020/04/13
Tournesol dans un Jardin 