The Troiku is a new haiku form created by Chèvrefeuille
(troiku)
marked with age spots
the old woman holds out a cup
with gnarled fingers
marked with age spots
having lived a long life
beauty rewritten
the old woman holds out a cup
invisible to society
people hurry by
with gnarled fingers
shelled nuts from her secret stash
feeds the squirrels
©Tournesol’17/07/28
thimbleberry shrub
overcome by freeloaders
choked by greedy arms
blackberry vines overstay
morning glories take over
human’s helping hands
unwinding weeds and vines
free the choking stems
greenbelt lovers lend a hand
disentangling carefully
digging at the root
removing each stake – claimed
by jealous lovers
***
bindweeds breed – only
unhealthy relationships
nature’s oppressor
***
world disputes – only,
farm famine and poverty
breeding ground of war
greed lingers at the root
breeding lust for wars
if compassion
could lure like greed and lust
man would be set free
the Golden Rule would become Law
the breeding ground of love
©Tournesol’19/06/13
Daily Moments – June 13, 2017 breeding compassion (waka)
This waka (solo no renga and haiku/senryu) were inspired by Mystery, Adventure and Reward by Karuna’s post at LivingLearningAndLettingGo where she works tirelessly in the Greenbelt behind her home freeing the thumbleberry shrub from bindweeds (morning glory) and blackberry vines. This post reminded me of one thing, “if only only compassion ruled the world.” I’ve taken the liberty to post a few of her photos to illustrate the meaning of the poem.
“Compassion is the foundation of peace.” Amma
The old woman toiled in her garden for days, her heart filled with such hope…
Planting seeds
deep enough
free from foul play
Planting seeds
filled with love
forming strong roots
Deep enough
as a love struck poet
versed with compassion
Free from foul play
only white doves
spreading world peace
(C)Tournesol’17-05-29
It is such a pleasure to read this Tokubetsudesu episode at Carpe Diem today. We are honouring Milan Rajkumar who was the runner-up of the “new life” kukai. He lives in Impal, Manipur, India. I am tempted to visit there someday if ever I am fortunate enough to visit India. ..perhaps one day before heading more south to Kerala.
This is the haiku that finished second in this kukai
lifeless for a season
pupa inside the ocean
spring gives life and wings
© milan rajkumar
What a beautiful haiku with many underlying messages on life.
In my mind, Milan is number one and I am often inspired by his beautiful haiku. Wrapped in humility, he writes thought provoking and evocative poetry. A teacher by day and poet and thinker tween times…and yet, does a haiku poet not think each moment of the day, savouring and locking into one’s heart and soul?
Here is another haiku filled with eloquence…
across the lake
a skipping pebble
kingfisher
© milan rajkumar
And the poem that inspired my haiku is this wonderful tanka written in response to the Latifa Prayer episodes.
frog on lotus leaf
sitting and admiring
lotus bloom
does it care the snake
which looms behind
© milan rajkumar
When I read this lovely poem, it reminds me of our widowed GrandMaman who took my mother, sister and me into her home. Regardless of how little she had, her love for boundless.
burgeoning love
une grandmère spares little
worm curls in rich soil
worm curls in rich soil
bed of fruitful promises
compassion grows
compassion grows
like a field of golden rod
ruling God’s earth
©Tournesol’16/06/07
Daily moments of reflection – Compassion rules June 7 2016
O is for oppressed as a person who may be filled with many worries. This could be someone going through a rough patch for more than just a period in his life. What if it is someone struggling for a longer time? People at work for example, may appear sympathetic at first but slowly, one by one they may distance themselves. Family and friends may also give less and less of their time to listen, encourage and just offer a presence. Or perhaps some may minimize the situation not really knowing what to say to “make it all go away”. First of all, it is not in “others’” power to make it go away but it might be nice to show some compassion.
(troiku)
oppressed
off-putting
on cloud nine
oppressed
feelings of dread
weigh one down
off-putting
look of suffering
can scare one away
on cloud nine
that distant look
hard to read
Imagine a person being shunned because you feel uncomfortable being around doom and gloom. Is it not enough that they are already feeling fraught with worry? What if it is not just a situational issue but a chronic emotional and mental instability they are going through? What if all they need is to feel accepted? What if they cannot even accept themselves or their “perhaps” new circumstance they have no choice but to endure?
I thought this might be something to think about. You know, the next time you tell a colleague something as benign as “Hi! How, how are you?” If you really don’t want to know and you have been seeing their sad face every day for a long time…think twice before adding “How are you?” if you really don’t care to know. A simple “Hi!” and a smile can go a long way too. Be genuine when you say something. Try to think twice when you walk into your workplace and look a person in the eyes when you say that “Hi!”
Working on a youth line that is open 24/7 I have seen how challenging it can be and yet, it is also a labour of love. However the true heroes at this agency are those who listen with compassion from 6 to 8 and 10 hours each night. These counsellors are the true heroes of the night.
such sadness
listening all night long
the graveyard shift
uncovering truths
old wounds open – and,
untold secrets
such sadness
listening all night long
the graveyard shift
sudden tears
bearing heart and soul – sometimes,
left for vacant
such sadness
listening all night long
the graveyard shift
listeners
of compassion
heroes of the night
(c) Tournesol’16-03-18
Daily moments March 18 2016 Heroes of the night
Inspired At Three Word Wednesday, we are given: Uncovered , Vacant, and Abrupt(sudden).
old man limps
stumbling on the train
head held high
blind to hateful glares
I marvel at his strength
(c) Tournesol 16 – 2 – 26
icicles melt
tears of mistreated children
searching sun’s glow
listening with compassion
pillars shimmer promise
©Tournesol ’16/02/21
I witnessed an act of kindness and an act of consciousness today. My heart fills with such joy and love it is bursting at the seams and the only way to establish some equilibrium to continue my shift at work, I am writing this narrative. This will be my offering to Karuna’s challenge on Love.
Today I was waiting for the bus and it was bitter cold with the winds felt like minus 20; I held my hood under my chin squinting now and then to see if the bus was turning the corner soon. A young man was walking towards me and stooped to pick a plastic bottle on the road in front of me. He went on his way with two items in his left hand. I looked at him in awe! If we all did this regularly, wouldn’t our world be cleaner? brighter? prettier? What an environmentally conscious person this was!!
Later I received a phone call from a young man who wanted advice on how to help a homeless teen he had met on the street. It certainly is NOT a day to be panhandling on the street for anyone today. He was concerned for this young person and wanted to know if there were shelters I could recommend. I suggested he try Covenant House since youths can stay up to three months and counsellors on staff might be able to help this youth settle into housing and get support. I also recommended our phone service since our phone lines were free and anonymous. Any information shared with us would never be reported since we do not have call display on our phones and we cannot trace calls either. All a youth has to do is dial from any public pay phone and it’s free and open 24/7.
I could not help but thank this caller for being so compassionate and generous he was for helping this youth and offering to bring him to get a hot meal. He said, it was just part of his training in advocating for youths. But I disagreed because this innate, it is not learned…compassion was part of who he was.
I am filled with so much love seeing people around me who are so giving and conscious on how we are all interconnected.
compassion
thrives like an epidemic
love has no borders
© Tournesol’16/02/08
Written for Challenge for Growth Prompt #5: I am Love
To scratch an itch is certainly a need although one may feel wanting, filled with the urge to scratch. If you’ve ever had chicken pox, measles or hives, you will get my drift here (smiles) But what changes a want to a need? I am sure the answer is quite subjective as I think of my past desire to meet the famous hugging saint, Amma, (Mata Amritanandamayi) but once I did experience her warm embrace at a retreat, it did change me more than I had ever imagined.
wanting heart,
a saint’s embrace kissed my soul
my needs fulfilled
As I ponder on this “needs/wants” discussion, I can’t help but contemplate on Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. Love being the basic need to survive and thrive.
We also hear that there is no greater love than love for self. I find I love myself more and more when I love others, when I can help others. There must be some meaning in this for look at anyone in the world who lives a life of serving. I am far from such a person, being still selfish in many ways and content with my North American comforts. But look around at anyone who you’ve seen helping others. The smile of compassion and satisfaction is ever present on their faces. The image of Amma comes to mind again when I see her smiling at her devotees, even after sixteen hours in a crowded room.
compassion’s longings
serving yields such precious gems
intrinsic needs met
© Tournesol ’16/01/08
Written for Challenge for growth prompts: Needs vs wants at LivingLearningandLettingGo
