Cold April - A Poem

Way back when I was still at school I had a bit of a thing for iambic pentameter for a while, and sonnets.

This isn't a sonnet, nor is it completely faithfully in iambic pentameter wither.  However, I remember well when I wrote it - another cold April, snow among other things...

bland white moments of loneliness i ponder

a concentrated mind allowed to wander

wings its way to far, distorted scenes -

mere creations of these frightened dreams?

tired eyes pursue each short mortality

imagination lost and reaching for reality

the sweet snow falls, these reveries to take -

your face reflected in each transient flake

© Naomi Madelin 1989 


(1989?!?!)

Haiku with parsnips

parents for lunch - 
Dad avoiding the parsnips

among other things

with thanks to the brilliant Michael Dylan Welch  and the introduction to  "Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends"

© Naomi Madelin 2013

Haiku Tea II - Linked Verse

I've had a great few weeks getting involved with a Haiku group over on Google Plus.

I watched and waited for a while, then thought "hey, I may as well plunge in and see what happens." Well, what happened was, I wrote some haiku!  It's been a while and this was a great way to get me thinking creatively again, paying attention to the small things and taking my time.

I was pleased to take part in the second of a now-ongoing series of linked poetry collaborations. In a given order we were each to write a haiku using the last line of the previous poem as our first.

This was the result of Haiku Tea II:

life has scattered seeds
waits for the memories to
grow into longing                                         Shashi

grow into longing
to relive past victories
to feel youth's passion                               Bob Hartwig

to feel youth's passion
to bring back things lost, many
many like flowers                                       Craig Volney

many like flowers
tap muddy feet, delighting
one crimson petal                                      Carolyn St Charles

one crimson petal
open wide, drink up the sun
now, tis time for fun                                   Jamer Nicolls

now, tis time for fun
and profound reflections with
tender threnodies...                                    Berteena Gaines

tender threnodies --
life's strewn seeds yielded thorns
will hope succumb?                                   Gracy Dsouza

will hope succumb?
your freedom starts at dry grounds
take it, keep walking!                                  Anna Liniacka & http://web.ift.uib.no/~lipniack/

take it keep walking...
it is about the journey
the road less travelled                                A.M. Frasier

the road less travelle
to where it stands, Singular,
calling the Walker                                       Gabri Rigotti & http://www.greenit.org.za/green-poetry.html

calling the Walker...
waiting for the memories
to help me forget                                         Jim Williams

to help me forget
greener grasses, purple haze
colour yesterday                                          John Belchamber & http://JRBHaiku.wordpress.com

colour yesterday
thoughts so haunting
travelling through the air                            Tammy Wright

travelling through the air
my soul searches for love, peace
savouring the view                                      Steve Yagyagan

savouring the view
I pretend the clouds are hills
on the horizon                                              Jessica Baehr

on the horizon
dawn births the egg of fire
to sear the sky pink                                     Joe Nicholas & http://joecrowpoe.wordpress.com/

to sear the sky pink
with reflections of tall birds
flaming with bright love                              Francis JA

flaming with bright love -
gazing at strangers
in this familiar photograph                        Naomi Madelin

in this familiar photograph
memories lap at your feet :
a forever flow of holy green                      Omuhuvah Otido & http://www.omukuvah.org/literature/poetry



all writers retain copyright of their work

Published

Back in January I wrote this post:

http://jumpingoffbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/i-am-no-ones-wife.html

When I saw an alumni of my University was looking for submissions for a poetry book, I sent in some of my haiku, and this:

I am no one’s wife.  I am me.

I am someone’s wife.  But that is not who I am.

I am someone’s mother.  But that is not who I am.

I am someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s friend.

Even taken all together that is not who I am.

I am me.

When you meet me, please remember this.

It has just been published in the poetry anthology "The Poetic Bond II" as "When You Meet Me".

I received a copy of the book a couple of weeks ago - it may not look flashy but there is some wonderful work in it.  A really great, honest anthology of thoughtful, skillful work and I'm really proud to have been included in it.

***
The un-netted tree
Rotting peaches fall
Into sunset

***

i could trust
the silent mountain -
you?

(c) Naomi Madelin

Autumn Poems

For ten years I missed Autumn.  My favourite season.  Even the damp English days bring me some kind of nonspecific peace.  Something to do with the freedom of nature. Being out in chill air.  The honest smell of mulching leaves. Memories of chilly walks to school when I was small, innocent and unencumbered.

To be honest there are a few too many of these damp days for my liking! Returning to England I realise how much I have become accustomed to the warmer climate of northern New Zealand this past decade.  But in that largely evergreen place I missed the leaves turning, the colours that warm you even when the air is near freezing, the comforting sound of the leaves underfoot and the sheer joy of kicking through them in wellies and warm socks.

I thought I'd gather together a Autumn few poems that resonate with me and share them.  There is one that I found years ago and had taped inside my filofax (that's some pre-iPhone tech!) for a few years, but I can't find it.  I think the poet's name was Mark something... Clues anyone? I'll keep hunting and post it when I find it.

Being a lover of haiku, I had to include Matsuo Basho's delicious little nut at the end.

Enjoy.



Autumn Valentine 

In May my heart was breaking-
Oh, wide the wound, and deep!
And bitter it beat at waking,
And sore it split in sleep.

And when it came November,
I sought my heart, and sighed,
"Poor thing, do you remember?"
"What heart was that?" it cried. 

Dorothy Parker 

Song of an Autumn Night

Under the crescent moon a light autumn dew
Has chilled the robe she will not change --
And she touches a silver lute all night,
Afraid to go back to her empty room. 

Wang Wei






Autumn

Laden Autumn here I stand
Worn of heart, and weak of hand:
Nought but rest seems good to me,
Speak the word that sets me free.

William Morris 



 Autumn
 
October's bellowing anger breaks and cleaves
The bronzed battalions of the stricken wood
In whose lament I hear a voice that grieves
For battle’s fruitless harvest, and the feud
Of outraged men. Their lives are like the leaves
Scattered in flocks of ruin, tossed and blown
Along the westering furnace flaring red.
O martyred youth and manhood overthrown, 
The burden of your wrongs is on my head. 

                                                           Siegfried Sassoon



Autumn moonlight

Autumn moonlight -
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut


Matsuo Basho




post by Naomi Madelin

On Haiku

I love writing haiku.  Moments exploded into a nutshell is how I see them.  Like the hint of the song of a rare bird, the tiniest taste of something exquisite that fires a million thoughts.  Sometimes a haiku appears just like that - fully formed and ready to go.  Other times haiku morph and merge and turn into something unexpected, or with a change of line breaks the meaning is amplified.

I took the ferry today, to the city - it's a good place and time to find haiku.

I wonder which works best?

1/

leaving thoughts -
on the ferry our flag
twisted around the pole

2/

leaving thoughts on the ferry
our flag twisted
around the pole