Prompt 24: Stairways

Thanks to Deb Godin of The Cloud Messenger for providing the image and poem to accompany Christine's prompt, stairways. Deb writes:

When Christine asked me to pinch hit for her, I said "Yes!" and immediately began to mentally look around this very flat area where I live for some suitable stairs. Then I remembered the viewing platform at the wetlands at Point Pelee National Park (just a few minutes from my house, lucky me!) So here is the photo. As I walked around shooting it, I wondered how many steps it took to get to the top (never counted them) and that speculation reminded me of one of my favorite Buddhist practices - Three Steps One Bow - a beautiful thing to see, and that inspired the haiku. Hope this works for "Stairways."

look down from on high
as one prayer becomes the next
take three steps, one bow

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Prompt 23: Folly

Thanks to Edward S. Gault of Forest River Journal for this week's prompt of folly, these poems, and the image.

He was the town fool
Then he went on a journey
returned a hero.
***
Other kids teased her,
She was always the last picked
later, got Nobel.
***
He stole millions,
Bankrupted the company
got "Man of the Year"
***
On Stage he told truth
As people split sides laughing
many words bleeped out!
(for George Carlin R.I.P)
***
Once upon a time,
A kingdom lacked wisdom-O!
made the fool their king.
***
The Professor said:
"Foolish Civilizations
live like kings, die fast".

(Edward S. Gault, 2008)

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 22: Faces

Thanks to Lissa at Just Writing Words for this week's prompt of faces. Thanks also for sharing your poem and for providing the artwork.

Faces

they stare but they don't look at you
their faces crimson with lonely joy
their bodies pressed against the wall
happiness escape their lips
as their eyes looks downward
hoping for you to notice them
hoping they would be caught
before they fall
downcast into despair
hoping every day
to be taken home

Photo Credit

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 21: Rest

Thanks to the Manic Gardener, who recommended this week's prompt of rest.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” (Ovid)

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” (Etty Hillesum)

Photo: Stock Exchange

How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 20: Myth

Thanks to Mary at Answers to the Questions for this week's prompt, myth. Thanks also for the image, background information, and poem, Mary.

In Shinto, the Japanese Kappa are a type of water imp and are considered to be one of many suijin (literally "water-deity"). From Wikipedia.

My story is a sacred one
about how the world began --
a mythos full of gods,
near-gods, those wrathful beings,
who explain beginnings to fools.
(Mary T)

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 19: Through a Window

Thanks to Over Good Ground for this week's prompt of "through a window." Here are examples from three writers to get things started.

A window to see the outside.
A window to see the inside.

kitchen window--
three butterflies wade
one after another
(Narayanan Raghunathan)

inter-city train journey -
a rattling window top
shuts itself
(Alan Summers)

every window
a mirror
on the cold walk home
(Kathleen Wilson)

Photo: Stock Exchange

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Haiku Resources

OSI participants have been asking about resources on haiku poetry. If you can suggest a text or a link, please leave us a comment.

New Blog: The Sunflower, on the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness

A few weeks ago, David's weekend wandering question, "Do you believe in forgive and forget?", kicked off a blogger conversation that led to the creation of another blog, The Sunflower, on the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. Andree mentioned Simon Wiesenthal's book The Sunflower in her comment on my post responding to David's question, and that encouraged me to read it. Andree and I agreed forgiveness could make a good discussion topic among bloggers, and we thought we'd give it a try.

Andree has created the blog itself, and we've got a few posts up, including my synopsis and review of The Sunflower and some thoughts from Mary Stebbins Tait. We hope you'll have a look at the blog and consider participating in the conversations. We've tentatively planned to begin next week.

Andree has added a Feedburner subscription link to keep you up-to-date. Please add your email address.

Prompt 18: Doorway

Thanks to Pam Olson of Amputated Moon for this week's prompt, doorway and for this image.

the doorway lies before us
we wait at the threshold of silence
between past and future

to dwell in this threshold
holding silence close and dear
neither here nor there

wait as the seconds become minutes
moving on to months and years
silence surrounds silence

take it in and wait
until the time comes
then– just breathe and take a step

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 17: Melody

Thanks to Barb at WillThink4Wine for this week's prompt, melody. Here are her tanka and photo:

protected wetlands
aviary melodies
fragile songs of life
coexisting waterfowl
in harmony with the swamp

Melody (from Gr. ‘Melos’). A succession of notes, varying in pitch, which have an organized and recognizable shape. Melody is ‘horizontal’, i.e. the notes are heard consecutively, whereas in harmony notes are sounded simultaneously (‘vertical’). The mus. of many primitive races still remains purely melodic, as does European folksong and also plainsong. Many apparently simple folk melodies will be found, on examination, however, to be highly organized, e.g. as regards the use at different pitch levels of some simple, brief motif, the adroit use of a high note as a point of climax, etc.; many such melodies will be found to be cast in some definite form, such as simple ternary form.

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

• Post your poetry on your blog. This does not need to be today. You can post any time during the week.
  
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• Enjoy the beautiful poems of the other bloggers.
  
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UPDATE: Prompt Changes

Hi! The dates of the prompts have been changed . . . just a bit. Here are the updates (and the previous post about these prompts has been updated, as the calendar and sidebar have, also). PLEASE let me know if this table, the sidebar and the calendar are out of synch:

DATE	PROMPT	Contributor
June 8-14	Pets	Scott the Poet
June 15-21	Transience or permanence	Quiet Paths
June 22-28	Melody	Will Think 4 Wine
June 29 - May 5	Doorway	Amputated Moon
July 6 - 12	Through a window	Over Good Ground
July 13 - 19	Myth	Work of the Poet
July 20 - 26	Rest	The Manic Gardener
July 27 - August 2	Faces	Postcards from the Clouds
August 3 - 9	Folly	Forest River Journal
August 10 - 16	Stairways	Quiet Paths
August 17 - 23	Spectacle	Rooted
August 24 - 30	Homecoming	My Poetic Path
August 31 - September 5	Resolve	Quiet Paths

Please feel free to send us a poem and/or an image to accompany your prompt so we can highlight your work here and link back to you. We will remind you during the week before your prompt will be up that you should get your work to us by the Saturday before it will run!

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The calendar is updated and ready to go:
Click here for the XML link for any RSS reader.
Click here to subscribe in iCal.
Click here to view the calendar in HTML in a browser.

♥ Thank you all so much!
And of course, please e-mail about any errors.

Prompt 16: Transience or Permanence

Thanks to Christine of Quiet Paths for her prompt of permanence (or transience)for this week. Thanks to Christine, also, for the following examples from Chiyo-ni, Woman Haiku Master, and for the wonderful photo.

rouged lips
forgotten
clear springwater


clear water
no front
no back

this is my favorite of these, I think:

a butterfly
in front and back
of the woman's path

and by Christine:

folded into time

tall cedar groves grow ancient

stones linger eons

aspen leaves float the surface

rainwater to distant sea

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 15: Pets

Scott of Poetic Leanings offers us this week's prompt, pets. Here's his poem to get us started:

Morning eyes open
To find, beside my pillow,
A cute cat waiting

(Copyright SGW 2008)

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 14: Freedom

Linda of Nickers and Ink brings us this week's prompt, freedom. Here is her offering:

All we have of freedom,
All we use or know,
This our fathers bought for us
Long and long ago.

Rudyard Kipling
The Old Issue
(1899)

Memorial Day Poems – Dress Blues
A Rhyme Embossed with Freedom’s Cost

His uniform, it gathers dust,
And yet she keeps it, as she must.
For since she heard the word, bereft,
It’s all of him that she has left.

His many medals, multi-hued,
Recall his image, love renewed.
With pride and sorrow, in his stead,
They form a pillow for her head.

Her love was spilt across the sea
To answer calls for liberty.
Though he’s been gone for many years,
His memory still ties her to tears.

Parades may form, and troops may march,
Processionals of neatest starch.
And they salute the sacrificed,
Who gave beyond what could be priced.

She’ll line her walk with flags again
To honor all the fallen men
And pray for loved ones left alone
With nothing by a granite stone.

She’ll lay some blossoms by his name,
Her loyalty thus to proclaim,
And hold his empty hat again
Until she joins the freedom train.

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Here are two more poems to get you thinking:

into the night a cuckoo returns the call
(Kala Ramesh)

red dragon fly
in the sky of Tsukuba
no cloud
(Masaoka Shiki)

Dove Nest by TeriC of Teri's Painted Daisies

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

• Post your poetry on your blog. This does not need to be today. You can post any time during the week.
  
• Come here and enter your link into Mr. Linky. Other participants can easily find you by clicking your name in Mr. Linky.
• Enjoy the beautiful poems of the other bloggers.
  
• There is a new Mr. Linky each week so you always have to sign up on the current one. Please do not sign your name on Mr. Linky unless you are participating in One Single Impression.
  
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Thank you and enjoy!

Future Prompts

We have had so many ideas for future prompts. Keep them coming! Here is our future:

DATE	PROMPT	Contributor
June 8-14	Pets	Scott the Poet
June 15-21	Transience or permanence	Quiet Paths
June 22-28	Melody	Will Think 4 Wine
June 29 - May 5	Doorway	Amputated Moon
July 6 - 12	Through a window	Over Good Ground
July 13 - 19	Myth	Work of the Poet
July 20 - 26	Rest	The Manic Gardener
July 27 - August 2	Faces	Postcards from the Clouds
August 3 - 9	Folly	Forest River Journal
August 10 - 16	Stairways	Quiet Paths
August 17 - 23	Spectacle	Rooted
August 24 - 30	Homecoming	My Poetic Path
August 31 - September 5	Resolve	Quiet Paths

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The calendar is updated and ready to go:
Click here for the XML link for any RSS reader.
Click here to subscribe in iCal.
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♥ Thank you all so much!
And of course, please e-mail about any errors.

Prompt 13: Reflecting

Gautami Tripathy brings us this week's prompt, reflecting:

In the irises of your eyes I see myself likes of which I hadn't seen before — my soul so luminous your intense love mirroring me. Gautami Tripathy

Here are two more poems to get us started. (Both are from Jane Reichhold's site, Aha Poetry.)

Memorial Day
the honored guests slept
through the parade

***

canning jars
overflowing among the graves
roses

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Call for Prompts

Friends,

Please suggest more prompts for One Single Impression. We like to include a link to the blog of the person who suggests the prompt along with a poem to inspire each of us on our way. Please email your thoughts to us and include a poem or wait to see when the prompt will run and get your poem to us the Friday before.

Thanks for your participation.

Prompt 12: Bleeding

Geraldine Hartman brings us this week's prompt, bleeding:

The Bleeding Hearts

Delicate beauty….
Brilliant passionate hue.
Droplets of tears.
Drawing near to us.
The sweet scents of summer.

The bleeding hearts.
Capturing the essence of beginnings.
Possibilities to ponder.
Nature and self, to renew.

Fragile and fleeting beauty.
As with all hearts.
Brought to fruition by the deep, warm blood.
Slowly seeping;
to nourish and sustain.

the bleeding hearts.
Perfectly framed in tender green.
Captured for the moment.
Once again we savor;
their timely, graceful charms.


(The Bleeding Hearts © 2008 Geraldine H. Hartman. Please visit here blog for a wonderful photo of bleeding hearts.)

Photo: Ria Hills via sxc.hu

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Thank you and enjoy!

Prompt 11: Warm

	Red dragonfly, seeking company, lands on my shoulder. Soseki
A breeze this evening and little waves splash the shins of a blue heron. Buson
	I envy the tom cat: how easily he lets go of love's pain and longing! Etsujin
Burdened with dark thoughts I climbed the hill to find wild roses blooming. Buson

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

• Post your poetry on your blog. This does not need to be today. You can post any time during the week.
  
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Prompt 10: Desert or Deserted

Pam brings us this week's prompt, desert or deserted.

Portent
I am deserted
lonely blackbird in the sky
a single feather
slides across my line of sight
a sign of impending change
(Pamela Olson)

And another one:

Without flowing wine
How to enjoy lovely
Cherry blossoms?
(Anonymous)

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

• Post your poetry on your blog. This does not need to be today. You can post any time during the week.
  
• Come here and enter your link into Mr. Linky. Other participants can easily find you by clicking your name in Mr. Linky.
• Enjoy the beautiful poems of the other bloggers.
  
• There is a new Mr. Linky each week so you always have to sign up on the current one. Please do not sign your name on Mr. Linky unless you are participating in One Single Impression.
  
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Thank you and enjoy!