Sore muscles, or: Sore losers

A haibun

I, like much of the world, cannot get my mind off of Vladimir Putin’s recent and most hubristic of follies: attacking Russia’s neighbor Ukraine. The new, emerging global realignment portends a dreadful reality for all of humanity, but especially for Putin’s own country; and I cringe inwardly as I write this, for my wife’s entire family lives there. Due to the recently imposed Western sanctions, the Russian ruble has completely collapsed. Millions of Russian families’ life savings have been vaporized.

Honestly, I am stricken with fear at the potential consequences of this insane, horrible, utterly unnecessary war. Yes, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine certainly demands a harsh response; and, yes, Ukraine should receive all freedom-loving countries’ full support. However, what might we reasonably expect to happen when a madman with control over nearly half of the world’s nuclear arsenal is backed into a corner?

adrenaline-warmth
fades upon cold mountain peak
above opaque clouds

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d’Verse Haibun Monday: Cold Mountain

At d’Verse, poets were encouraged to write a haibun on either one of the following options:

1. A Cold Mountain: the towering heights, frigid temperatures, majestic views, or existential challenges of a mountain. You could even go metaphorical, describing the cold mountain of overwhelming circumstances, or how we make mountains out of mole hills.
2. The Cold Mountain: a haibun that follows the influence of Hanshan (Cold Mountain), with his immediacy, concern for humanity, and deep devotion to nature.

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Shay’s Word Garden Word List #15

Poets were prompted to use at least 3 of the following 20 words provided in an original poem:

ail; annotation; blossoms; bright; butterflies; cherish; dreadful; ebb; ferry; follies; forget; idiot; lily; lovely; margin; quarrel; rhododendron; stricken; swans; winter

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Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!