A Sense of Place: MOUNTAIN – hearing
A Sense of Place
In his essay ‘So:ba’, given at the International Haiku Conference (SUNY Plattsburgh, NY, 2008) and published serially in Frogpond, Jim Kacian discusses the concept of ba:
“If you look up ba in any Japanese-English Dictionary you’ll find it means “place” or “site” or “occasion”. And these are all true in the most general sense—ba is a pointer to a kind of awareness that something of importance is happening in time and space.”
So here we are…
In the following weeks we will get back to haiku basics and explore specific locations with an emphasis on the senses, and with the intention of improving our own haiku practice. Ideally, participants will select an actual location that they can visit, or a location from memory that they have visited in the past. Failing that, we always have our imaginations – and you’re invited to join in the fun! Submit an original unpublished poem (or poems) via our Contact Form by Sunday midnight on the theme of the week, including your name as you would like it to appear, and place of residence. I will select from these for the column, and add commentary.
next week’s theme: MOUNTAIN – smell
We remain in the mountains – if possible, the same actual mountains as in previous weeks – but now we explore the sense of smell…
I look forward to reading your submissions.
A Sense of Place: MOUNTAIN – hearing
There are many historical and geographical references this week – thank you poets – I am learning new things! A reminder to please use the Contact Form to submit, and thank you for including your place of residence (every time!) and your name as you would like it to appear…
at the summit
the song
of a skylarkMark Gilbert
Of all birds, how appropriate that we find, at the top of the mountain, a bird that is described as one that sings as it flies high in the air…
Zabriskie Point
the hills return the
complimentMichael Henry Lee
In this poem, the reader can complete the poem by filling in the missing information – that someone has complimented the hills, perhaps with a yodel…
high in the mountains
my footsteps
and IRachel Sutcliffe
Here readers may find themselves alone on a trail, with only the sound of their own feet – and do note that the actual sound that the feet are making is not mentioned in this poem…
mountain
its silence
deafeningStephen A. Peters
Sound and the lack of sound can be equally successful in haiku… in this poem, the reader might experience the overwhelming awe that can be inspired by the natural world…
Here are the rest of my selections for this week:
first, lava eruption
the second loudest
silenceAJ Anwar
Jakarta, Indonesia
mountaintop
running through my spine –
the cry of an eagleAdjei Agyei-Baah
Kumasi, Ghana
mountain camp
the crackling fire
between usAdrian Bouter
red cliffs descend
into the rocky abyss…
an eagle’s screechAl Gallia
Lafayette, Louisiana USA
Atlas foothills…
bees jostle pickers
for saffronAlan Summers
brecon beacons
a hundred rivulets
trickling to a streamandrew shimield
Mount Snowdon
through damp mist
the squeak of bootsAndy McLellan
long climb
the noisy beat
of my heartlunga salita
il battito rumoroso
del mio cuoreAngiola Inglese
cabin night
with windows open
creek songAnn Schwader
mountains of sorrow –
the Alpini choir sings
of a lost love **The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I. They are also famous in Italy for their songs and choirs.
Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo
breathing deeply the sound of nearby waterfall
Anthony Rabang
on the mountain
one crow calls
two crows answerArdelle Hollis Ray
Las Vegas, NV
fireflies…
the twinkle of silence
in the valleyarvinder kaur
mountain silence
covering a dead monarch
with a leafBarbara Kaufmann
NY
primal urge
a coyote’s cry
to the hunter’s moonBarbara Tate
Winchester, TN
mountain view
a raven’s cry replays
in my mindBlessed Ayeyame
Ughelli, Nigeria
soaking overheated
feet the low murmur
of a mountain streamBob Whitmire
Round Pond, Maine
day trek
a babbling mountain brook
leads us back to the trailBona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
Rainier
this squall calling out
to the soundC.R. Harper
a distant col
echoing the sound of
nothingCarol Dilworth
heading for home
across a night black mountain…
a sheep coughscarol jones
Wales
mountain peak
a hawk call
fills the gapscezar ciobika
logging trucks…
another mountain
loses its voiceChad Lee Robinson
Pierre, SD, USA
Scottish Highlands
is that keening a banshee
or just bagpipes?Charles Harmon
Los Angeles, California, USA
Zermatt night
the boom of footsteps
on wooden floorChristina Chin
carrying
my warning away
mountain windChristina Sng
alone
on the mountain
singing WagnerChristine Eales
UK
skiers whoosh
down snowy slopes
around meClaire Vogel Camargo
last ski run –
the glacier
cracks and growlsCorine Timmer
old cabin window
slowly waking to the sound
of the mountain springCraig Kittner
Wilmington, NC
mountain power –
my scream and echo
self-healingDanijela Grbelja
Sibenik, Croatia
climbing the mountain pass
a dog barking
an echo barkingDavid Gale
Gloucester, UK
carrying my voice
to the other side
mountain windDebbi Antebi
London, UK
our decision
at the tree-line
distant thunderDeborah P Kolodji
Temple City, California
(inspired by Great Basin National Park, Nevada)
thunder clouds
mountain in half-light
fills up with windDevin Harrison
Maroon Bells
mirrored in Maroon Lake
cool waters rippledianne moritz
mountaintop –
silence
of a new dawnEngin Gülez
Ankara, Turkey
summer solstice
the call of a buzzard
on Amiata mountMount Amiata is located about 20 km northwest of Lake Bolsena in the southern Tuscany region of Italy.
Eufemia Griffo
heavy breathing
before the summit
rustled leavesFrank J. Tassone
intruder!
mountain marmots
talking about meGarry Eaton
the twang of
lovesick heart strings –
mountaintop barGiedra Kregzdys
Woodhaven, NY
the waterfall
beyond the curve
he whispersGiovanna Restuccia
Italy
the conversation
of a double-tiered
waterfallGreer Woodward
Waimea, Hawaii
eagle’s cry
trembling shadows
of the mountGuliz Mutlu
Mount Nimrod, Turkey
alpine pasture
nothing but the sound
of a scytheHelga Stania
wind chimes the cascading waterfall
Hifsa Ashraf
Pakistan
mountain dawn
practicing his doodle-doo
novice village roosterIngrid Baluchi
mountain peaks
a tourist shouts
into the silence(Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia)
Isabel Caves
Auckland, New Zealand
mountain road
the artist who works
with dynamiteJean LeBlanc
Newton, New Jersey, USA
mountain stream
the eternal squeaks
of a prayer wheelJoanne van Helvoort
we stand silent
on the mountainside –
the raven’s mating callJohn S Green
Bellingham, WA
mountain pass
the echoes
of nobodyJohn Hawkhead
clear bright air
the mountain
says everything twiceKath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California
mountain bluebird
chirrup chirrup
greets sunriseKathleen Mazurowski
Chicago, IL
a hoot owl joins
our a capella group
campfire songsKimberly Esser
Los Angeles, CA
Blue Ridge
hearing an owl
call its nameLaurie Greer
Washington, D.C.
alpine meadow
the wind’s song measured
by my heartbeatLiz Ann Winkler
hearing myself
in the silence
of the mountainsLori Zajkowski
endless space…
the mountain answers
to our voicesspazio infinito … la montagna risponde /alle nostre voci
Lucia Cardillo
mountain monastery
mantras meet me
on the windLucy Whitehead
Essex, UK
babbling voices
laughter in the valley
a distant waterfallm. shane pruett
mountain temple
pine trees bend
to the sound of OMMadhuri Pillai
the soughing of wind
in the pines reminds me
of Mount FujiMarcyn Clements
“S” curve
a car horn
in the fogMargaret Walker
Lincoln, NE, USA
rock church
the refreshing ticking
of a small sourceMargherita Petriccione
surrounded by
the roar of wildfire
the trees at full attentionMargo Williams
Stayton, Oregon
mountaintop storm
crackles of static
in our hairMarietta McGregor
afternoon mist
the bleating of the herd
as we climb downMarina Bellini
sunlit stream tumbling into foothill laughter
Marion Clarke
Warrenpoint (Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland)
Aberfan
the silent cries
of childrenNote: In memory of Aberfan – the site of a disaster in S. Wales where colliery slag tipped on a mountain collapsed killing 116 children and 28 adults.
Martha Magenta
England, UK
snowy peaks
ringing silence
we scatter ashesMeg Arnot
London, UK
whispers of romance –
pop of a champagne bottle
on the mountaintopMichael H. Lester
Los Angeles CA USA
distant thunder
the mountain stream
takes a fallMichael Smeer
Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands
unfazed
by the roar of the wind
mountain cascadeMichele L. Harvey
reverberating
into silence
a dislodged rockMike Gallagher
Ireland
mountain breeze
the sound of
swaying pinesMohammad Azim Khan
Pakistan
mountain mist
the plop of drops
through the canopyNancy Brady
Huron, Ohio, USA
alpine pastures
cowbells’ distant toll…
nothing elseNatalia Kuznetsova
Russia
precipice
a marmot’s
piercing whistleOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
mountaintops
I catch myself talking
to creationPat Davis
Pembroke, NH USA
high mountains
the clamour of bells
on the Nakasendo WayPauline O’Carolan
late August storm
hung up on the mountain top
rumbles of complaintPeggy Bilbro
mountain burial
an echo of vultures
snapping the bonesPeter Jastermsky
across the valley –
a whippoorwill calls
to its own echoPhilip Whitley
marmot whistle
a ripple runs
through alpine grassPolona Oblak
Ljubljana, Slovenia
last climb silence seeps through rustling pines
Pris Campbell
mountain top
oaken flutes
all melodyRadhamani sarma
Chennai
mountain echo
the dungeon
of my egoRadostina Dragostinova
Bulgaria
a temple bell
sounds through the pines
dark-eyed juncoRandall Herman
Victoria, TX
mountain top view
the only sound
my heartRandy Brooks
her words lost
in the breeze
mountain hikeRehn Kovacic
mountain pond –
in her cupped hands
yesterday’s raindrops burblingRéka Nyitrai
sacred mountain
drivers argue over
the last spotRoberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland
a steam trumpet’s wail
ahead of the train –
swiss alps at duskrobyn brooks
usa
sky cabin
the creak of snow
about to moveRon C. Moss
Tasmania, Australia
Black Hills climb
far ahead
a mountain goat bleatsRonald K. Craig
Batavia, OH USA
like music –
the rustling of the wind
in the leavesRosa Maria Di Salvatore
waking
to the rumble
of an avalancheRuth Powell
thunderstorms echo
across the Catskill Mountains
Rip Van Winkle wakesSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA
coastal cliff
twilight absorbs
the noise of wavesSerhiy Shpychenko
Kyiv, Ukraine
via ferrata
the sound of the empire
striking backsimonj
UK
morning walk
across a mountain pasture
moo…Slobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
eastern ghat
a long train splits
the silenceSrinivasa Rao Sambangi
Hyderabad, India
temple bell
ears tensely upright
valley gazing cowSudebi Singha
India
twilight hush
from somewhere on the mountain
the sound of a fluteSusan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA, USA
mountainside picnic
I struggle to understand
her accentTia Haynes
Lakewood, Ohio, USA
mountaintop
all I hear
is your breathTiffany Shaw-Diaz
holly mountain –
my voice comes back
after a pauseTomislav Maretic
Click clack clack click
cog railroad ascends at last
Pikes PeakTrilla Pando
alpine hut…
after urban noise
starry silenceTsanka Shishkova
mountain hike –
tales of Sasquatch
growing tallerValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
trekking
my heart beat louder
than the howling windsVandana Parashar
the pop, pop, pause
rhythm of a Harley
mountain passVictor Ortiz
Bellingham, WA
serene summits
wanton wind stirs
the silenceVishnu Kapoor
mountain trail
the soothing waterfall
streams nearbyWilfredo Bongcaron
Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada and an Associate Member of the League of Canadian Poets. She recently co-edited an anthology of crime-themed haiku called Body of Evidence: a collection of killer ’ku.
This Post Has 49 Comments
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These poems take me to another place each week. Thank you for the opportunity to travel to the mountains these last few weeks.
A wonderful set of poems and I’m honoured to be included amongst them. Thank you all poets and thank you kj for all your work on the blog and for publishing the first ever haiku I submitted! I have learned a lot from reading the selections and will be back for more.
thanks so much for sharing this, Meg – it means a lot to me that people are enjoying & learning from this feature!
Ms. Munro, Thank you very much for including my submission in this awesome group of haiku about hearing. I am very appreciative.
thanks for submitting, Al, & for sharing this!
What is it about the sound of water high in the mountains that is so appealing? That wild music always moves me deeply. Glad to be sharing with all of you. Thanks, kj.
my pleasure, Craig – thanks for sharing this
Thank you for including my verse in this wonderful selection
thanks as always for submitting, Margherita!
Thank you Kathy and Lisa!
thanks for submitting, Christine!
Very beautiful verses, congrats at all!
thanks for this, Alessandra!
Thanks KJ for including mine and your comments
my pleasure, Mark – thanks as always for submitting!
Thanks, KJ!
A great collection as always….
and it is such a pleasant way to honor, remember, and write about the priceless, precious moments in my life, as well as others.
thanks for sharing this, Dianne!
Lovely sounds! My favourites this week:
*
alone
on the mountain
singing Wagner
*
Christine Eales
*
clear bright air
the mountain
says everything twice
*
Kath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California
UK
thanks so much for sharing this, Lisa!
Thank-you Kathy for once again including one of mine.
thanks for submitting, Valentina!
Dear Kathy,
Warm greetings, Sat down to go through all wonderful gems of creativity. I feel humbled and thanking you for selecting mine . Looking forward every Wednesday -new set of topics
with regards
S.Radhamani
thanks for this!
Another marvellous selection of poems, a delight to read one and all, but there is one, a special one –
*
Aberfan
the silent cries
of children
*
Martha Magenta
*
Many thanks for including my verse, Kathy, much appreciated.
thanks for sharing this, Carol!
Congratulations su all!
thanks Monica!
Reading through I felt like I was travelling across a majestic and varied mountain landscape. I really heard it speak. Thank you all.
wonderful! thanks for sharing this!
Remarkable poems from remarkable poets. Thank you each and every one. kj–you’re a gem!!!!
thanks for this Barbara!
Thank you, Kathy Munro! Thank you for the miracle of your Wednesday! It’s my honor to be one of the authors.
thanks for submitting Tsanka!
Thank you for including mine. It is close to our daily activities as we live near mountains that often have forest fires. Even now as the smoke haze covers our area daily it is a reminder of the fires that are local and far away that are ravaging our forests. My salute to the trees!
What a wonderful set of haiku to be published with! Thank you KJ
thanks so much for this, Margo!
Congratulation to all, and thank you for including mine in this beautiful selection, KJ. [Now I know which. 🙂 ]
thanks for submitting, AJ!
Echoes, beating hearts and wind-blown words – so much to enjoy up in these mountains. Some sad ones too, to bring us up short: Martha’s ‘silent cries’, and Margot Williams’ ‘trees at full attention’.
.
We humans need to be inspired and awed by nature in the way Pat Davis finds herself ‘talking to creation’, and experience John Hawkhead’s ‘echoes of nobody’, to remind us of our place.
.
kj, thank you again for including one of mine from the Balkan region.
thanks so much for sharing this, Ingrid!
What a collection. I can hear the sounds of birds, animals, and silence through the rustling trees. Thanks, Kathy, for including one of mine.
thanks for this, Nancy!
Thanks Kate for inserting my haiku in the selection, I read some very beautiful verses, congratulations to all 🙂
I liked yours, which brings out the connection between us and the land ….
Thanks Mark, congratulations to you for your larking song
& thanks for sharing, Mark!
thanks for this Angiola!
Terrific set of poem!
Or even terrific set of poems! 🙂
thanks Alan!