A Sense of Place: THE SHORE – touch
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 Submit an original unpublished poem (or poems) via our Contact Form by Sunday midnight on the theme of the week, including your name as you would like it to appear, and place of residence.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 – sight
Now we move from the shore to the mountains – if possible, I hope you can be in the mountains, and can actually look around, but failing that, we have our memories and our imaginations…
I look forward to reading your submissions.
A Sense of Place: THE SHORE – touch
waves at the shore –
foam between the fingers
for an instantAngiola Inglese
Here the poet captures a moment and holds it still for us to consider – meanwhile, the waves continue to roll in and out…
waning moon
magnitude 7 quake
alerts tsunamiChristina Chin
Kuching, Sarawak(Breaking news. 7.46pm 05 August 2018 Bali Island 7.0 earthquake.)
An unexpected and interesting take on the theme of the shore and the sense of touch – we share our concern and good wishes for the safety of those in the affected region…
learning to float
my father’s hand
on my backGreer Woodward
Waimea, HI
Perhaps the reader feels a strong, supporting hand under their back as they stare at the sky from this new perspective, possibly even venturing from the shallows to the deep end of the pool…
coastal gale
kite strings fasten
hands to windLamart Cooper
Here is another example where the reader can feel the tug of the kite string in the gusts of wind, without those details being spelled out in the poem…
alone inside a wave
the strange pull
of the undertowLucy Whitehead
Essex, UK
The reader does not need to be a surfer or a swimmer to feel the pull of this poem – we can feel that world inside of the wave…
Here are the rest of my selections for this week:
skinny dipping
the graze of her nipples
under waterAdjei Agyei-Baah
Kumasi, Ghana
icy storm ships hugging the shore
Adrian Bouter
where the butterflies went trailing fingers there
Alan Summers
Wiltshire, England
knee replacement
the silky feel of sand
between my toesAmy Losak
that moment
of hesitation
knee deep in a cold seaandrew shimield
lost love
my hand slips over
a piece of seaweedAndy McLellan
rough sand –
the soft caresses
of your handsAngela Giordano
burning up –
the cool touch
of my mother’s palmAnna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo
jellyfish
a vinegar bottle
half emptyAnthony Rabang
toes in wet sand
working a shift
in gritty sneakersArdelle Hollis Ray
Las Vegas, NV
after she left –
touches of moonlight
on the footprintsarvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
darkening water –
something touches
my legBarbara Kaufmann
swimming with dolphins
I touch another
worldBarbara Tate
shore wind
I shiver at
the thought of waterBlessed Ayeyame
Ughelli, Nigeria
receding wave
the world slips
from under my feetBob Whitmire
Round Pond, Maine
night walk
the company
of a balmy sea breezeBona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
rough waters
the smoothest stone
in the surfC.R. Harper
stretching my arm
outside the rowboat
soft waterlily petalsCarmen Sterba
sand between my toes oyster pearl
carol jones
Wales
napping…
the teak deck warmed
by the noonday sunCarol Raisfeld
low tide
crabs touching
the mooncezar ciobika
buried in hot sand
pirate king feels rising tide
splash him in the faceCharles Harmon
California
seashore
touching your smile
with my lipsChristine Eales
UK
discovery cove
the slick dorsal fin
in my graspClaire Vogel Camargo
don’t touch written all over her face sunburn
Corine Timmer
silky
toadstools and the pond
swell in the forestCraig Kittner
Wilmington, NC
end of beach day
the gritty sand
in my sandalsDebbi Antebi
London, UK
your beach towel
the scratch of sand
against my cheekDeborah P Kolodji
Temple City, California
hot sun on your back
making love in the dunes
a fire through meDianne Moritz
lost dolphin
the laying-on
of handsdl mattila
USA
fisherman in boat
feels giant tentacle
tapping his shoulderErick Harmon (age 10)
Los Angeles, California
Trebbia river
the willows touch
blue waters(The Trebbia is a river predominantly of Liguria and Emilia Romagna in northern Italy.)
Eufemia Griffo
riverbank
the pebbles I put
in my pocketEva Limbach
sandy beach ball
expands with each
deep breathGiedra Kregzdys
Woodhaven, NY
end of winter –
ashore our feet
touch the seaGiovanna Restuccia
Italy
leaving the shore
the first teardrop
on my faceGuliz Mutlu
sea lichen
on my arm
a new tattooHifsa Ashraf
Pakistan
digging in my heels
the give and take
of the tideHolli Rainwater
Fresno, OH USA
pensioners passing time
on the promenade wall –
warmth of old stoneIngrid Baluchi
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia
willingly
I turn my other cheek –
ocean mistJessica Malone Latham
Sonoma County, CA USA
maximum ebb –
all the starfish
clinging to rocksJill Lange
incoming tide
mud squishes up
between my toesJoanne van Helvoort
fading light
the neap tide
slips between our toesJohn Hawkhead
spring water caresses
every part of my body
Crystal LakeJudith Hishikawa
heading home
flip flops shed
the last grains of sandKaren Conrads Wibell
beach party
the feel of my shoes
in my handKath Abela Wilson
Pasadena and Santa Barbara, California
sea breeze
a tide shifts
in meKimberly Esser
Los Angeles
Light rain
at low tide
fresh salt splashesLaurie Greer
Washington DC
after a swim
wrapped in a towel
against the windLori Zajkowski
sea pebbles…
the heat of a sun ray
so smoothciottoli di mare … così liscio il calore /d’un raggio di sole
Lucia Cardillo
Tiny blue jellyfish
Pepper the rolling waves
burn of hot sandm. shane pruett
Indian Ocean
I touch my childhood
on its shoreMadhuri Pillai
rough seas
she wears his old jacket
still holding herMargaret Bissell Walker
September sea
the fiery caress
of a jellyfishMargherita Petriccione
pummeled by waves
nothing but
gritty sand in her shortsMargo Williams
the slither
of a fresh oyster
seaside lunchMarietta McGregor
beach towel
shells with ripples
shells withoutMarilyn Appl Walker
smooth pebbles
skim the surface…
beachcomberMarilyn Ashbaugh
Edwardsburg, MI
fading scar
running my fingers
along the shell’s fractureMark Gilbert
sunbathing
a child places mud pie
on father’s backMarta Chocilowska
pull of the tide –
the slither of seaweed
around my anklesMartha Magenta
England, UK
fragments caught in bladderwrack –
wood and shell
line and hookMary Ellen Gambutti
washed up
the scallop shell’s ridges
press into my palmMelissa Howell
Tennessee, USA
By blue Erie’s shore –
spray from
a boat’s wakemichael ceraolo
South Euclid, Ohio
moultrie creek
feeling the loss
of an eagleMichael Henry Lee
Saint Augustine FL
tag and release –
memories of the seashore
slip through my fingersMichael H. Lester
Los Angeles CA USA
pelting rain…
the young sailor
clutches a steel railMichael Smeer
Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands
lapping waves…
the baby
curls his toesMichele L. Harvey
powerful
drag of rip tide
memoriesMike Gallagher
Ireland
a dragonfly
on the reed –
touch and goMohammad Azim Khan
Pakistan
At the shore
the sun reaching my legs slowly,slowlyMuskaan Ahuja
Chandigarh, India
tidal pool
a sea cucumber lies limp
across my palmNancy Brady
Huron, Ohio
ghost crab
nevertheless
taps the sandNancy Shires
caressing waves
slowly subdue the anguish…
alien shoresNatalia Kuznetsova
Russia
summer holiday –
a seaweed slides
on my armNazarena Rampini
Italy
beach massage…
the warm caress
of the windOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
pebble beach
reflexology
freePat Davis
Pembroke, NH USA
finding the body
sodden wrinkled skin
scoured by sandPauline O’Carolan
reaching sea and sky starfish
Peggy Bilbro
Huntsville, Alabama
forever floating…
the caress of lost souls
at seaPeter Jastermsky
late-winter tide –
she has goosebumps
where my hands long to goPhilip Whitley
Greenville, SC
waist-deep
hoping that soft flutter
is a fishPris Campbell
summer fling
the seaweed’s
slippery kissRachel Sutcliffe
starfish
in the palm of her hand
no grip leftRandy Brooks
straining sand
between his fingers
talking to a girlRehn Kovacic
first autumn day…
a sea duck faintly touches
the wavesRéka Nyitrai
starfish shore
the baby touches
her reflectionRoberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland
the brief caress of a moon jelly lingering burn
Robin Smith
baker beach badlands –
the slippery feel
of serpentine rockrobyn brooks
usa
beach reggae
the feel of skin
on skinRon C. Moss
Tasmania, Australia
St. Pete
waves push and pull
4th down and inchesRonald K. Craig
Batavia, OH USA
spring lake
its icy grip
on our anklesRuth Powell
scratchy hotel towel
under my cheek
beach napSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA
long beach walks
hot sand, sharp shells
shoe-leather feetShandon Land
stranded jellyfish
running my fingers
round baldnesssimonj
UK
salvo of sea drops
fall on me –
a dog shakes itselfSlobodan Pupovac
Zagreb, Croatia
autumn sea
the hands wipe off salt
from her creasesSrinivasa Rao Sambangi
Hyderabad, India
patterns in the sand
some of my childhood
between my toesStephen A. Peters
walking side by side
on the boardwalk where we met
I squeeze your handSusan Rogers
Los Angeles, CA, USA
rough waves
the smoothness of sea glass
in my palmTerri French
water sloshes
against my children’s ankles
first beach visitTia Haynes
the feel of your skin
dusted in finely grained sand
gently brushed awayTim Heaney
Atlanta, Ga.
a butterfly
on her belly on the beach –
she still didn’t noticeTomislav Maretic
new moon…
tides wash away
our traceTsanka Shishkova
iced-over lake
fingers numbing
inside my glovesValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
high tide
my fingers find the gap
between hisVandana Parashar
at low tide
slipping on rocks
summer seaVictor Ortiz
Bellingham, WA
sunrise
sound of rays
touching breakersVishnu Kapoor
The flinty beach stone
a good luck charm in my pocket
has a rough edgeWill Nixon
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 71 Comments
Comments are closed.
Going through the five senses has been an incredible journey. It has been a great learning experience, which we are all going to do again! So thank you Kathy.
Thanks to Alan as well.
Thanks Christine!
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It’s Kathy brainchild, and it’s delightfully addictive! 🙂
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warm regards,
Alan
thanks to you both!
Thank you Kathy for including my verse in this collection and for the additional commentary! I enjoyed reading all the sense of shore haiku and have read many several times to improve my own writing. Thanks to Alan for all the additional commentary throughout this experience and I look forward to the mountains…
Thanks Lamart, and it’s been great to see you back! Still a few days left to submit some work to Cattails: http://www.cattailsjournal.com/submissions.html
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Putting on my Presidential hat on. 😉
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warm regards,
Alan
thanks for this, Lamart!
Dear KJ, thank you for this incredible series of challenges!
thanks for this, Tsanka!
I haven’t been around for some time but enjoyed every week’s selections and commentaries.
good work, Kathy and everyone 🙂
thank you Polona!
Thank you, Kathy and Alan. What a wonderful variety of poems this week! There are many poems to love. It’s been a pleasure reading each one and the comments.
Thanks Corine! 🙂
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Kathy has created such a wonderful feature I am compelled to acknowledge as many people’s wonderful contributions as I can, including your’s! 🙂
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warm regards,
Alan
thanks to you both!
I liked best Kath Abela Wilson’s
*
beach party
the feel of my shoes
in my hand
*
– an excellent and insightful twist
Thanks KJ
thanks for this Mark!
My three favorites were:
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skinny dipping
the graze of her nipples
under water
Adjei Agyei-Baah
Kumasi, Ghana
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leaving the shore
the first teardrop
on my face
Guliz Mutlu
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lapping waves…
the baby
curls his toes
Michele L. Harvey
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thanks for sharing, John!
Good morning kj,
As a life long beach goer, it was a pleasure to” wade down” memory lane.Thankyou for including one of my poems . Living in the foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I look forward to the next several weeks.
Thanks again,
A newly enthused rookie poet,
Tim Heaney
thanks for submitting, Tim!
As usual a really interesting selection of poems that flower from the seed on one word: ‘touch’. All the different viewpoints, recollections and sensations caught in a very welcome series of prompts. Thanks kj for sparking the muse.
thanks for this, John!
Thank you Kathy for such a wonderful collection. Special thanks to Alan Summers for his indepth analysis.
thanks arvinder!
Thank you for including one of mine. I have enjoyed reliving experiences through my writing and have also enjoys all the submissions.
thanks for this Margo!
Wow, the Sense of Place theme of THE SHORE and “touch” has really triggered the floodgates, in a positive way:
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What fascinated me is that we don’t often, or at least I don’t think so, talk about “being touched” both in general, and in haiku specifically.
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We expect a poem to take us to a place where we ‘are touched’ but perhaps just lightly in an emotional manner. It’s a difficult area, where we might be okay with a basic sensation, but can we go further and acknowledge we are human, without being seen as ‘too effete”? It’s a difficult one to attempt. But kudos to everyone, we have not been frightened off.
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This one, by Adjei Agyei-Baah, is deeply sensual, perhaps indicating the transition or the in betweeness of innocence and that ‘removal of the fig leaf’?
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skinny dipping
the graze of her nipples
under water
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Adjei Agyei-Baah
Kumasi, Ghana
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Amy brings in our ‘augmentation’ which continues to develop and expand, and in this case, the ‘simple’ replacement of a knee:
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knee replacement
the silky feel of sand
between my toes
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Amy Losak
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It reminds me of how a brilliant NHS operation (not possible under a privately paid method) gave my mother the freedom of a wider life experience). How far do we go in being augumented to obtain quality of life? A thought-provoking approach by Amy.
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that moment
of hesitation
knee deep in a cold sea
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andrew shimield
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Ah, the world in a grain of salt, or more, and from my former experiences, a single moment of hesitation can mean living or dying. An intriuging pairing with a knee joint plunged into the cold sea.
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lost love
my hand slips over
a piece of seaweed
.
Andy McLellan
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Andy McLellan equates a love lost with a hand slipping over a piece of seaweed. If you have experienced both, you’ll recognise this is a briliant pairing of imagery.
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The glass half empty or half full is a common question for a person who is optimistic or otherwise. What of the astringent smell and taste of vinegar and that of a jellyfish? An incredibly intriguing pairing of images, bringing the sensation of touch to a new level.
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jellyfish
a vinegar bottle
half empty
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Anthony Rabang
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after she left –
touches of moonlight
on the footprints
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arvinder kaur
Chandigarh, India
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A simple but powerful opening line making me wonder where the author will take us. We become part of the sensation of moonlight, perhaps our own footprints, or those we might seek to follow.
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swimming with dolphins
I touch another
world
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Barbara Tate
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Some of us strain to go beyond ourselves, and dolphins can be a welcome trigger. In my case it was Humpback Whales, both helping a spotter plane seek out their footprints, and also being an inch away from one part by and part under a small boat. I so wanted to touch the creature that gladly made me feel small instead of a domineering Apex Predator.
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shore wind
I shiver at
the thought of water
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Blessed Ayeyame
Ughelli, Nigeria
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The power of the wind, and being on a shore that shows an almost unearthly powerful volume of water, awesome!
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receding wave
the world slips
from under my feet
.
Bob Whitmire
Round Pond, Maine
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When the earth slips or slides beneath our feet, perhaps we are then mindful we are resting upon a huge body of earth, rock, and water, hurtling around a body of space and stars. What can we reach out and touch in reality?
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rough waters
the smoothest stone
in the surf
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C.R. Harper
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Rough waters, but there’s a smoothness that combines with it, and here we are, in between.
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stretching my arm
outside the rowboat
soft waterlily petals
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Carmen Sterba
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Extending beyond the ‘world’ of our boat, and in between wood and water, waterlilies.
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sand between my toes oyster pearl
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carol jones
Wales
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The sand between our toes is perhaps one of our strongest sensations as a child, discovering an aspect of the world where our landbase is actually very close indeed with a vast body of water (the oceans). Sensations are combined with shells and stones, and perhaps some bladderwrack too!
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low tide
crabs touching
the moon
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cezar ciobika
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The combination, how simple it seems, of low tide, and little creatures touching the moon, is incredibly deeply moving.
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seashore
touching your smile
with my lips
.
Christine Eales
UK
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Deeply sensual, incredibly tactile, and at the seashore, with all the extra sensations of the seaside. Lots of intermingling sensations without (over)stating, as any haiku should avoid.
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don’t touch written all over her face sunburn
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Corine Timmer
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Even without ‘sunburn’ we should respect what are real and obvious signs moving across our faces. I’ve experienced some incredible sunburn, as a teenager, a time where we often don’t know how to switch on commonsense.
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end of beach day
the gritty sand
in my sandals
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Debbi Antebi
London, UK
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Ah, yes, we can never ever completely wash out those grains of salt, even if there is a beach based shower faucet! Great sensory feel here!
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your beach towel
the scratch of sand
against my cheek
.
Deborah P Kolodji
Temple City, California
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There is something deeply personal about our beach towels, with all its aspects of body scent, suntan oils, or sun protection oils, etc…. I can’t tell what the family connection or friend dynamic is here, but something subtly powerful is approached in that wonderful last two lines, made further powerful by ‘your’ beach towel.
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lost dolphin
the laying-on
of hands
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dl mattila
USA
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The laying on of hands can be a powerfully religious statement, and experience, which I’ve felt in various context situations, see my comment of the Humpback whale, but also in a spiritual manner. What is a lost dolphin though? They exist in pods, family groups, what is like to have no family? We have too many children ‘in care’ or in prison, and I could think of those denied by the State, of allowing family comfort.
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fisherman in boat
feels giant tentacle
tapping his shoulder
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Erick Harmon (age 10)
Los Angeles, California
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Wow! Octopus or Squid? Highly intelligent and wonderful, yet we hunt them down and eat them. Thank goodness most of our co-animals don’t do that to us! Perhaps this creature is simply asking ‘Why?”
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riverbank
the pebbles I put
in my pocket
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Eva Limbach
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Simple but wonderful! Or it it? Virginia Woolf did this to kill herself as society we distance ourselves from those suffering from mental health issues. What is it like to prepare to lose our life by design?
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virginia woolf loading stones to kill herself
http://virginiawoolfblog.com/when-virginia-went-missing/
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I feel tearful as we have lost at least two beloved haiku poets to water.
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sea lichen
on my arm
a new tattoo
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Hifsa Ashraf
Pakistan
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Ah, the creatures that adorn us, if only for a moment. Love the tactile moment!
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fading light
the neap tide
slips between our toes
.
John Hawkhead
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Ah, the neap tide between our toes, such a powerful moment, as it’s the circling moon that does that.
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beach party
the feel of my shoes
in my hand
.
Kath Abela Wilson
Pasadena and Santa Barbara, California
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An interesting and highly effective switch of footwear held by our hands, as we connect further with our planet, and with a beer or two, I hope!
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Indian Ocean
I touch my childhood
on its shore
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Madhuri Pillai
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I love the last two lines, and especially up against an ocean, reminding us of our origins perhaps.
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rough seas
she wears his old jacket
still holding her
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Margaret Bissell Walker
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Rough seas, both literally, and metaphorically, where our old jacket (which could be our body in later years) still holds us as we travel our life year by year.
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the slither
of a fresh oyster
seaside lunch
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Marietta McGregor
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I still remember my first oysters, and forever addicted. Perhaps because I was deserted at Christmas time, and all alone in a foreign country. Primordial? Who are you calling a primative! 🙂 A great sensation, for some of us, or deeply disturbing.
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beach towel
shells with ripples
shells without
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Marilyn Appl Walker
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Neat touch of repetition and observation!
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smooth pebbles
skim the surface…
beachcomber
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Marilyn Ashbaugh
Edwardsburg, MI
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To be Robinson Crusoe, with just one close companion perhaps?
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fading scar
running my fingers
along the shell’s fracture
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Mark Gilbert
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The switch between one raised carapace (poetic license) and another. Great comparision of sensations. And do we not bleed?
That’s an allusion to the great play about prejudice called ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
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sunbathing
a child places mud pie
on father’s back
.
Marta Chocilowska
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Another great sensation, that of the mudpie on our back, expected or otherwise!
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pull of the tide –
the slither of seaweed
around my ankles
.
Martha Magenta
England, UK
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The two sensations, that of the tide’s pull (the pull of our orbiting moon also) and the shifting, turning, and pulling back of seaweed. Wonderful, or disturbing, take your pick!
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fragments caught in bladderwrack –
wood and shell
line and hook
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Mary Ellen Gambutti
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Wonderful, I mentioned bladderwrack earlier! Great word choice!
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moultrie creek
feeling the loss
of an eagle
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Michael Henry Lee
Saint Augustine FL
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Fascinating contrasting images. Was this the awesome Sea eagle? But no, this is the time of a treaty between new European peoples and Native Americans. Was it honored? When we touch other cultures, do we not bleed or make others bleed. Deeply though provoking.
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tag and release –
memories of the seashore
slip through my fingers
.
Michael H. Lester
Los Angeles CA USA
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The use of the verb ‘slips’ is deeply moving and emotive.
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pelting rain…
the young sailor
clutches a steel rail
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Michael Smeer
Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands
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The sensation of steel, especially in cold wet weather, is very distinctive, as I recall in a Force 8 Gale on a tiny ship.
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reaching sea and sky starfish
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Peggy Bilbro
Huntsville, Alabama
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Wonderful monoku (one line haiku)!
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summer fling
the seaweed’s
slippery kiss
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Rachel Sutcliffe
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Wonderful play on ‘kiss’!
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starfish
in the palm of her hand
no grip left
.
Randy Brooks
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Starfishes are so iconic as the water reflects the stars, and we call our craft that go into deep space as ‘ships’, and we hope our grip on all things stay firm.
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straining sand
between his fingers
talking to a girl
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Rehn Kovacic
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An intriguing verse, using the device of ‘two “ings”’ and whether the opportunity to talk intelligently to another gender is lost or won.
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first autumn day…
a sea duck faintly touches
the waves
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Réka Nyitrai
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Delightful light play which recalls Basho’s famous hokku (not a haiku, he never wrote one in his lifetime) of:
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海暮れて鴨の声ほのかに白し
.
umi kurete kamo no koe honoka ni shiroshi
.
darkening sea-
the cries of wild ducks
faintly white
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Trans. Sonia Coman
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How we can all connect with something greater than ourselves and in the smallest way?
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starfish shore
the baby touches
her reflection
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Roberta Beary
County Mayo Ireland
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Wonderful first line! Isn’t it amazing when creatures are fascinated by reflections, not yet knowing, at first, they are seeing themselves for the first time?
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the brief caress of a moon jelly lingering burn
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Robin Smith
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I’ve never been stung by a jelly fish despite living in Queensland, Australia. How we are burnt by passing interactions, human or otherwise, I flinch from my memories as a young and insensitive male.
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stranded jellyfish
running my fingers
round baldness
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simonj
UK
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Great coupling of images!
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patterns in the sand
some of my childhood
between my toes
.
Stephen A. Peters
.
.
Wonderful phrasing!
.
.
a butterfly
on her belly on the beach –
she still didn’t notice
.
Tomislav Maretic
.
Beautifully observed.
.
.
.
.
high tide
my fingers find the gap
between his
.
Vandana Parashar
.
.
Deeply romantic!
.
.
Wow, what a journey through the arena of ‘touch’!
.
.
warm regards,
Alan
It’s very generous of you, Alan, to share your comments and impressions. Thank you very much!
Love,
Marta
Thank you Marta, I wish I could spend more time on every single poem too! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your comments on my poem. Greatly appreciated!!
Rehn
My pleasure and honour. You used to great effect those two ‘ing’ words adding resonance and openness to the reader.
Hi Alan
Thank you for the comment on my verse, much appreciated 🙂
I know its been said before, your write-up’s are of immense value, I can liken the reading to being in a class room, many thanks.
*
carol
Thank you Carol! It’s wonderful to see so many haiku on a single theme, great credit to everyone involved, and to Kathy! 🙂
thanks as always, Alan, for your insight & generosity, & to all the others for the comments here – just quickly want to mention re: Anthony Rabang – jellyfish paired with vinegar – I googled this to learn that vinegar is effective with stings… in case anyone has that misfortune!
Kathy, you are so right, I forgot that one. I’ve been lucky to have never been stung by jellyfish, despite the fact they’ve been prevalent in Queensland waters. Vinegar is a wonder liquid for household chores, which I use almost every day, including the occasionally burnt pan! 🙂
Kathy, this column has inspired me to write new haiku every week. Thank-you for being my muse and for including one of mine this week.
wonderful to hear, Valentina – thanks for this!
Another delightful arrangement of poems, congratulations everyone 🙂
Many thanks Kathy for including one of mine. This session has been a wonderful experience.
I’m looking forward to reading your choices and commentaries next week.
thanks for these kind words, carol!
Thanks, Kathy. My favourites this week:
digging in my heels
the give and take
of the tide
Holli Rainwater
Fresno, OH USA
spring lake
its icy grip
on our ankles
Ruth Powell
heading home
flip flops shed
the last grains of sand
Karen Conrads Wibell
It’s been fun to experience the shore through all five senses 😊
thanks for sharing this Lisa!
thanks for including my haiku among your choices, beautiful selection
thanks for this Angela!
Another great selection to read – the one that stays with me this time is Greer Woodward’s “learning to float” Thanks for including mine.
thanks for sharing & for submitting, Pat!
Thanks, Pat. I’m glad you liked my haiku. Kathy’s assignment brought back this sweet memory which was fun to revisit. Thanks, Kathy
thank you Greer!
Oh, Katy, I’m really excited about this new choice with your comment. I’m born at the sea and I always live by the sea in winter, it’s so beautiful. I have read many beautiful haiku in this selection, congratulations to all the participants
angiola
thanks for your kind words, Angiola!
I am thrilled to have one of my haiku included here, Kathy, thank you. I too love Greer Woodward’s that you commented on. That feeling of your dad’s hand on your back as you are learning to swim – will he take it away or won’t he? I also particularly enjoyed the haiku by Will Nixon, Terri French, Randy Brooks, Pat Davis and Deb Kolodji. Many, many here to savor. Looking forward to mountains now, as I live in the mountains.
thanks so much for sharing, Sari!
Thanks, Sari!
Greer
Thanks so much Kathy and thanks for the comment. Wonderful selection this week! Congratulations everyone. I don’t have much experience of mountains but am looking forward to the challenge and the change of scenery.
thanks for this Lucy!
Thank you Kathy. Loved everyone’s takes on the shore theme. Looking forward (or upward) to mountains!
Best,
Robin
thanks Robin!
Dear Kathy,
Greetings! Going through the wonderful collections. Glad to know mountains are
coming up.
with regards
S.Radhamani
thanks for your kind words, S.Radhamani!
Thank you so much, Kathy. This has been a delightful experience. I’ve printed it out and intend to spend the afternoon with some wonderful poets. Thanks everyone for sharing and caring.
wonderful Barbara!
Thanks Kathy for including mine.
I especially liked what Bob Whitmire wrote:
.
receding wave
the world slips
from under my feet
.
thanks for this, Joanne!
Squishy mud and gritty toes . . . what a variety this round, some amusing, and this one, which I found sad, even after researching the verb used by dl mattila:
.
lost dolphin
the laying-on
of hands
.
So pleased that mountains are coming up next, and thank you, kj, for choosing one of my shoreline feelies.
thanks for sharing this, Ingrid!
Thanks so much Kathy, your empathy for the quake casualties and those affected is very much appreciated.
Congratulations everyone for this week’s wonderful selection!
Thank you so much for commentary! 💕
Have a great week ahead,
still thinking of you & your part of the world with news of yet another quake – stay safe!
Thanks Kathy for including mine in this collection of “touching” haiku. Loved Martha Magenta’s slithery kelp. Reminded me of being in Lake Michigan oh so long ago. Excellent haiku all. Now to pack for the mountains.
thanks for sharing, Nancy!
Thank you very much, Kathy, for including mine, I am glad it was this one 🙂
Best wishes
marta
thanks Marta!
Thanks kjmunro for adding one of my to this tasty collections. I have really enjoyed being at the shore and look forward to the new challenge!
thanks for this!