HAIKU DIALOGUE – Finding peace and contemplation… in quiet spaces… on a pilgrimage
Finding peace and contemplation… in quiet spaces with Guest Editor Marietta McGregor
At times in our lives, fast-moving events of our day-to-day existence may become overwhelming. Between work and family responsibilities, daily needs and doomscrolling, days rush by in a breakneck blur and we sometimes end the week with a sense of ‘where did that go?’ We’re surrounded by the wonders of our shared universe. Maybe it’s time to become immersed in the enjoyment of one aspect of this spectacular world which amazes, delights and refreshes us. We can marvel at the night sky or clouds by day, cheer a ladybug as it climbs a twig and opens its wings, dangle our feet in a cool river, rest in a tree’s benevolent shade, stroke velvety green moss, smell ozone freshness at the coast, crunch through frosty grass, listen to morning birdsong, taste a last autumn apple. Small pauses in quotidian life may be devoted to living slower, using every sense, and sharing our pleasure through poetry. Simple gifts.
Each week for the next few weeks there will be a photographic prompt on the theme of ‘Finding peace and contemplation. . .’ with images capturing moments when we might seek inspiration if the going gets tough. I look forward to reading your personal response to the moments you’ve discovered.
next week’s theme: … far from crowds
Most of us have not been travelling much over the past couple of years. Being obliged to stay home has led to a re-evaluation of our own environment. We’ve found unexpected pleasures in hidden corners of our hometowns which we may not have previously considered visiting. Now the world is re-setting itself. Planes are flying again, suitcases are being dusted off, passports renewed. If the pandemic has a lesson for me, it’s to spend more time looking around my immediate surroundings, before I hanker for faraway places. Still, there’s a definite frisson of excitement to be found in turning a corner of a quiet pedestrian alley to find a little dress shop and a beckoning flight of stairs leading to who knows where. Looking forward to your haiku inspired by places far from the madding crowd.
The deadline is midnight Eastern Daylight Time, Saturday April 02, 2022.
Please use the Haiku Dialogue submission form below to enter one or two original unpublished haiku inspired by the week’s theme, and then press Submit to send your entry. (The Submit button will not be available until the Name, Email, and Place of Residence fields are filled in.) With your poem, please include any special formatting requirements & your name & residence as you would like it to appear in the column. A few haiku will be selected for commentary each week. Please note that by submitting, you agree that your work may appear in the column – neither acknowledgment nor acceptance emails will be sent. All communication about the poems that are posted in the column will be added as blog comments.
below is Marietta’s commentary for on a pilgrimage:
Another great week of poetry. I’m constantly amazed by the universality of poetic experience; I’ll read a haiku about a way of seeing and noting an ephemeral moment, and then, immediately afterwards into my inbox another poem arrives from half a world away, its essence reflecting a similar moment, differently expressed. I don’t sequence each week’s poems – except for those I comment on, the selection is in the order in which haiku were submitted. Thank you everyone for taking me with you on your contemplative journeys to many different times, spaces and places. I feel grateful to be part of such a rich global haiku community. Thanks to all at The Haiku Foundation for our continuing Haiku Dialogue.
pilgrims’ refuge—
in my baggage an apple
from homeEva Limbach
Germany
Along a pilgrimage way, the poet has carried an extra small burden. Perhaps the apple was tucked into a backpack as an afterthought, either by the poet or a friend or relative, and now is a comforting link with a familiar place.
a photo’s journey . . .
across the universe
in utter silenceMark Meyer
Mercer Island WA USA
I read this haiku shortly after watching Professor Brian Cox’s BBC program on the ice worlds of Uranus and Neptune. Data that Voyager 2 transmitted to Earth gave new insights into planetary topography. This haiku encapsulates the enormity of our universe. In L3 the emphasis of “in utter silence” adds mystery. There is no fanfare like that of Richard Strauss’s “Also sprach Zarathustra” to make our neck hair stand on end, but as that image zips across the void, still we feel the wonder.
El Camino—
far from the sea
I collect shellsJenny Shepherd
London
Set into pavements or on walls and bridge railings along pilgrim routes you’ll often find bronze scallop shell shapes. I think the poet walking the route is gathering shells one by one in their mind as they move along the way.
p . . . i . . . . . l . . g . . . . . . r . . . i . . . . m . . . . . a . . . g . . . . e
Sharon Martina
Warrenville, IL
An interesting concrete haiku, this one. The varying gaps between letters evoke scattered groups and individuals on a journey, the periods perhaps symbolising the roughness of a gravel path.
shaman’s cave
the narrow space
between worldsCynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
This haiku opens with a cave where those entrusted with arcane cultural knowledge gather to commune with spirits. These practises would often involve an altered state of consciousness. One imagines a cramped and secret entry so that the transition from one state to another can be hidden from the uninitiated. The “narrow space” not only signifies physical movement from earthly light to cryptic dark, but also a shaman’s tenuous connection with the underworld.
& here are the rest of the selections:
as we gather
our breaths . . .
passing cloudsTeji Sethi
India
albatross . . .
at the war memorial
a forgotten caneRandall Herman
Victoria, Texas
yatra . . .
grandpa leaves behind
his wooden sandals(yatra means pilgrimage)
R. Suresh babu
India
labyrinth
slowly going nowhere
I find the waymarilyn ashbaugh
gulf stream, florida
each bowed face
flickers with candle light
peace rallyRandy Brooks
United States
spring stroll . . .
at the guard rail
a bunch of rosesDeborah Karl-Brandt
Bonn, Germany
Cathedral Woods
the silence within
the silence withoutKristen Lindquist
Camden, Maine, USA
pilgrimage
more light than shadow
along the wayStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
prayer
in the temple of redwoods
bluebirdsSeretta Martin
San Diego, CA, USA
overcast sky
the wild flutter
of prayer flagsRavi Kiran
India
travelling
I accompany the moon
until I arriveVincenzo Adamo
Italy
sunset point . . .
carrying over my darkness
to the darkLakshmi Iyer
India
pilgrimage
first step
the last stepVijay Prasad
Patna, India
pilgrimage—
does my brother hear
our prayerAljoša Vuković
Šibenik, Croatia
wildflower path
leading me back
to myselfLori Kiefer
London, U.K.
port to port the sea my sacred place
Pris Campbell
US
complete,
a lifelong journey . . .
river’s sourceChristopher Seep
Ballwin, MO
tapping out
the steps of Kūkai—
walking staffStephen J. DeGuire
Los Angeles, CA
temple steps
the girl selling flowers
gives me a bright smileAnitha Varma
Keral, India
between homes . . .
another memory carved
on my walking caneRobert Kingston
Chelmsford, United Kingdom
meditation . . .
I watch the ladybug
circle a lilyCarole MacRury
United States
pilgrimage path
the footprints
we leave behindOlivier Schopfer
Geneva, Switzerland
crumbling path
the long winding pilgrimage
out of my selfjohn hawkhead
Bradford on Avon, UK
the bar is open,
fall on your knees and hymn
o pilgrimsSarah Davies
Bedford
gourd and shell
carrying galician stars
to Saint JamesMarilyn Ward
UK
a pair of shoes
outside the temple
the sound of a bellVibeke Laier
Randers, Denmark
a whirlpool
of immersed ashes
train to KashiBidyut Prabha Gantayat
Bhubaneswar, India
dogtooth violet the atheist wavers
Alan Peat
Biddulph, United Kingdom
all that remains
of an old temple—
cherry blossomstutto quello che resta
di un vecchio tempio—
ciliegi in fioreDennys Cambarau
Sardinia, Italy
hillside shrine
my bones creak to the rhythm
of the trailPat Davis
NH USA
returning
to the same path
with different stepsAmanda White
Morvah, Cornwall, UK
touching each wall
before the estate sale
mom’s pathPeggy Hale Bilbro
Alabama, USA
still early spring
secret Buddha sleeps
Mount KoyaTeiichi Suzuki
Japan
mount koubru
i walk up the path
of my ancestorsSubir Ningthouja
Imphal, India
labyrinth center
my gathered leaves
lost to the windMaurice Nevile
Canberra, Australia
sanctum sanctorum
a stone goddess’s eyes
don’t leave meNeera Kashyap
India
unanswered prayers
my daughter hangs up
on me againVandana Parashar
India
inner journey—
hanging on my staff
pilgrim shellNicole Pottier
France
securing the afterlife pilgrim’s ritual bath
Richa Sharma
India
long pilgrimage—
the rain in the mountains
to the riverside templeRam Chandran
India
familiar path
for the first time
I set out aloneMarion Clarke
Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland
half way
I rest for a while
under the Bodhi treepołowa drogi
przez chwilę odpoczywam
pod drzewem BodhiWiesław Karliński
Poland
path to salvation
I take a journey
inwardsArvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
on a pilgrimage—
shadows of followers
on the footpathTuyet Van Do
Australia
a twisted rope
a hidden spirit
weeping cherry treeAnette Chaney
Harrison, Arkansas
pilgrims’ trail
a lark’s
morning praiseHelga Stania
Switzerland
quietly praying
as I circle the monastery
hooded crowMargaret Tau
New Bern, North Carolina
full of wildflowers
the long country drive
to grandma’s graveBryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois USA
stories told
of the old country . . .
heirloom seedsValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
chapel island
cold ablutions
in the leven(River Leven)
simonj
UK
a bottle of water
and the desire to pray
inside my backpackRosa Maria Di Salvatore
Catania, Italy
blood of my blood the river before me
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
United States
following the river’s pilgrimage to the sea
Dan Campbell
Virginia
Margaret Mead’s
hand carved walking stick
one step at a timeRon Scully
Burien WA
Chimayo
a quest for miracles
in sleepy hillsMary Vlooswyk
Calgary, Canada
road to Canterbury
paved with stones and
pilgrims’ tales坎城朝圣路
满载笑语与欢声
香客故事多kan cheng chao sheng lu
man zai xiao yu yu huan sheng
xiang ke gu shi duoXiaoou Chen
Kunming, China
Finisterre—
another pilgrim
sheds his bootsHelen Ogden
Pacific Grove, CA
pilgrimage’s end
leaving behind the burden
of the hiking stickMirela Brăilean
Romania
Autumn equinox—
walking down Kenidjack valley
on your birthday(i. m. LKT born 21.09.1901)
Vivienne Tregenza
Penzance
Returning home
birds
on a pilgrimageAmoolya Kamalnath
India
telling our mother stories . . .
the road back
to her birthplaceLaurie Greer
Washington, DC
Kindred Spirit mailbox
salty tears on the walk
from Sunset BeachSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA
her pilgrimage
last orders
on a solo pub crawlTracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK
staffs in the dust
a flock of starlings
to Western WallMircea Moldovan
România
morning pilgrimage
each dewdrop carries
its own sunlightHifsa Ashraf
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
respite
beneath the acacia tree
glints of starlightLouise Viera
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
hilltop temple—
the wind does parikrama
with meVidya S Venkatramani
Chennai, India
hill top abbey—
the jangle of scallop shells
in souvenir shopsDorothy Burrows
United Kingdom
at the Virgin fountain
a few drops
for my eyesLuciana Moretto
Treviso, Italy
on the Camino . . .
leaving behind
the stones of a lifeAnna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo
The Hague, Netherlands
she walks around her lake
the morning after
that leaf still hanging onJohn S Green
Bellingham, Washington
stopping for gas
under a clear Arizona sky
Route 66Rehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ
smooth stones
left to mark place
time remembersKathleen Mazurowski
Chicago, IL
barefoot
the faithful
walk in the steps of Saint Patrick(famous pilgrimage site in Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland)
Margaret Mahony
Australia
praying
with the feet
with Hail MaryLorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo
Philippines
At the Musée de Cluny
absorbing The Lady
and the UnicornVicki Vogt
Watertown, MA USA
pilgrimage
weight of the cross
around the neckDanijela Grbelja
Sibenik Croatia
in the footsteps
of the philosopher
Kyoto’s autumn blazeSusan Farner
USA
sticks
in the mission of the pilgrimage
prayer for peaceZdenka Mlinar
Hrvatska
eight-fold path
around the Bodhi Tree
saffron dustMelanie Vance
USA
the hue of pink
in temple flower
walking meditationPadma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
monoliths . . .
tracing the journey
of our beliefsprasasti . . .
menelisik perjalanan
kepercayaan kitaChristopher Calvin
Kota Mojokerto, Indonesia
pilgrimage—
the perfect imperfections
of a sake cupMona Bedi
Delhi, India
fertile fields
the atoms that remain
of my forebearsKeith Evetts
Thames Ditton UK
sacred waterfall
all around the rush
of touristsJames Gaskin
Fukushima, Japan
Kumano kodo—
the sound of the wind
in our walking sticksJulia Guzmán
Córdoba, Argentina
memories of May—
waiting for the pilgrims
I taste an icecreamElisa Allo
Zug, Switzerland
family temple
the healing presence
of ancestorsMadhuri Pillai
Australia
spring rain—
the tapping
of an old walking stickAdele Evershed
Wilton, Connecticut
reunion
the Echo still rocking
that dive bar vibeTim Cremin
Massachusetts
Salisbury Cathedral
retracing Dad’s footsteps
of World War IIMaxianne Berger
Outremont, Quebec
pushing for an extra mile the pilgrim in me
Bona M. Santos
Los Angeles, CA
skimming the sacred waters butterfly mother
Roberta Beary
County Mayo, Ireland
Lourdes . . .
il peso delle ombre
scivola viaLourdes . . .
the weight of the shadows
slips awayGiuliana Ravaglia
Bologna, Italia
pilgrim path
the zephyr trying on
worn out sandalsFlorin C. Ciobica
Romania
a journey begins again child’s pose
Lorraine Padden
San Diego, CA USA
dawn . . .
as the tide recedes
this new beginningIngrid Baluchi
North Macedonia
cemetery visit . . .
my pilgrimage
through silenceBarrie Levine
Massachusetts, United States
pilgrimage—
dogtooth violet grows
in the same placeTomislav Maretić
Croatia
on the Camino . . .
the pulse of stars
beneath my feet(According to legend, Compostela derives from the Latin Campus Stellae, ‘field of the star’.)
Annie Wilson
Shropshire, UK
the climb of the sun
to its zenith
I return to myselfLafcadio Orlovsky
USA
blue butterfly
my spirit guide
down the trailPamela Jeanne
Whitehorse, Canada
step after step . . .
I reach the shrine
with a lighter bundleMona Iordan
Romania
hitting the road—
the rucksack lighter
at every stepCristina Povero
Italy
temple lodging . . .
laying out the route map
in breakfast tofuKeiko Izawa
Japan
pilgrim staffs
aging in the umbrella stand
by my front doorKris Kondo
Kiyokawa, Kanagawa, Japan
restored in Caprio
we sleep in the room
where the cow was keptKath Abela Wilson
Pasadena, California
dandelion walk
wind blowing sunlight
from the riverAsh Lippert
South Carolina, USA
camino daffodils lead the way
P. H. Fischer
Vancouver, Canada
the last meter of a song’s reach fogging breath
Pippa Phillips
Kansas City
driving by
our old house
lilacs in bloomGreer Woodward
Waimea, HI
Guest editor Marietta McGregor is a fourth-generation Tasmanian who has made her home between Australia’s national capital Canberra and the scenic south coast of New South Wales for over four decades. A lover of the natural world since childhood, she went on to study botany and zoology, and has worked as palynologist, garden designer, science journalist, editor, university tutor, education manager, and grants developer for the national wildlife collection. A photography and travel enthusiast since retiring, she enjoys capturing fine detail of fleeting moments. She came late to haiku, which appealed for its close observation and poetic expression of ephemeral experience. Her haiku, haibun and haiga have been widely published, have won awards and appear in anthologies.
Lori Zajkowski is the Post Manager for Haiku Dialogue. A novice haiku poet, she lives in New York City.
Managing Editor Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, and her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019). Find her at: kjmunro1560.wordpress.com.
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Please note that all poems & images appearing in Haiku Dialogue may not be used elsewhere without express permission – copyright is retained by the creators. Please see our Copyright Policies.
This Post Has 26 Comments
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Congratulations to all the poets for all pilgrimages around the world. Special congrats to my fellow Ohioans, Valentina Ranaldi-Adams and Tiffany Diaz. Tiffany’s is particularly poignant considering her life-saving donation. Marilyn Ashbaugh’s labyrinth haiku expressed well what I attempted, but failed to do. Greer Woodhouse’s drive by reminded me of the house I grew up in. Although I purposely don’t drive by it since I don’t want to see any changes the new owners might have made, the idea of a blooming lilac bush reminds me of Mom and how she struggled to keep one alive and finally getting one of hers to bloom. Thanks Greer for this haiku.
Many thanks, Marietta, for another inspiring challenge and for including my poem in the column. Thank you also to K.j. and Lori for organising everything.
Congratulations to all the poets. I admired so many of this week’s thought-provoking selection, it is difficult to choose a favourite. One poem that I will definitely remember is
as we gather
our breaths . . .
passing clouds
Teji Sethi
India
Such a beautiful image that manages to capture both the spiritual and physical.
Thank you Marietta for including mine, I feel honoured. So many great haiku here.
Lovely work this week, these prompts are really inspiring Marietta. It’s really difficult to pick out individual poems but I do like this as it reminds me of people I loved:
familiar path
for the first time
I set out alone
Marion Clarke
Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland
Thanks for choosing one of mine Marietta. I always find your photos and prose inspiring! So many fine haiku, but briefly, here are a few favorites that I especially enjoyed.
cemetery visit . . .
my pilgrimage
through silence
Barrie Levine
Massachusetts, United States
telling our mother stories . . .
the road back
to her birthplace
Laurie Greer
Washington, DC
following the river’s pilgrimage to the sea
Dan Campbell
Virginia
chapel island
cold ablutions
in the leven
(River Leven)
simonj
UK
pilgrims’ trail
a lark’s
morning praise
Helga Stania
Switzerland
wildflower path
leading me back
to myself
Lori Kiefer
London, U.K.
Thanks, Carole, for picking out mine. It is in fine company! Wonderful work this week, from everyone.
Carole, thank you for mentioning my haiku in your comment – I appreciate your recognition. I love this weekly feature, it keeps me writing on a wonderful variety of topics. I love the image in your ku, colorful and contemplative at the same time . . . .
I’m glad you enjoyed my verse Carole, have a wonderful weekend!
Thank-you for publishing mine. Congrats to all the poets. Thank-you to all at the Haiku Foundation for your efforts.
Thank you Marietta for including my haiku in this week’s pilgrimage! So so many fine haiku – congratulations to all the poets! I am really appreciating these three haiku this week. They say so much in just a few words and have a classic feel to me. This one is a lovely relatable experience:
blue butterfly
my spirit guide
down the trail
Pamela Jeanne
Whitehorse, Canada
And this haiku speaks to me, quite moving also:
cemetery visit . . .
my pilgrimage
through silence
Barrie Levine
Massachusetts, United States
This haiku captures the essence of the theme for me:
returning
to the same path
with different steps
Amanda White
Morvah, Cornwall, UK
Thank you so much Sari for your comment on my pilgrimage poem. I love this feature and it just keeps getting better. Congratulations to you too for your beautiful work. Best wishes, Barrie
Thanks so much for commenting on my haiku, Sari. I’m glad you related to it.
So many profound experiences evoked by the prompt this week. Thank you, Marietta, for your commentary on “shaman’s cave.” I was especially drawn to several monoku among this week’s selections–
“blood of my blood the river before me”–Tiffany Diaz
“a journey begins again child’s pose”–Lorraine Padden
“dogtooth violet the atheist wavers”–Allan Peat
I am thoroughly enjoying your prompts Marietta! I’m honored my haiku was highlighted this week. So many insightful poems. Thanks Lori and KJ for your part in providing these weekly opportunities to learn more about writing and understanding haiku with world wide students!
Love your concrete poem, Sharon. Very well done indeed.
So many great haiku again this week. Thanks so much for including mine.
Thank you Marietta, so privileged to be included so many stunning haiku, a real pleasure to read.
What a terrific response to this prompt, yet again! Great company to be in. Thanks, Marietta.
Such a wonderful collection. Pleased to be amongst them. Thank you Marietta, KJ and Lori.
I enjoyed reading these two together .
temple lodging . . .
laying out the route map
in breakfast tofu
Keiko Izawa
Japan
pilgrim staffs
aging in the umbrella stand
by my front door
Kris Kondo
Kiyokawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Loving these prompts Marietta!
Thank you so much Robert!!
So many wonderful haiku in this week’s selections. Thank you, Marietta – very nicely chosen. Privileged to have been included.Thank you, too, for being the editor fit this haiku adventure. Each prompt provokes a myriad of images to challenge us. Some took me several reads to explore the various paths hidden. So many wonderful untold stories here! But love something about each of the poems this week. Again–amazing how revealing the prompt image has proved!
What a stunning collection of haiku- I agree with Helen Ogden that in reading them a real sense of pilgrimage is evoked – mapping, walking, revisiting, finding ourselves, familiar/unfamiliar paths – pilgrims one and all. Will enjoy re-reading each one.
Many thanks for including mine… I adore this one:
fertile fields
the atoms that remain
of my forebears
Keith Evetts
Thames Ditton UK
Oh, thank you Pippa! My Evetts ancestors were farm labourers in Warwickshire until they went to work in the foundries of the Black Country. Nothing of them left except a few entries in registers and the fields they worked in. And their atoms in me, perhaps. One of them (a g-g-g-grandfather) ended his days in Anne Hathaway’s cottage, where he had worked on the farm.
Thank you for the insight, Keith. I just love the notion that the ancestors are tied up in the field’s fertility, that in tending to the land you tend to your ancestors… and I like the sound design, ‘f’ is not the typical pick for a but of light alliteration, but it works with the subject matter.
What a great collection of haiku. Reading these was like going on a pilgrimage, without the physical travail. It makes me want to put my boots on and hit the Camino once again. These would make a lovely chap book.