HAIKU DIALOGUE – The Language of Flowers – Flowers: Traditions and Occasions
The Language of Flowers: A Global Perspective with Guest Editor Carole MacRury
Floriography, the sending of secret messages via coded flower arrangements, was popular during the Victorian Era (between 1837 and 1901). Hanakotoba is the Japanese form of the Language of Flowers. Countries around the globe have their own language, myths, meanings, history and symbolism pertaining to flowers, some going back thousands of years. While the sending of secret messages through flowers might not be as popular today as it was in the Victoria age, we still use flowers to express significant moments in our lives, such as births, deaths, weddings, religious services, holidays and specific cultural and personal ceremonies.
We grow gardens, arrange flowers, and pick wildflowers to brighten our homes. The scent of flowers can lift our spirits or cause an allergic reaction. We communicate through the color of flowers. White, for instance, can represent purity, innocence, or death depending on one’s culture. Flowers throughout history have been used for their mind-altering effects. The poppy for instance evokes remembrance of those fallen in war, but also represents their medicinal ability to ease pain and our passage out of this world, or cause addiction. Flowers flavor and spice our food, or help heal our ailments through herbal remedies. Many countries around the globe have a national flower. Our hearts are lifted or broken through flowers, either cultured or wild. We are inspired by flowers through art, music and literature, whether exploring the sensuality of Georgia O’Keefe’s blossoms, or taking a trip down memory lane listening to Pete Seeger’s ageless melody, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” a song as relevant today as yesterday. Sadi, an ancient Sufi poet says, “buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.”
My photos are meant to inspire you to dig deep into your own relationship with flowers within the framework of your own specific cultures through each weekly sub-theme. My preference has always been to look closely into flowers in all stages of their lives: bud, blossom, fading. I find that looking into the heart of a flower one often finds oneself.
Banner Art courtesy of Sondra J. Byrnes Haiku Poet and Ikebana Artist
next week’s theme: ikebana – embrace the space
The concept of ma is at the heart of most aspects of Japanese minimalism and can be found in ikebana, in poetry, music, sumi-e, tea ceremony, and other facets of Japanese life. The word means “emptiness” or “absence.” It can be the space between objects, the silence between sounds, or the stillness between movements. You can sense this in the minimalism of ikebana, the negative space of sumi-e, and the space between the two parts of a haiku. For example, when the ikebana practitioner arranges material, she listens to each flower, leaf and branch and lets them dictate their own placement. The elimination of excess is highly valued. As haiku poets, we apply the same careful consideration to the words we choose for our haiku. Less is often more and what is not said is often most important.
For this week’s prompt let’s embrace the space and write a minimalist haiku instead of telling the full story. Let yourself be inspired by Sondra Byrnes’ lovely ikebana image and/or this much-loved poem by Nick Virgilio, an exemplary example of a haiku with a clear image that invites speculation.
lily:
out of the water . . .
out of itselfNick Virgilio
Here is an excellent article on the concept of ma – “An Interview with Hasegawa Kai,” Robert D. Wilson, Interviewer, Tanaka Kimiyo and Patricia Lyons, Translators, in Simply Haiku: Quarterly Journal of Japanese Short Form Poetry.
Haiku used with the permission of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association
Ikebana image courtesy of Sondra J. Byrnes Haiku Poet and Ikebana Artist
The deadline is midnight Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday June 04, 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 Carole’s commentary for flowers: traditions and occasions:
Many thanks to all who submitted to the theme of “Flowers: Traditions and Occasions.” I received poems that paid homage to birth and death, to babies and old age, to marriage and divorce and even a few that referenced gods and goddesses. Even Shakespeare made an appearance. As usual, I always learn something new when reading through the poems, such as the fact there is a marigold-flavored tequila and that Italy has a famous artistic flower festival. Thank you all so much for sharing these moments of your life.
As usual, it was also a cultural treasure chest. The poems I chose for commentary drew me back again and again, and it’s obvious that recent tragic events have colored certain poems. Whether my interpretations are as the poets intended, three of the poems speak to me as poignant tributes to victims of mass shootings. Yet each is unique. All five of the poems I chose to comment on leave room for the reader to enter and close readings offer multiple layers. To showcase a variety of themes and styles, I had to narrow down my selection among poems with similar wording and themes. Many fine poems not on this list I expect to see in future publications. Please enjoy my selections for commentary and all the wonderful poems in the longer list. I’m sure you’ll find your own favorites too. Please share your thoughts in the commentary section.
makeshift memorial
more lilies than
I can bearBryan Rickert
Belleville, Illinois USA
I have always valued understatement in haiku. Bryan Rickert allows this powerful image to speak for itself. ‘Makeshift memorial’ recalls all the flowers, wreaths, and roadside crosses I’ve come across driving across the country. These makeshift memorials mark the site of tragic car accidents and are created by loved ones, neighbors, family, friends. The last two lines, ‘more lilies than / I can bear’ suggests a huge loss of life and takes me to another scene entirely. It takes me to the recent school shooting in Texas, although it could well represent the tragedy of all mass shootings and the huge response of community through the laying down of flowers. Each word carries its weight and evokes a response in the reader. The three alliterative ‘m’ sounds open the haiku and there is such power and suggestion in ‘makeshift’ and ‘more,’ as if each lily might speak to a life lost. Not a word could be taken away or added to this excellent haiku.
bumblebee . . .
for an instant I forget the flowers
are on your graveMarion Clarke
Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland
I appreciated the element of surprise in Marion Clarke’s haiku as I read line to line. I am very fond of insects, so line one drew me in right away. What was going to be said about a bee? Nothing. At least not until you reach the last line and understand the little bee offered a momentary distraction from grief as it bumbled about the graveside flowers. This haiku speaks to the healing power of nature. The ellipsis worked well in making me feel I, too, was watching this little bee. It slowed me down and set me up for the surprise of a graveside setting. The phrasing has a pleasing rhythm enhanced by the alliteration of ‘forget the flowers.’
opening night
stargazer lilies
steal the showMargie Gustafson
Lombard, IL USA
This haiku demonstrates the power of holding back on details. Flowers are usually given to performers and directors on opening nights in many different venues. I’m sure each reader will have their own memories of such events, opera as just one example. For me, it evoked every ballet recital, play, and musical I’ve attended where I had a grandchild participating. The expectation in the air, the scent of lilies, the excitement and anticipation followed by applause and bows at the end of the performance. Perhaps a little relief too, if a loved one was onstage. The fact the stargazer lilies steal the show suggests a huge response from the audience to whatever took place on this opening night. The sibilance of ‘stargazer/steal/show’ holds this phrase together in a very pleasing way.
bloodroot flower
the calendar full
of white spaceJonathan Roman
Yonkers, New York
I wanted to comment on this haiku because it’s another good example of the poet trusting the reader to draw their own conclusion as to the relationship of the two parts of the haiku. So many haiku spell out details which can close a haiku down. This is wide-open for interpretation and showcases the power of word choice to evoke emotion. Bloodroot is a snow-white flower, but with bright red stem and roots that can ooze or bleed a red-orange sap. It stains whatever it touches. I’m not sure ‘flower’ is needed as ‘bloodroot’ is the name of the plant and suggests the flower. Bloodroot also connotes ‘blood.’ This, juxtaposed with an empty calendar, suggests a life that was cut short.
plucked columbine more rounds of
…….thoughts and
…………..prayersP. H. Fischer
Vancouver, Canada
I always appreciate a haiku that can be read on more than one level. On the surface, one could be offering thoughts and prayers while picking columbine perhaps as a gift for a sick, dying, or grieving person. The meaning of columbine differs depending on the source, but one meaning suggests columbine is a floral gift given to provide courage and endurance. However, the poet has chosen words that connote alternate meanings as well. ‘Columbine’ reminds me of another school shooting, ‘rounds’ reminds me of bullets found in assault rifles. Also, ‘plucked’ suggests something quickly removed as in the sudden loss of life. And suddenly the poem is about another mass shooting. Connotations can add layers to a haiku. Its structure enhances the tension and despair of recognizing we will forever be having to offer ‘more rounds of thoughts and prayers’ to a situation that continues to happen with no apparent hopes of a solution.
& here are the rest of the selections:
unmarked grave
only wind-blown wildflowers
pay a visitSrinivas S
Rishi Valley, India
woven
in a wreath
a goodbyeTeji Sethi
India
peony buds
the bride’s
baby bumpmarilyn ashbaugh
Edwardsburg, Michigan
faded roses
the words between us
I can’t take backStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
Ashes scattered
among the bluebells –
a sea of sorrowVivienne Tregenza
Penzance
petal skirts
floating on the pond
hollyhock dollsSeretta Martin
California, USA
funeral flowers
after everyone leaves
the bee lingersRavi Kiran
India
summer she loves me winter she loves me not
Alan Peat
Biddulph, United Kingdom
flying away dandelion wishes
Roberta Beach Jacobson
Indianola, Iowa, USA
Vegas wedding ~
weeds by the drive-through
gone to seedD. M. MacDonald
Sacramento, California
gladiolas at her wedding at her funeral gladiolas
Mark Meyer
Mercer Island WA USA
a white calla
in the hands of a child –
First Communionuna calla bianca
nelle mani di un bambino –
prima comunioneDennys Cambarau
Sardinia, Italy
clouds and
imaginary flowers
Mother’s DayRichard Straw
Cary, North Carolina
after her birthday
I leave the petals
where they fallMaurice Nevile
Canberra, Australia
dried mistletoe
kissing his memory
goodbyeSherry Grant
Auckland, New Zealand
pixel bouquet
electrons carry
my love to youDanita Brandt
Michigan, USA
chrysanthemum
how do i prepare
for the afterlifeRicha Sharma
India
sunflower’s seed–
in the dug-out bunker
a birth cryTeiichi Suzuki
Japan
purple Irises
on my mother’s grave
last prayer(The purple irises on a woman’s grave are believed to summon the goddess Iris to guide them on their journey to heaven.)
Tsanka Shishkova
Bulgaria
night jasmine
her fragrance wraps
the deity at dawnSubir Ningthouja
Imphal, India
lilies of the valley…
the faded scent
of her marriageMariangela Canzi
Mariano Comense, Italy
sampangi garlands…
a bee sings
an invocationVidya Shankar
Chennai
devil-in-the-bush
I plant something suitable
for our divorceTracy Davidson
Warwickshire, UK
jasmine tea –
sips of relief
in hard timesVipanjeet Kaur
Chandigarh, India
women’s day
another bouquet
dad forgets to bringTomislav Sjekloća
Cetinje, Montenegro
hospice garden-
counting roses
his favourite pastimeRam Chandran
India
artificial roses –
how many gardens
savedAljoša Vuković
Croatia, Šibenik
rose sachet
all that’s left
of papa’s gardenPat Davis
NH USA
funeral procession
passing her love of lillies
on to meHerb Tate
UK
evening news
fresh bouquets crown
the hardened schoolron scully
Burien WA
daisy chain –
my first handmade
accessoryAna Drobot
Romania
bouquet toss
the luck she was
not expectingMinal Sarosh
Ahmedabad, India
grandma’s garden irises –
something
blueDaniela Lăcrămioara Capotă
Romania
I give him tulips
because I love him —
and I love a pun.Jenny Shepherd
London
first date…
the red rose still
scents my diaryNeena Singh
India
holding white tulips
the bride
wore blueMargaret Mahony
Australia
wild daisies–
renewing their vows
every 5th anniversaryLaurie Greer
Washington DC
cherry lipstick
one sparkler and ninety-nine
marzipan rosesMaxianne Berger
Outremont, Quebec
salt marsh irises
your first anniversary
Persephone blueJ E Jeanie Armstrong
Canterbury UK
elopement bouquet
Black-eyed Susans
wild like herCaroline Giles Banks
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
thoughts and prayers. . .
a bouquet of cosmos
in a cracked vaseTerri French
Huntsville, AL
floating lamps
amid the chrysanthemums
the afterglow!Lakshmi Iyer
India
poinsettias
the flourish of annunciation
in redPeggy Hale Bilbro
Alabama
orange marigolds
the good tequila
almost goneM. R. Defibaugh
United States
given with pride
mom arranges dandelions
in a crystal vaseRehn Kovacic
Mesa, AZ
grandma’s wedding bouquet
crepe paperZdenka Mlinar
Hrvatska
school dance
sitting amidst a bunch
of wallflowersMari Sa
Australia
she loves me not
the exhausted
daisyLorraine A Padden
San Diego, CA USA
chrysanthemum sleeping the grief off
bunga krisan melupakan kesedihan dalam tidur
Christopher Calvin
Kota Mojokerto, Indonesia
magic show
tuberoses manifest
behind her earsMariel Herbert
California, USA
wisteria –
my distant friend
so closeglicine –
la mia amica lontana
così vicinaMaria Teresa Piras
Serrenti – Italy
homecoming
meadow flowers
at my bedsideIngrid Baluchi
North Macedonia
a year older
her bigger handful
of dandelionsJames Gaskin
Fukushima, Japan
rose petals
the scent of my unsent
love letterAlvin Cruz
Philippines
after the wedding
the rose petal path
to my husband’s graveAdele Evershed
Wilton, Connecticut
roadside railing
a flutter of cellophane
remainsHelene Guojah
UK
morning after
el Día de los Muertos
wilted marigoldsHelen Ogden
Pacific Grove, CA
willow catkins –
in his absence
I talk to catsLori Kiefer
London, UK
infiorata…
profuma di ginestre e rose
il mio piccolo paeseinfiorata …
it smells of gorse and roses
my little countryGiuliana Ravaglia
Bologna Italia
calla lily —
the lengthening distance
between our roomsMona Bedi
Delhi, India
orange morning her chemotherapeutic body under marigold garlands
Devoshruti Mandal
India
white calla
sunlight dips
into the bride’s cupBarrie Levine
Massachusetts USA
red silk roses
between the headstones
bright sunshineHerbert Shippey
Tifton, Georgia
apology
i only notice
the thornsC.X. Turner
United Kingdom
petals fall
from the Albertine rose …
the ache of pinkAnnie Wilson
Shropshire, UK
graduation day
the scarecrow wears
a daisy chainFlorin C. Ciobica
Romania
mother’s blue orchid
now i send it to myself
for her birthdayKath Abela Wilson
California, USA
a pressed rose –
that teenage boy
I knew long agoValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
a lily of the valley
among Shakespeare’s sonnets
the longed for clueCristina Povero
Italy
Remembrance poppies…
all those soldiers lying
under the grassMona Iordan
Romania
garage sale
I choose the bible with the pressed
four leaf clover insideMaya Daneva
The Netherlands
blue poppy pastures
what do the yaks know
of the yeti?(Blue poppies are associated with the local folklores of the yeti. It is the national flower of Bhutan. Blue in Tibetan Buddhist iconography represents infinity and healing.)
Sonam Chhoki
Thimphu, Bhutan
mom’s funeral
a basket of daylilies
from her gardenJohn Zheng
United States
peaceful hyacinth . . .
the view through
Apollo’s tearsConnie Tash
United States
ma dragging me
to church every Sunday
jack-in-the-pulpitMargaret Tau
New Bern, North Carolina
under all the flowers
something unimaginable
my childSharon Martina
Warrenville, IL
Gen Y wedding
the flower girl
is GrandmaCarol Judkins
Carlsbad, CA United States
red amaryllis
growing in the green gift box
our watchful adventCurt Linderman
Seattle, Washington
Shinto wedding
a white butterfly alights
on the sakaki branchSusan Rogers
Los Angeles, California
Guest Editor Carole MacRury resides in Point Roberts, Washington, a unique peninsula and border town that inspires her work. Her poems have won awards and been published worldwide, and her photographs have been featured on the covers of numerous poetry journals and anthologies. Her practice of contemplative photography along with an appreciation of haiku aesthetics helps deepen her awareness of the world around her. Both image and written word open her to the interconnectedness of all things; to surprise, mystery and a sense of wonder. She is the author of In the Company of Crows: Haiku and Tanka Between the Tides (Black Cat Press, 2008, 2nd Printing, 2018) and The Tang of Nasturtiums, an award-winning e-chapbook (Snapshot Press 2012).
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.
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy.
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 11 Comments
Comments are closed.
Hi
It seems there was a mistake in attributing a haiku to my name…the one that ends with chemotherapy…
Congratulations to all the poets! Thanks Carole for selecting mine and for your insightful commentary.
As a wallflower myself, this one made me smile:
school dance
sitting amidst a bunch
of wallflowers
Mari Sa
Australia
Thanks also to kj and Lori for all you do here at H.D.
Peter
From one wallflower to another…Thank you so much P. H. I’m happy to know my haiku brought a smile to your thoughts. And your haiku this week was very moving, indeed. Thank you for that. Wonderful to read everyone’s poems. Thank you so much to Carole and to the Haiku Dialogue team for including my haiku in this special collection.
I rely enjoyed reading this week’s haiku. Thank you everyone.
I am honoured to be included in this week’s collection. I enjoyed reading the haiku which have been published. Thanks to Carole and to the editing team.
Happy to see mine included here! There are several that stood out to me as I read through this wonderful collection. Thanks for your work and lovely photos Carole!
peony buds
the bride’s
baby bump
marilyn ashbaugh
Edwardsburg, Michigan
.
elopement bouquet
Black-eyed Susans
wild like her
Caroline Giles Banks
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
.
thoughts and prayers. . .
a bouquet of cosmos
in a cracked vase
Terri French
Huntsville, AL
.
Gen Y wedding
the flower girl
is Grandma
Carol Judkins
Carlsbad, CA United States
Thank you Carole for including my haiku.
I love
mother’s blue orchid
now i send it to myself
for her birthday
Kath Abela Wilson
apology
i only notice
the thorns
/
C.X. Turner
United Kingdom
/
Only six words are used in this hard-hitting haiku. The roses are not mentioned but clearly implied as is the fact that there have been past
apologies for the same offensive act.
Thank you so much for publishing me and the kind words, Carole.
this is great!
faded roses
the words between us
I can’t take back
Stephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
nice work, Stephen!
Thank-you Carole for publishing one of mine. It is always a pleasure and an honor to be published. Thank-you also to Kathy, Lori, and the Haiku Foundation. Congrats to all the poets.