Poetry Friday–the Solstice Edition

Welcome to Poetry Friday! I’m happy to host the poetry party today. When I was a kid, I remember reading a newspaper article about Jewish policemen in New York City who volunteered for extra shifts around Christmas so their fellow officers could spend more holiday time with their families. The article made a big enough impression that I remember it today (probably inaccurately, but still…) and it inspired me to host the close-to Christmas poetry friday shift for the past couple of years. Not that being your host is difficult–but I’m glad to take away stress from others who don’t need it now.

img_4364Now for the good news–the sun set yesterday at 5:12 p.m. in southwest Michigan, but this evening’s sunset is at 5:13! Although one minute doesn’t seem like much, I’m always delighted by the noticeably longer days of mid-January. The promise of more light is encouraging at a time when many of us hunger for it. We’re drawn to light during December’s dark days, and it’s no surprise that many cultures celebrate this time of year with candles. I’m looking forward to eight nights of Chanukah lights starting tomorrow night. And of course, poetry can bring us light.

img_4355Many of you have filled your December with moments of hope and light in your daily haikus. I’m more of a haiku admirer than practitioner, but I’ve tried to write a few this month. My handsome hound adds daily light and levity (plus occasional annoyance, but no need to dwell on that here…) and he inspired these haikus:

 

Hound Haiku

tail swings a beat
black nose disappears in drifts…img_4404img_4321
first snow

with each new scent
four legs bound in pursuit,
breathing the moment

stories told in tracks:
paws sprint from swamp to woods, while
boots plod well-worn paths

swirling flurries
carpet snout, ears, back…
white stars on black dog

shaking off whispers
of winter’s icy fingers,
scratching at the door

img_4274dog-tired,
he turns and curls, snug
in snowy dreams
–©Buffy Silverman, 2016

img_4268Wishing you all a warm and festive holiday! Mister Linky is helping out while I’m down dogging this morning. Please leave your links below:

40 thoughts on “Poetry Friday–the Solstice Edition

  1. Love your haiku and the wonderful images you’ve crafted. I like them all but especially, “stories told in tracks: paws sprint from swamp to woods, while boots plod well-worn paths” and the photos are perfect. I too, take note of sunrise and sunset minutes at this time of the year. May your celebrations this season be filled with light.

  2. Thanks for hosting!!! I love your dog haiku, especially the stars and the “breathing the moment.” Your four-legged friend could be a twin to my black lab mix, who also loves the snow, and would love to run free, if we lived somewhere where there weren’t so many cars. Happy Solstice! Like you, I’m already longing for more light!

  3. Hi Buffy,
    I noticed you hosted the last post before Christmas last December as well. Now I see that this is entirely intentional. Thank you!!

    I love your doggy haiku. The one that especially zinged with me is the “white stars on black dog” – Lovely!

    Thanks again and Happy Hanukah!

  4. Oh, how I love your doggy-haikus! They bring back lots of fond memories when we had dogs who buried their noses in the snow and gathered stars on their black backs. We take the cat out on lead, but he is still a little finicky about stepping into the white stuff. Thanks for hosting — we need all the light we can get, whether it is brought to us in actions, words, or lit candles.

  5. Dear Buffy – what a kindheart you are! Thank you for your gift this busy season. And I love the haiku! And your dog. And the pictures! I particularly love the icy fingers and snowy dreams. No snow here in Alabama, but lots of goodness~ I hosted a Winter Solstice poetry reading in which poets read on the topics of winter and light… it was so so lovely! So happy to know you, Buffy! xo

  6. Thanks for hosting today’s PF round-up, Buffy. Love your linked haiku. Also love that one-minute-more of daylight after the solstice – sweet. Happy Holidays to you and to everyone reading the posts/comments!

  7. Buffy,
    Thanks for hosting us and for this lovely linked haiku about your dog in the snow. I appreciate your hosting us today. Actually in many hospitals the Jewish members of the staff work Christmas shifts so Christians can have the day with their families. Here’s to those dedicated people who help us all during the holiday season. I appreciate your taking the stress off the rest of us.
    While you are dealing with snow, we had 79 degrees yesterday. I do love living in Paradise. Kauai is a garden island. Mele Kalikimaka.

    1. Yes, my dad always was on call on Christmas. I think my mom liked it because then they could go to their soirees on New Year’s Eve. Our early snow has been lovely–but it’s made me ready for 79 degree weather about now! Mele Kalikimaka to you and Barack.

  8. During a busy time of year, it is thoughtful of you, Buffy, to host Poetry Friday. I also want to thank you for offering “Life of a Leaf” to the Autumnventure Gallery. I always love your science sense so your Hound Haiku is quite a poem in story format. I love these lines:
    shaking off whispers
    of winter’s icy fingers,
    And so winter begins as a new season of longer days. Yes, for more light. Happy Chanukah to you, Buffy.

  9. Thank you, Friend, for taking on the Round-up duties this week!
    Your full-of-life dog, in the great photos and in the poems he inspires, always warms my heart (& a handsome fellow he is indeed). Thanks for sharing all.
    Wishing you & yours a Happy Hanukkah and a light-filled 2017!

    1. Thanks, Diane. Your suggestions on my previous post were very helpful. I’m partial to candles–as a kid I always loved to make finger prints in melted was (okay, I still do that) and I love their multiple reflections in our bay window.

  10. Happy Chanukah, Buffy. You are a dear for sharing the way you do. I echo Matt’s sentiment….ummmmm that’s a heck-of-a haiku string for someone who proclaims to be more of an admirer than a creator of them. I have really enjoyed the #haikuforhealing. The practice of daily haiku is truly healing ( and a little bit addicting). I look forward to your creativity and sharing in 2017.

  11. For someone who is more an admirer than writer of haiku, you did a great job! These are very nice, Buffy…and your pooch seems to be loving the snow…looks like you’ve got almost as much as we do!

    1. Thanks, Matt. We had about a foot of snow (we are far enough from Lake Michigan that it’s hit or miss whether we get the lake effect snow, but this year have gotten a lot.) Now it’s warming up and melting fast. Happy holidays to you!

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