haiku while walking

cold wind from the north,
a leaf skittering along
my sole companion

haiku at dawn

this bruised-sky morning
brightening into painterly
streaks of rose and peach

Sometimes I think my haiku is a melding of how Nature affects my mood or vice versa.

I did not try to photograph the sunrise, because my phone camera never catches the real-time colors. I have to let my words capture some moments.

A truly beautiful book

Beautifully written, urgent in style, important in message.

Those words come to mind about White Rose by Kip Wilson. I urge people to buy this book if you can or order it from your local library. This historical fiction written in verse is among the first books published by the new Versify imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, led by Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander.

White Rose was the name of a small group of German university students who attempted to wake up the populace to what Hitler was doing. They printed pamphlets and wrote street messages, urging people to resist the Nazi regime.

In the end, they were caught and did not make the impact they had hoped when they put their lives on the line. But their story stands today as an important lesson in recognizing and speaking out early against fascism.

Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans, and their friends have not been forgotten in history.

One of the things I like about the way Kip Wilson writes Sophie's story is she makes it clear that it took time for Sophie and Hans to stand up. At first, they joined the Hitler youth groups, which were framed more like scout troops, enjoying the camp atmosphere but not the propaganda. Their father was briefly imprisoned for being outspoken in opposition to Hitler, as was Hans later.

They were uncomfortable when they saw Jewish friends being harassed ("as if Jews aren't people like us at all"), but it took them time to put their necks on the chopping block (quite literally) and form the White Rose. Sophie's boyfriend Fritz was even a German soldier.

Here is one of the verses, stunning in its impact:

 Fritz tells me
 officers' mail
 isn't
 censored,

that I should
feel free
to say
what I like,

which is good
because I have
plenty
to say.

Snow day

sea of white, whirl of
snow-smoke, junco flung sideways--
picture-window scene

If you haven't guessed it's snowing in Seattle. Low temps in the 20s this week, which for here is cold. I'm enjoying the pretty and scribbling haiku.

haiku to an eclipse

pale opal hangs in
the sky caught between the stars
and towering pines

Haiku upon watching the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse. I felt like I should dance or something.

The neighborhood kids decided to howl.

 The clouds kept their distance until after totality and then gently took back the night.

first haiku of 2019

January sky--
cotton-candy dawn follows
evening's pink-snow ridge