A Birthday Renku

     I played along with other poets to celebrate Cara Holman's birthday. This is her birthday renku, reblogged from Prose Posies

sultry afternoon 
the plaintive cries
of fledgling hawks

crazed evening traffic
dragonfly bravura

pigeons huddle
in the park bandstand
a midnight rain

I snag and release 
a frog from the house

daytime buzz - 
the mosquito i slapped
on my arm

letter from Rome— 
am I liable?

monsoon wind 
what would complement
this traffic jam

Fog slips over the hilltops 
tickling a lone mockingbird.

wet with dew 
wildflowers fold into themselves
a whispered lullaby

tuning out 
yesterday and tomorrow

They flew from their nest 
over summer’s fresh blooms
a lofty call

on my moonlit kitchen 
drips of watermelon juice

almost midnight 
should I stay or should I leave
lullaby of a cricket

alone again 
in the feathered nest

early birdsong 
facing the same direction
all four horses

in the meadow 
with one last laugh

it’s the new born child 
who gets the last laugh
severe drought

a dragonfly nestles 
in the clown’s wig

light reflected 
off the pond
the sounds clouds make

the right word grasped
in willow fragments

pillow talk
the early morning chatter
between nests

on which I scribe each night 
the non-visual geometry

silence, I speak… 
the unspoken language
of the unkai

late for work again 
the faded-jeans sky

may birthday candles 
light the path to happiness…
live a full life

firelight flickers 
on the mountainside

bee-wearing (con)tests the many diverse views among (our) haijin

morning sunshine 
birthday wishes across the web
 

Birthday Celebrations!

   Instead of coming up with my own contest for my birthday, I decided to celebrate with three poets who are doing something special at their own blogs. 
     There's not a lot of time left so check out the links as soon as you can. I promise that you won't regret it. You'll also enjoy reading the submissions of other participants.

1) Moon Tanka with Margaret Dornaus - You have until tomorrow to get a chance to win a copy of Modern Japanese Tanka. 
2) Birthday Renku with Cara Holman - July 23 is the last day to join her in creating an on-line renku.

3) The Siloh Tanka Contest with Kirsten Cliff - July 24 is the last day for your chance to win 26 Tanka Films (Dvd) by Richard von Sturmer.     

     In the following days, I'll be sharing my entries here. It's definitely not as good as the others, but they're special to me. Honestly, I didn't join to win. I just wanted to create something for them for bringing so much joy in the haiku community.

     To all the July birthday celebrants, I wish you all the wonderful things that your heart desires and may you have many more productive years of writing!