Winter Stripe [Haiku]

A photograph of the woods in Winter in Paces Mill National Park, Atlanta.
low Winter sun
stripes the forest floor
with long shadows.

Bobbing Ducks [Haiku]

Ducks at the edge of a pond at Audubon Park in New Orleans.
ducks jump off a ledge,
bobbing once in pond water,
and drift onward.

Ignorance is Bliss [Lyric Poem]

A turtle swims to water's edge,
and finds before him a steep bluff.
He makes himself a solemn pledge,
"I'll scale this cliff, however tough!"
Struggling over the toilsome rim,
he sees another wall of stone
stands just ahead - tormenting him.
"Just one more, I'll not piss and moan."
If he could know that it was stairs,
He'd have some turtle curse words to share.

Soggy [Haiku]

Fallen leaves on the sidewalk after a rain.
fallen leaves, post-rain:
gauge the drizzle by
what crunch remains.

Autumn Grasshopper [Tanka]

A grasshopper hanging on a branch of desiccated leaves at the end of Autumn.
climbing grasshopper
clings to gently bouncing branch;
sure to fall
before the next crunchy leaf
succumbs to Autumn breezes.

Great Egret [Haiku]

A Great Egret taken at Vickery Creek Trail in Atlanta, GA.
a Great Egret
wades in cold water --
reflection warped.

BOOK: “Cajun Night Before Christmas” by Trosclair

Cajun Night Before Christmas (The Night Before Christmas Series)Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — Pelican Books

As it happens, I was just in New Orleans during Christmas and stumbled onto this book, which is well regarded regionally but pretty much unheard of beyond. It is essentially the poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” (a.k.a. “Twas the Night Before Christmas,”) but conveyed in the Cajun dialect, featuring a Santa that is a bit scruffier and who is transported by alligators rather than reindeer. It adds a bit of humor as well as regional flavor to the poem. As one would expect, it’s illustrated in the style of a children’s story book.

If you find yourself in bayou country during the holiday season, I’d highly recommend you give it a read.

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DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk

Foggy Hilltop [Haiku]

foggy hilltop:
something moves,
striped by trunks.

Cloud Shadow [Haiku]

a cloud shadow 
dragged over the hill
like a blanket.