Sometimes, a picture can trigger words. An image elicits emotion. This is a guiding principle behind the writing of haiku. And perhaps other short poems. While we continue to accept regular submissions for the next issue of tinywords (16.2) through the end of August, we invite you to get lost for a little while in this photo of a lone tree in Vancouver Island?s Fairy Lake, British Columbia, Canada.
Put your best effort(s) in the comment box and we’ll select what we think is the best of the best to start the new issue 16.2 due out in September.?
Meanwhile, it’s still the height of summer, or winter, depending on where you are. So get out and enjoy the season. Each has its own pleasures. Oh yeah, and submit to tinywords. Thanks.
All Best,
The Editors
green shimmer–
a tree unlike man
can be an island
green reflection–
a tree unlike man
can be an island
underground
water flowing-
the tree rises
even solitary
light locates
reflection
Growing old alone
Enveloped in reflection
Peaceful solitude
The mossy mitten
Clasps a light green parasol
The water below sighs
I love this, especially the last line!
Bonsai tree stands alone
Sunlight ripples on Basho’s pond
a tree stands
without forest
sea breeze whistle
lone sapling
more shadows grow
under the sun
so many lost faces
in the roots of the tree
summer turns
It releases a sense of the uncanny and then one discovers yet another level. Brilliance, Alan.
Thank you Donna, very much appreciated. Yes, I always try to have another level of meaning or meanings in my work.
warmest regards,
Alan
.
at right angles
ripples in the shine
autumn deepens
.
.
saplings
when the sun was tall
with us in the saddle
.
Little tree
Grasping rock
Beauty in stillness
a lone tree
brittle branches
sea wind
sky kissing sanctuary,
on each needle sparkles dew –
stars fall to calm water
the sun growing
another set of shadows
autumn deepens
autumn shadows …
the shadows of our life
the sunrise is so beauty
old lake monster
died and a tree
grew up from its head
swan lake
charming island
with tree-umbrella
this sparkling world–
a dream
at dawn
Rock in water
Tree on rock
Serendipity
lone tree
grows in a lake
despite it all
tree over water
catching sunlight
on the rebound
these crowded streets
the solitude
I choose to seek
A stand, a stand-
Rain, wind, sun,
Over shimmering waves
mid summer
the sun slips into the lake
without a sound
beautiful!
Thank you!
curious
calling the stone's companion
lone cypress
its appeal
still up in the air
floating bonsai
[Presence 55]
100th birthday–
a piece of cake for being
the last of his family
nursing home. . .
a single candle to celebrate
his hundred years
??
It's beauty stuns. Thank you, Carole.
gracefully passing
alone yet company shared
buoyant souvenir
root over rock
sinking the chi just
that much farther
both soft and hard
hope full
growth
green solitude
on an island of wishes
roots grow
pull the plug
loneliness swirls
down the drain
gloaming . . .
the bayou tree deep
in its reflection
all alone
but not lonely,
late summer breeze
Twilight breeze –
a cuckoo’s song flows
on the water surface
cross dark water
in my shade rest and
my loneliness fill
I've agonized over that "and" so here's an alternate version:
cross dark water
in my shade rest
my loneliness fill
speckled light
dreams under your limbs
the water reflects you
alive yet
set in stone…
family ancestors
island photo
considering an illusion
of the Illusion
tangled roots
hold fast
to their story
meditation…
outstretched branches greet
the morning sun
alone I drift
the clouds surround me
a bird perches
lonely living tree.
a grey expanse of water.
alive and full of hope.
alone …
only you to reach out
to the world
Tree. Island. Water.
Gaia
In 100 meters.
umbrella–
the ripples of
reflection
autumn leaves —
one by one by one
losing you
rain storms the rock
on Fairy Lake,
returning a trickle
Water, island, and tree
in the photo. Birds?
The picture has forgotten.
Tiny island between
the big tree
and bigger water.
smallish little green tree
hardened tempests have lost
a grip on true reality
Tree not my brolly.
Island not my head.
Rain still the rain.
moonlight
loneliness tree
in rock island
bonsai towers
from pond rock
island time
autumn rain
under tree-umbrela
water nymph
quiet reflection
somehow
life finds a way
evening beckons
the flow goes
rock-rooted I stay
An island
Of thrusting hope:
Rock solid!!
life on earth
and the endless
void
on my own
all our roots
hold water
Go to Fairy Lake
sit on lone tree rock
watch the shimmer
Vancouver’s lone tree
Resilient and powerful
Inspiration of life
after chemotherapy
greening like the lone tree—
roots among rocks
wonderful : )
Just saw this, months later. Thanks so much!
gentle breeze
rippling moonlight water
under lonely tree
Single branch connects
rock and sky. Many spirits
connect heaven and earth.
The structure expresses a keen insight.
rootless tree–
I too fell upon
A stony place
hazy afternoon . . .
at the corner of my eye
a flicker of wings
sovereign tree
rock throne
eternal blessing
serendipity
ripples gently touch
a whole new world
midstream—
the damselfly
on my knee
Admirable the way this poem sets up an equivalent relationship among three elements and with those of the photograph. On its own, timeless and beautiful. Thank You.
Nice touch.
Thank you, both.
summer’s end …
I reflect upon
my roots
great!
Thank you!
I always enjoy your subtle word play, which yields both humor and thoughtfulness. Here, the end of summer perfectly reflects that time of life when we typically begin thinking about who were are and where we come from; the thought of the tree doing this literally grants us a light-hearted symbolic image of this time. Nicely done!
In return, here's a kyoka response to your haiku and the pic, undertaken in my best Dave Read style:
bobbing
for all the apples
that didn't
fall far
from the tree
Smiles,
Autumn
Thank you Autumn. I appreciate your kind words and thoughtful comments. And, I really like your kyoka! Great stuff. :)
lone fir on a log
in Fairy Lake…surrounding
me, the universe
littlest sister . . .
every story supposed
to end happily
open-sky possibilities
mountains
have been moved for me
Fun! I went the "short poem" route. . . .
BONSAI
We rowed out
in the old dinghy,
dropped anchor,
clambered
up the cliff,
moss under our hands,
and shimmied up
the trunk
of the great tree.
Then we sat
on that branch right there,
feet dangling,
and looked out
at the universe.
Sorry — meant to sign in: Hannah Mahoney, hannah.mahoney@verizon.net
lifeline
a battered limb holds a small tree
above water
Solitary soul?
She is not standing alone.
through her flows all life.
fairy lake
between reflections sits a tree
from my dreams
family tree
roots remain entangled
as leaves change
Replacement of needles –
there is a new scent
in the wind
pine cushion
the tiny island
covered in needles
at one –
Yangtze mountain dreams
lake island tree
thickening fog—
still she finds
the way home
the light dances
as she grows from stone,
on fairy lake.
Yggdrasil
leaf light shines
a rippled lake
In all the world
This long summer evening
Only I alone
grandpa's spot…
the last of the cousins
baits a hook
Love this! IMO this is the best of the lot. Gorgeous!
despite its youth
the fir tree listens to
its elder with gratitude
Fairies don't exist.
Or do they?
What if we ask the tree?
Fairy Lake –
a tiny island floats
stubbornly
cradled in my arms
time’s harsh kiss is gentled, you
keep me from drowning
crow's nest
the comings & goings
of fairies
Lonely little tree
Clinging to the mossy rock
Fairies dance and sing
Lady of the Lake
who knew she had
a sense of humor
office cube
I photoshop my
vacation
stunted survivor
gale and sun's rockbound hostage
lichen coverlet.
perfectly balanced
an autumnal spread
makes fairy shelter
spring thaw
everything made visible
the strength of roots
sunlit sea . . .
a lone tree rising
out of itself
burned with the bones
a favorite feathery collar
new shadows on the moss
NEW CAMELOT
not a thrust
but a stretching out
not a sword but a sapling
My eyes seek
a stone growing beneath a tree
the ripples stood still.
fairy lake
green wings
strut from a lonely rock
watery grave
a lone fig
springs remembrance
arabesque
just above the water
her dance
broken skies
the sun left in shards
on a solitary lake
a tree hat
for an otter or … another
growing moment
through seasons
tree and rock tether
water to sky and there-
by each other
Establishing
Island presence
Sacred space
Bubblegum
The flavour of peach
In her speech
Lonely lake tree? Not!
Water mirrors rock, branches
Identical twin!
mossy outcropping
supporting a turning tree –
matching hues
lone tree
his independence now
a wheeled chair
rippling lake
a lonely tree soaks up
the sun
aiming high–
with love in
loneliness
Thank you for your beautiful poem.
Left to flourish
One does
this tree
shades its mossy base
pond stone
a tree stands
beyond this shadows rule
the far sun
__ 9-15-16; does not fit my needs.
her parting words …
cling with fierce desire
to your truth
lake reflection –
no longer
alone
without her
my grandfather
roots his life in memories
Beautiful
Thanks so much.
I really like this poem. It responds to the poem subtly and truthfully.
Thanks for your comment:)
where is he, now
my rock,
my sheltering tree?
Size doesn't matter
When you're proud and majestic
Nor does location.
Attention…
Creation awaits
Inspection.
Pause:
The creator overlooks
from within.
Resilient Bonzai
Constrained only by Nature
Oh, our Drive to Thrive
Stand in your truth
Majestic
Beautiful
floating free
of its shadow
Lilliputian pine
The golden silhouette
punctuates
the shimmering water.
survivor
growing into
a life of hope
little tree
above and beneath
the lake
all the elements
you are not alone
wading out
in the rising tide
of what is.
Sylvan Solitude
Floating
In a clenched fist
Of stone, roots held fast, still –
Green-tipped fingers wave at passing
Waters
child's pose how my mind wonders frog song
– Nika
note: wonders is intensional
centerstage
a tree in innate harmony
–sunlight sonata
like driftwood
riding the current
of an empty day
fairy lake
green wings
sprout from a lonely rock
(revised)
Golden branches stretch
from a trunk rooted on rock.
A bonsai rises from the sea.
fading evening light…
a frog jumps into the lake
from a tree on the rock
Spinning around the sun
anchored by a single tree
adrift on the lake
sunlight departs a vigil bears the solace
lace curtains gently move
leaves whisper to each other
the children are asleep
sunlit lake
a stray seed
finds a home
damp cool air kisses
a fecund garden ridge
the dragonfly’s resting place
island fir
holds the shape
of the wind
glassy lake
trout circle the fir’s
reflection
Here in Baton Rouge
it's so hard to imagine
California drought
in the stillness
a lone egret waits
summer doldrums
summer evening
only a salutation
by my shadow
tract housing
a lone tree grows
into its shadow
the turtle
raises its head
once a year
rarely exposed
that fragile place
deep within us
a turbulent world
seethes and thunders…
here, only stillness
on fairy island…
from the dead
a living tree
what we leave
adrift beyond the waters
a single larch tree
flecks of sunlight
on the lake
a loon’s tremolo
after rain
a tree’s canopy
sheltering moss
fairy island
serendipity
plants a tree
magic moon
I tell my son
about the little folk
final wingbeat
of a departing dragonfly
amber morning
mirrored in water
a tree clasps
its own image
mirrored in water
a tree clasps
its own image
bedrock
my roots in some
unlikely places
ever since then
in the shimmy of stars
a dust mote
old pond . . .
the wanderer
strikes roots
lone tree
all by itself
the mountain lake
thoughts sucked marrow of lost light shadows
the monk
still living alone
low light
lone fir
in full sun?
it’s greening shadow
island fir?
in the calm, still holding
the shape of the wind
Darn autocorrect
lone fir
in full sun?
its greening shadow
one-tree island. . .
just enough space
for the herons
watery grave
a solitary fig
springs remembrance
wreckage
from the deck of ship
an olive remain
nature’s cry
an island folds up
to the last tree
nature’s cry
an island wipe out
to the last tree
In spite of all
Nature cycles
Still waters-
bracing for waves
I know to come
Greeting the gaggle…
Nostalgic for the solitude
I'd grown accustom to
what's more
the lichen
clings
damselflies . . .
when the fog lifts
our Brigadoon
seeds of faith . . .
this world within
a world
glistening lake
a solitary rock houses
her attitude derrière
willow
branches
reach
the
water
sharpening the focus
on an island
the mind's eye
wings outstretched
the maple considers
where its seeds will land
the power of one
can invoke the greatest
connectivity
Digging my roots deep in the soil
Of a floating island
one spruce grows
on one boulder in a lake
stamina
on the logging road
to fairy lake – how many
wishes make a tree
not this not that
for now just being the cat
strrrretching in sunshine
the earth
the tree visits
for a spell
one tree island
the limits
of roots
no tree is an I
-(s)land but part of me:
I am involved in Nature.
lone tree
one
t
In the crowded street
Holding your tiny fingers
done with swords
The Lady of the Lake
lifts this time
a greening tree, that mankind
might learn instead to wield life
lone tree
adrift on the lake
the forest is pining
Trunk straight, standing still
Undisturbed by the ripples
Whole body breathing
wading moose
velvet falling
from its paddles
… bound
a single tree tethered to an isle
Silence
All around me
Waters of the time
miracle of life
arms reaching out to Heaven
answered prayer
his kayak slipping
through the softness
of a tree's shadow
dazzling smiles …
the family tree
rooted in love
moonlight
a lone tree
on lake stage
moonlight
a gentle embrace
for lonely tree
morning breeze
the sound of calmness
in a distant tree
autumn loneliness
the random assortment of
fleeting memories
now moment
gaining a foothold
in a dream
singular tree
how words wrap around
one stone island
reflections
a frog slipping
into its own
autumn sun
trout at the end
of their shadows
Memory roots us
Between a rock
And a hard place.
Lone tree – nothing but
time and a distant cry;
the loon waking
from the hardest heart
love's memory blooms
we shred our divorce papers
Lone tree midst the lake,
it's each leaf worth five poems
I write, what price then
my soul
:-)
thank you :)
sunlit lake
the lone tree
catches the wind
dream fishing the one that got away taking root
first bird
the whispering
of lone tree
the light
gathers
one tree full
I , the tree,
Keeps you connected ,
Little isolated land !
raking the mirage
midday sun ripples the sand-
zen garden
raking the mirage
morning sun ripples the sand-
zen garden
lone tree