Haiku and Tanka

For the past few weeks, I've been jotting haiku and tanka in my notebook before bed.  These are drafts that I might go back to someday and work on a bit more.  Mostly, I'm just trying to take notice of what is happening in my life right now. Writing helps me do that.

the stream along our walking path

the lake we love to visit

we walk hand-in-hand

on a path we know so well

yet always seems new





walking the shoreline

we navigate ebbs and flows—

our life together





a bench by the lake

dedicated to someone

I have never met

sitting in a place she loved—

I think we would have been friends





this uncertain spring

we begin to discover

the unfamiliar

in a life we once believed

would always be familiar

©Linda Kulp Trout

A big thank you to Elizabeth Steinglass for hosting today's Poetry Friday. 

Pandemic Haiku

During this time of staying at home, The Highlights Foundation has been providing some amazing free webinar sessions.  Earlier this week, the fabulous Leslea Newman presented "Poetry to Soothe the Soul."   Leslea shared insight into her writing process and tips for writing poetry.  She also shared her Pandemic Haiku and assigned attendees to write a series of their own.  I had fun with it!



A daily delight—

robins outside my window

morning serenade



Old-fashioned breakfast,

French toast like I made before

life got too busy.



Senior citizens

masked, gloved, social distancing,

swarm grocery aisles.



Soapy hands sing

two rounds of “Happy Birthday”

twenty looong seconds!



Today’s agenda:

admire robins, trees, sky—

Write a poem.



Outside for a walk,

neighbors on porches greet me

from across the street.



Streaming old Sci-Fi—

I wonder. Are we living

in The Twilight Zone?


©Linda Kulp Trout



Thank you to Christie at Wondering and Wandering for hosting today's Poetry Friday!

Alone Doesn't Have to be Lonely

Outside My Window

A robin is building her nest.
A cherry tree wears her new pink dress.
A rabbit nibbles tender green shoots.
A chipmunk scurries among tree roots.

This solitary morning,
nature reminds me—

Alone
doesn't have to be lonely.

© Linda Kulp Trout

A special thank you to Heidi for hosting this week atMy Juicy Little Universe