Sunday, October 1, 2023

H is for HORIZONS #AtoZ Poetry

April #AtoZChallenge and #PoetryMonth
 
Three goals I had in mind while writing my collection of linked poetry:
1. To celebrate my appreciation of life
2. To experience the process of writing linked poetry, a form of Japanese renshi
3. To give thanks for and better appreciate a life well-lived.
 
The flowers are a colorful bonus for the #AtoZChallenge
 
***   ***   ***
 
H is for Horizons and Hibiscus in Honolulu
 
Hibiscus at Queen Lili'uokalani Botanical Gardens in Honolulu
 
Horizons
Farms spread out
by design of county plats
Home for dinner
Each family tucked in
for the night. 
Breakfast a routine affair
Like Sunday drives
after mass
And holiday visits
to relatives. 
Roads with numbered routes
Lead to fishing holes,
And beach parks
hold dreams that encompass
only near horizons. 
Dare to break the cycle
 
***   ***   *** 
Poetry is meant to be read, not as an interpretation of the poet’s thoughts but as a means of opening the reader’s mind: to spark imagination, to recall memories long ago experienced, long forgotten; thoughts happy and sad, thought-provoking experiences that form and inform the person you are today. Do not fear the past, so you can enjoy the present and plan a happy future. Allow poetry to open for you infinite possibilities. Claim what rings true for you, leave the rest for others to explore their own awakening.
 
 

12 comments:

  1. Great challenge in the closing line of your poem.
    I always picture the hibiscus as a decorative flower, e.g. tucked in the hair above the ear.

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    1. Yes, tucked behind the ear - on the right if you are available, in the left if you are "taken". 😊

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    2. I never knew this.
      Thanks for the lesson!

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  2. Hi Gail - this is lovely - the old days and country thoughts - delighted to see the word 'plat' used ... memories recalled - cheers Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/h-is-for-horse.html

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    1. The Facebook question of the day is: what can make you smile, tear up, or cause you to think, but you cannot see? Ah, memories.

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  3. Good advice for readers. I shall come again and experience your advice. I am going to first record your post in my post for the day.
    Health of Organization
    I also write poems sometimes.

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    1. Thank you for visiting today, and for adding my Horizons blog post to your running list on your site.

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    2. I agree with your assessment that the health of an organization, or any structure, needs to begin at the top. Distrust and alienation quickly work their way through the entire system.

      Breaking a not-productive cycle is a good way to preserve the health of an entire group or add new energy to a lucrative idea.

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  4. Oh I want to live in that world! Sigh.

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    1. It is fun to imagine that idyllic time before adulthood.

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  5. Your linked poetry is a delight. I so agree poetry is a means to open the reader's mind, to inspire within and without, to evoke beauty.
    So nice to meet you on this A to Z journey.

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    1. Very nice to meet you, Leslie, and still have the image of your graceful giraffe in my mind. Looking forward to more of your AtoZ posts.

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