haibun

Be Your Own Kind of Bravery

/ Penny L Howe / 6 Comments

Fortune Favors the Brave

Gypsy tent and wagonThe gypsy fortune teller was very wise and wizened with great age. During this time of her current existence, she had told thousands of fortunes. Whispered and suggested mysterious and wonderful futures to a myriad of people. A great multitude of fools made her wealthy, as had the ambitious, vain, and greedy.

Of the down-trodden, the gentle, the forgotten, she had asked but a small token and then done her best to inspire; peering deep inside to witness their futures. Her “gift” – one not welcomed but accepted. On and on went her memories of those who sat across from her waiting breathless with anticipation for words pronouncing their fortune.

But before today, never had she viewed a woman of such gentle bravery, radiating from her being. Her soul – if you will. Her bravery shining piercingly through the air, hovering protectively as it spread out in progressive waves encompassing all.

A second glance within and the fortune teller finally understood. SHE had returned.

The fortune teller smiled a small, happy smile of relief. Holding out her hand in friendship, “hello my brave Sophia*, we meet again.” Fortune does favor the brave!

again and again

she comes forth to be heard

listen close my humans

~

“all life has purpose”

do you hear Sophia’s* words

echo through the ages

~

*Sophia, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom

And remember, small braveries are as valuable as big ones. Often more important too.

‘

Have a great week ahead.

With sincere affection,

~ Penny

She Is The Flow – Haibun (essence of female)

/ Penny L Howe / 3 Comments

emrunning

The flow is the balance.

A runner of life, she knows flow is balance. She is the flow. Running through early morning golden meadows, hair streaming behind, her breathing is deep and even. Her element is air, flow is balanced. A runner’s secret, balance can initiate speed but speed is cause – not effect.

On this morning the soles of her feet touch fleetingly upon damp morning dew. Something occurs, an otherworldly melding of effect with cause. Balance is cause but time is effect. She runs on with balance enhanced. She is fleeter, running more swiftly, the blending of morning’s moisture with air melds microcosmic elements together. Magic? She finds she can now run through time. Her yesterdays, todays and tomorrows – a real/all-time effect!

Now she runs through life … her life and all life. An amazing thing.  An illusion? She runs on. She is a conduit of flow and the balance to life. An awakening discovery for her to recognize the strength within.

*

She, the flow of life

becomes balancing essence

of time, cause and effect

~Plh, 2016

*

By the way: My previous post was not about me, even though I wrote it in the first person. It was a commentary about people, our current society and where “we” the people are and how we’re feeling about same. So just clarifying, I am fine, doing exceedingly well.

Have an great and wonderful weekend,

With affection,

Penny

Just in the Knowing … Haibun of Love

/ Penny L Howe / 7 Comments

parislove

♡

Just in the Knowing

Just in the knowing you’re somewhere. Not caring where, just knowing you exist is enough for contentment. Alright, perhaps a whimsical slightly lonely contentment, but contentment none-the-less. Were I to have realized love’s nature as we laughed and played during brief interludes of time together perhaps choices would have been a different making.

But nature of things at the time (Ah, time … immutable passage of linear time) spinning out of control, whirlwind of decision making – poorly thought through – emotionally charged and so we are apart … and yet … we are not.

For all that you are and all that I am create amazing realities of “greater than”. This unknown mysterious quality of perception, not understood but realized and so it is that …

Love has no true boundaries: Not time. Not location. Not even cessation.*

*through the physical departure from our current plane of existence

For truly love is existence and existence is love – superseding any boundaries of time. Time becomes  timeless and therefore never ending as is ~ my love ~ for you.

timelessness of life

gifted from eternity

never ending love

♡

It’s been awhile since my composition of haibun. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading, have an excellent weekend!

With sincere affection,

~ Penny

 

How Many Trees …

/ Penny L Howe / 24 Comments

Alone-Tree-3D-HD-Wallpaper-Collection

 

How many trees to be counted? How many trees to survive? How many trees just won’t make it? How many will still be alive? How many will be felled and forgotten, more (this I know) than a few. I’ve worried, oh yes, how I’ve worried – and don’t know what to do. I thought and thought as I walked and walked though the snow hanging onto my shoes. There seems, well so many, but if there weren’t any, What … then what … would we do?

How many trees must humanity use, too many to so abuse. But at this rate, it seems much to late, and their fate is what we choose. And sadly our own … we all lose.

as numbering trees
number humanity’s days
a sadness for life

~

Deforestation is a reality on the planet earth. Since we (all living things) need the trees to sustain our life, it is indeed a great sadness. As his Honorable Dalai Lama said. “In our own homes we do not throw the furniture we need into the fireplace to burn up, why would we do this to our home, the planet earth?” A good question don’t you  think?

 

Thank you for reading, I hope my words today give you some “food for thought”!

With much affection,

~ Penny

 

 

 

Progress Never Sleeps ~ Haibun for Yesterday!

/ Penny L Howe / 4 Comments

The Oil Lamp …

standing upright much as a soldier on parade. The base, cleaned and refilled, silver burner polished to gleaming brightness. The wick trimmed, now standing in attention. Glass chimney thoroughly scrubbed so not one single speck of soot mars the surface.

The oil lamp stands on the table in a modest home.  Now to be found in many homes. At the ready for the approaching night when once again it will light the way from darkness to light  for those to appreciate man’s great progress.

 

yesterday’s progress
most wondrous thing to behold
now it never sleeps

~

“Sometimes progress moves too fast for us mere mortals to keep pace in the endless nights of change.” Penny L Howe

***

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have an excellent week. Try not to burn too much midnight oil, my friends … and remember to take care of you!

With affection,

~ Penny

The Haibun of Life – I’m Alive.

/ Penny L Howe / 16 Comments
foggy_horsefarm
and so it will come
new day changing existence 
           life, not so easy                   

Life hasn’t been easy, for me. I’ve dealt with just about every conceivable thing one might hope would not happen to them, during my years of existence. And I do not exaggerate. If anything I make light of what has been some very hard times.

Yes, life is hard, and I know you know this too, and have your own life experiences to back that up, and yet for all that, I love life, and my life too, with a passion that is huge. Perhaps life has given me an appreciation  for living I might not have, had it been easier. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter because it’s been my life. The one I know the best and the person I know the most about, me.

I know I’ve been incredibly lucky and blessed, repeatedly, during my years because I’m a survivor and with many years left to go in my life, I have a high confidence in my ability to persevere.  A few readers know me, and much of my life’s adventures, but it’s not really that important – the specifics, I mean.

The important thing is my understanding that I’ve been forged through life’s traumas and trials to become the person I am today. I would not wish it any different than it is. I face each day with a wonderful determination and yes, positive attitude because I choose to do so.

Regardless of any battles left to be fought, and there will be some, I’m sure, I believe I’ll be the victor there. This is life – my life, at times hard but at other times amazingly, gloriously, beautifully wonderful and I marvel that I am still alive to participate in all that may come my way. And that’s what really matters – to me.

*

Penny L Howe, 2015

*

Thanks for stopping by, have an excellent weekend, I plan to … life is good … I feel great and I hope you do too.

With affection,

~ Penny

Haibun of Spring – To Lay in the Meadow

/ Penny L Howe / 11 Comments

*

To lay down in the meadow is to recall youthful days running wild and free throughout the countryside. Surrounded by mountains, the valley where I lived as a child is uniquely nestled in a protected area where the weather (for the most part) is mild and residents are blessed with four distinct seasons, each a favorite of mine. About the time I’d tire of one season the next would arrive in all its glory.

In late spring, early summer wildflowers are in full bloom, grassy meadows soft to lay on and I … I lay midst blooming sweet clover, limbs spread wide contemplating absolutely nothing at all, except perhaps blue sky over head and a few puffy white clouds floating by.

Did you know if you take the little purplish colored clover buds and pull them away from the base of the flower putting them on your tongue, there is a sweet nectar taste to them. Fun.

Bird song is everywhere with croaking little mint green frogs from a nearby stream adding to the melody of life. It is heaven to me, all is right and as I recall this today, it is still a truth. To lay down in the meadow embracing life and nature, in that moment … all is right with the world.

nectar so sweet

a meadow land of wonder

the rightness of life

*

Thanks for stopping by, I hope your enjoyed my haibun. For those of you who would like to try your hand at writing ‘haibun style’ check out Alastair’s Haibun Thinking, a weekly haibun writing challenge. Click here for more information.

Have a great weekend and take care of you.

with affection,

~ Penny

Haibun Thinking – City Life and Nature’s Heartbeat!

/ Penny L Howe / 8 Comments

Photo prompt:

08c2a9-arthur-browne

photograph © Arthur Browne

My entry:

This is the city. I’ve lived in the heart of a metropolis. I enjoyed being there. Something unique in the nature of city life. A day time hustle and bustle not found in rural life. Although to a large degree that has changed with the intrusion of malls and “everything you need at one place” mega stores.

But at night, cities still hold sway to that uniqueness I mentioned. There’s a grittiness that comes out in between the city lights, neon signs and mostly empty sidewalks. The sounds and smells are intriguing. I won’t deny that I loved my stay in the city. And I won’t deny that I miss a certain aspect of it. A “making things happen” kind of feeling. A hustle and bustle reminding one of living, moving forward and yet …

I don’t regret leaving. I missed the countryside. I missed the early morning mist and dewy greenness of nature. A different pace in the natural world. One I’m more suited for and one I was out of step with for a period of time in my life. The balance was missing, reclaimed when I returned to my roots.

a balanced life

at the very heart of the matter

is nature’s heartbeat

*

Haibun Thinking is a weekly writers challenge. If you wish to enter click here. Big thanks to Alastair for hosting this haibun challenge and giving writers an opportunity to improve their writing skills.

~ Hope you enjoyed, thanks for stopping by,

Penny

Haibun Thinking – Reading a Book!

/ Penny L Howe / 15 Comments

This week’s literary quote prompt: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!”~ Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice)

Reading“Lost in the pleasure of a well written book” 

*

Books (of the hold in your hands and turn the pages kind) are special to me. There’s a quality unique to the printed word on paper not to be found in today’s electronic readers.  Disparity, clear and obvious to a book lover. One format meant as a convenience – a temporary reading experience. The other packaged in a form to become a permanence – an addition to who you are.

Apart from physical substance and texture, often enhancing the reading experience, the very act of picking up a book and opening it makes, for me, the reading process more personal. After reading, favored books reside on bookshelves acquiring a sense of an addition to family and friends. Your favorite authors, your favorite stories, your books of learning and literature repose near at hand for a return visit when so desired.

I wonder if books that are now electronic applications will eventually replace all the hardback and paperback books? I hope not. The me that is a reader, hopes not. The me that revels in each new book I acquire, hopes not. Books fill me up with all those things that I might otherwise miss.

advancement sometimes

less than one would wish for

a new emptiness

*

Haibun Thinking is a (weekly) opportunity for writers to stretch their writing skills. Honing their style of the written word. For more information click HERE. Your talented and friendly host, Alastair, will get you started. Be sure and click on the blue link icon to read the excellent entries, while you’re there! Thanks to Alastair for his time and effort in bringing this opportunity to us all.

Thank you for stopping by, hope you enjoyed,

~ Penny

Haibun Thinking – Memories Lost, like tears in the rain!

/ Penny L Howe / 14 Comments

This week in the Haibun Thinking writers challenge, one of the choices for the prompt is the following phrase:

“All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain.”
~ Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, movie)

My entry:

rainydayblues

Memories

So precious our memories, yet often only to each of us, as we recall specific moments from our life. Although our lives are shared with family and friends our memories are individual to our perspective of the experiences we’ve had. The accumulation of memories seems lonely on the one hand, yet personal and private on the other.

I wonder … if it were possible, would I share my feelings I’ve had so far in my life … would I? Not dreary ones, or sad or bad ones, but the most glorious and wonderful ones. I’m not referring to a discussion on time and events that occurred but the ability to pass on actual emotions being felt in those moments. It might be a very grand thing.

It does seem, whether our experiences are fleeting or of some duration, each memory is categorized in our mind according to our very personal feelings or emotions of said experience. And while these memories of significant past events are rarely forgotten to us, it is a bit sad that they exist mostly within our own individual minds, to be lost in time like tears in the rain.

life’s cherished moments

fleeing endlessness of time

sadly forgotten

*

While the video/movie is distinctly dystopian in nature, there is a valuable thread running through the whole. About people, life, our feelings, our reason and need to feel needed … of a purpose and to have shared those feelings with others. My haibun this week was based on those feelings.

Haibun Thinking is an excellent (weekly) opportunity for writers to stretch their writing skills. For more information click HERE. Your talented and friendly host, Alastair, will get you started. Be sure and click on the blue link icon to read other entries, while you’re there!

Thank you for stopping by, hope you enjoyed,

~ Penny