~♡~
Humanity says: “Share with me just the smallest whisper of hope so my thoughts and emotions will hear you (despite the ever increasing global cacophony of change bombarding me day and night with intolerance, prejudice, inhumanity and indifference) and I promise you it shall be heard as the roar of a lion within my heart sick troubled soul and I shall take solace and share your whispers of hope with all who will listen.”
Life whispers: “You are ALL my children and you are loved.”
~♡~
“Earth laughs in flowers” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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In the air a sounding of mirth! Joyful flowers in playful abandon, singing and laughing – a most splendid array. Brilliance of color, pattern, design. Lost in happy paradise, Mother Nature’s creation. I shall laugh with the flowers, join the profusion of pleasurable sensations, for how can I not.
Surroundings of blossom, playful peaking around corners, echoes in the distance and all around – a giggle of colors, riches of each petal’s artless glee, unfolding for all to partake. Glorious explosion of colorful laughter. Myriad of joyful expression; the wild flowers of my world.
beauty so joyous
ensuing laughter unfolds
flowering blossoms
~
Thank you, Penny
Penny
My favorite word in the whole vocabulary of all the languages on our planet is Love. It means the same thing no matter where you are. Love is universal. It sums everything up. Just this one word!
It brightens the day, makes the impossible seem possible. The bad – not so bad and is the very foundation that hope rests upon … the one word … LOVE!
I send love to everyone today. It is an especially hard Monday/Tuesday today for many many millions of people on our planet, Both nationally and abroad.
Perhaps, today, we can point a few less fingers, blame a few less people, think not so many petty, selfish or greedy thoughts and instead think about love and loving! I guess news “talk show hosts” are getting paid (now, when they voice their opinions) to say and broadcast petty and mean things and …
Politically speaking (USA), my message to all of you politicians out there is … GROW UP, you are all acting like spoiled children (all parties) instead of responsible, polite and well-mannered individuals. Our government will always have those with varying agendas but NO ONE has to be mean (nasty) during discussions and the manner in which they conduct their public activities.
The three main political parties in this country are Republicans, Independents and Democrats and since acronyms have become so popular please note that the acronym for these three parties is R.I.D., which is how many Americans are starting to feel about you and how you’ve been governing in Congress. so STOP IT!
Do you job. Get it done, but with the dignity and honor that your position deserves. And another thing, Our President is the duly elected President of our United (all of them) States and as such Dignity and Honor should be extended to him as well, or our current political parties are really of no value to us Americans any more. And getting rid of the current political parties (R.I.D.) might be the best way to change things!
Life is too short (yours included) for the behavior I and millions of others witness daily (while nothing is getting done) and ALL AMERICANS ARE SICK OF IT!)
Most especially when now we should be seeing what we can accomplish together as a UNITED States of America (and yes there are 50 states, not one or two or 13) and not the horrible nastiness that we’ve been exposed to.
We need jobs, an improved infrastructure, fairness and equality but mostly we need a HUGE change in attitude and how we conduct ourselves.
We are all of various ethnic, genders and backgrounds (every single one of us) and we are all citizens but when bad weather hits anywhere, then we are reminded that which we should be ALL THE TIME! Human beings in need of love and support and each other – and nothing else is more important than that! Nothing!
Penny L Howe, 2013
This week the Ligo Haibun Challenge encourages the writer to write a haibun using one of the two photographs shown here. My entry:
You, who frolic and play, and you who look out upon me, beseeching eyes of wisdom so inherent to your breed, I hear you. I move silently among you lingering on the touch of velvet soft skin. I gaze upon your glorious colors, my creations, each a masterpiece of perfection. Each, a place in this world.
I feel anguish, despair, a deepening sadness for your increasing loss of kind. The diminishing of life force. Wanton waste of life. Foolish, foolish humans. Must you suffer while they learn and grow. They my children too, and yet … at what point does there occur a level of attrition where needs be a justifying retribution, the balancing of scales. At what point is the point of no return revealed. Will I know? Will they?
nature’s decree humanity loses point of no return
Photo credit, Ese Kļava, 2013
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Thank you! For more information, and to read the other entries in the Ligo Haibun Challenge click here!
Thanks for reading, I hope you’re enjoying your weekend!
~ Penny
Hello and welcome to this week’s Ligo Haibun Challenge! The honourable mentions for last week are listed below. Join our international group of writers (We welcome and encourage you to join us in the creative pursuit of your written words!) just check at the bottom of this page for more details.
The challenge this week – Write a haibun choosing one of the following written prompts:
“Lost Moments” or “The earth has music for those who listen.” Quote by George Santayana ~ My offering for this week is from the quote by George Santayana! *
There once was a girl, mostly deaf, me! I could hear – when sounds and spoken words were loud, or when looking directly at the person speaking. Lip reading was self-taught (although unaware, I learned to speak and understand by lip movement and observing facial expressions). When a child, you don’t know you have a hearing problem. A problem undiagnosed, until 7 years old.
*I grew up in the fertile and lush Willamette Valley in the northwestern part of North America, spending days/years communing with nature through intimacy of sight and touch. At the age of 11, through a series of incidents, my hearing (overnight) became full and clear. Never explained or clearly understood, by professionals, why this happened or why it happened when it happened, but I woke up one morning and could hear.
And so a difficulty to describe what has not been heard before. The ebbs and flows; birdsong, breezy sounds, rustling grasses, stirring leaves, streamlets rippling murmurs, distant croaking frogs. Woodland whistles through dense trees.
I had never known nuances of sounds, nor echoes in the life force of nature. Magically magnified by my perfect ears – one hundred fold. Raw richness of sensation, the day I first heard, the music of my earth!
when first heard nature’s symphony of life magic inconceivable *
Taken early this morning! Thought I’d share.
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All those who entered last week’s Ligo Haibun Challenge presented well written haibun. Congratulations to all of you, please keep writing. The honourable mentions for last weeks Challenge are:
Twoscamps Anja Penny Peripetatic Eric Reading Pleasure *Each of their haibun are well worth taking the time to read and enjoy. Just click their name! Again I am included. I am honored by the other judges voting for me.
To enter and learn more about the Ligo Haibun Challenge, click here!
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend,
~ Penny
“It’s just not the same.”
*
Said the sky to the winds “why do you not blow?” said the winds to the sky “I’m not sure where to go.”*
Said the sky to the trees “Where is your shade?” Said the trees to the sky “I fear that I fade”.*
Said the sun to the Earth “what has changed, I can’t see?” Said the Earth to the sun “I’m no longer free.”*
“I’m caught in between man’s derision and strife, From those I provide I struggle for their lives.”
*
Said the Sun to the Earth “Please say it’s not so”, Said the Earth to the sun “Yes, I’m afraid so”.*
“Very few listen to that which I say, They must all work together There’s no other way”.*
“But what can we do To change what will be”, “There’s naught”, said the Earth “for the blind who won’t see!”* * *
Penny L Howe, 2013 Written on behalf of the Planet we all live upon! ~
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When spring arrives the glorious confection of multicolored flowers take my breath away. A wealth of beauty.
Vision to be gazed upon and enjoyed. Available at no cost to the beholder. No admission ticket.
The only thing required is taking the time (even during our busy days) to view this visible feast of colors created from the loving hand of Mother Nature. Now available (for a limited time) to viewing audiences, of all ages, everywhere.
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Spring – Mother Nature’s Masterpiece
Dazzling delightful, flushed colors so gay
Arraying enchantment, you’ve brought to my day.
Most glorious and splendid, just newly arrived
Heavenly the vision, for all that survived.
Lovely and joyous, this colorful array
Lavish disregard,for the color of gray.
splendid and silky, blending divine
A rainbow of colors
The view – quite sublime.
~ Penny L Howe, 2013
*
Make today a good one, thank you for visiting,
~ Penny
All that I Am
I am as constant as clouds floating high overhead.
My concerns as deep as the oceans that ebb and flow upon our shores.
I am strong and durable, as constant as mother Earth whom I dwell upon … drawing strength from her very being which is a part of me.
I will not fail you,
But I will make mistakes,
… go a wrong direction
… go too many directions
… Be inappropriate in my actions.
And for all these I promise to rectify the wrong when possible, face my mistakes and learn so perhaps in the future these mistakes won’t reoccur.
So I ask for your understanding for all that I am not. And I ask for your blessings for all that I am – both the good and the bad.
… for I am as constant as the clouds floating high overhead. As strong and durable, constant and caring as the Mother Earth I dwell upon,
And my love for you is encompassed within
… All that I am!
~ * ~
~ Penny L Howe, 2013
No matter how amazing talented
human artisans are,
It’s obvious to me,
for creating beauty,
Mother Nature leads ~ by far!
*
Thanks for visiting me today, have a day filled with beauty
~ Penny
The Why About This 