Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

Fear and negativity are contagious, but so is courage!

How stupid are these people?

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

The world has changed, and neither one recognizes it.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / Haiku / On The Road – Munira – Morning Haiku Walk

On The Road – Munira – Morning Haiku Walk

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Sunday morning seems like the perfect time to post this Morning Haiku Walk post from Munira.

The original was an On the Road post that was lost in the fire, and it was so wonderful that I didn’t want it to be lost forever.  Many of us were deeply touched by the original, so I asked Munira if she had a copy, and she graciously agreed to share it with us again. ~WaterGirl

Update:  So the original OTR post is there, but introduction only, no pictures.  But there are comments!  I copied them all into comment #18.  Formatting isn’t perfect, but at least they are there.

Munira

It has long been my habit to go for a walk in the afternoon, but in March (in a fit of self-improvement), I began taking a second walk every day, this time early in the morning before breakfast. Since it was often still dark when I went out, I didn’t go on the trails. I just walked around the perimeter of the apartment complex where I live because the parking lots are lit and I could see where I was going. It’s a big complex so the walk takes around fifteen or twenty minutes. The grounds are quite beautiful with many trees, flowers and assorted wildlife (rabbits, ducks, seagulls, various songbirds, deer and squirrels).

I had also resolved to write at least one haiku every day, and I soon discovered that the haiku frequently came to me during my walk. I took a photo of whatever had inspired me, and when I got back to my apartment, I texted the photo and the haiku to my sister and a friend. At first, I wasn’t sure how my offerings were being received until one day I was late sending my message. I got a text from my sister saying, “Haiku, photo?” It was encouraging to see that my efforts were appreciated, and I’ve tried not to be late since then.

All of the haiku and photos in this post are from my morning walk during the months of April and May. This walk has become one of the most treasured parts of my day, and it’s a pleasure to share it with you.

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 15
Bellingham, WAApril 2, 2022

slow-down day—
birdcall
from a budding branch

 

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 14
Bellingham, WAApril 1, 2022

daffodils in the dark—
things that shine
with their own light

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 13
Bellingham, WAMay 3, 2022

deep inside the blossom
all the things
I don’t see

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 12
Bellingham, WAApril 23, 2022

morning routine¬–
the new leaf turns itself
to the sun

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 11
Bellingham, WAApril 10, 2022

passing perfection—
the lime-green lace
of leaf blossom

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 10
Bellingham, WAMay 7, 2022

we bow to each other
the aging tulip
and I

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 9
Bellingham, WAMay 7, 2022

gentle rain—
we walk on fallen
cherry blossoms

On The Road - Munira - Morning Haiku Walk 8
Bellingham, WAApril 6, 2022

all we want—
the light
behind the clouds

Reader Interactions

20Comments

  7. 7.

    apieceofpeace

    I also walk before dawn and have done so for over 10 years.  Peaceful in a normally busy, energetic area when attention is needed in numerous directions at once, so hours before, these walks calm, refresh and set my days, rather like a counter-balance.

    Being alone with nature is the best part, and your pictures from that time are lovely!  Thank you.

  9. 9.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    we bow to each other
    the aging tulip
    and I

    Love that one.

    I’m a bit of night owl, less so as I get older, but when I do get up before dawn, when I don’t have to, it is a magic hour

  10. 10.

    No One You Know

    This is so lovely.

    I’m going to pick up my own pen again. I especially loved the letting go of the syllable restrictions in favor of the heart of haiku. Thank you for posting this peace.

  11. 11.

    munira

    Thank you everyone. It’s wonderful to share these with you again. I have an idea for a new post – now just have to find the time to put it together.

  14. 14.

    Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)

    @munira:  The pictures are very nice and the Haikus are wonderful! My fav is the junco on the fallen cherry blossoms, Thanks for saving these from the disaster.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    So the original OTR post is there, but introduction only, no pictures.  But there are comments!

    I decided to copy them here.  Let’s see if WordPress lets me paste something this big.

    1.
    JPL
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 5:04 AM
    we bow to each other
    the aging tulip
    and I
    I love this and it captures my current mood.
    2.
    Rusty
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 6:03 AM
    I don’t recall us getting poetry with photos before. Thank you so much for sharing!!
    3.
    Wanderer
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 6:19 AM
    Please keep sharing your morning walks here. Very lovely
    4.
    stinger
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 6:47 AM
    Easy to see why your sister jumped in when you were late! How can I get on your mailing list?
    5.
    KSinMA
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 6:50 AM
    Beautiful! Thank you!
    6.
    Benw
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:01 AM
    So cool
    7.
    Dorothy A. Winsor
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:24 AM
    What a wonderful thing to do. Doing something every day like that is hard. The haiku made me stop and think. My favorite line is “the new leaf turns itself.”
    8.
    eclare
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:38 AM
    Beautiful, the photos and haiku.
    9.
    The Fat Kate Middleton
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:46 AM
    Lovely…these lifted my heart. Could you be persuaded to post these here on a regular (or semi-regular) basis?
    10.
    Betty
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:50 AM
    Just lovely, the pictures and the haikus.
    11.
    Albatrossity
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 7:59 AM
    Beautiful. Thank you for sharing these with us!
    12.
    Immanentize
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:08 AM
    What a great idea and tradition you have started for yourself and your sister and friends. And your pictures are lovely and your eye is true.
    Who am I to ask
    If tradition matters when
    Poems are written.
    13.
    Barbara
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:20 AM
    What a nice start to the morning!
    14.
    WaterGirl
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:24 AM
    @The Fat Kate Middleton: I’m pretty sure that I said exactly that the last time we were gifted with haikus, which I presume were also from Munira.
    So I will third your second of the original request. :-)
    15.
    WaterGirl
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:27 AM
    Wonderful way to start the day.  I meant that about us, getting to see your haikus with these lovely photos, but it also applies to you.
    Hmm, with 30 days in a month, and 10 images in a post, is it greedy to ask if maybe we could get these from you 3 times a month?  :-)
    16.
    Anyway
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:37 AM
    Lovely – both images and words. Thank you for sharing.
    17.
    martha
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:45 AM
    So lovely, and yes, I too want to be on your mailing list! A wonderful discipline.
    18.
    Kevin
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 8:49 AM
    Very cool idea. We are traveling up to WA later this month. Flying home from Bellingham. Small world!
    19.
    Miki
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 9:19 AM
    Beautiful, photos and poetry. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
    20.
    J R in WV
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 9:43 AM
    Thanks for sharing your work, it is wonderful!
    Slightly off-topic, but many years ago I  brought a potted orchid home from Kroger’s for the Wife. Still in its original pot, on the windowsill over the kitchen sink, this plant of 4 broad leaves at a time put out a long thread of greenery a week or two ago, and now the first of what looks to be 4 or 5 blooms is open above the kitchen sink.
    This is the more remarkable since both Wife and I can kill a plant just be being around it!
    I water it with a little cup-sized antique glass insulator once or twice a week, no other care has been necessary so far.
    Also a floral topic, the ramps I have planted on the hillside just south of the house have climbed out of the earth, then fallen back into the ground. Now, though, the invisible underground ramps have  also put forth tall skinny stalks with blooms above each thick patch of nature’s finest onion species. Dozens of blooms like tiny starbursts of white in a sphere about as big as a quarter.
    Photos to follow, eventually.
    21.
    MelissaM
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 9:55 AM
    These are lovely, and OTR is too short sometimes. I, too, would love to see these more often.
    22.
    arrieve
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 10:30 AM
    This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
    Haikus are such a fun way to play with language. I’ve been studying Spanish (a useful tool for teachers of English as a second language) and sometimes I write a haiku in Spanish for fun. Playing with the words makes me feel as though I own them somehow.
    But writing a good haiku (in English) requires being able to find just the right slice of a longer string of words so that when you read it you think, “Yes, that’s exactly right, but I never saw that before.”
    You are doing that.
    23.
    munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 10:34 AM
    Good morning everyone. Just tuning in from the west coast. Thank you all for your lovely comments. A little haiku pedantry – the plural of haiku is haiku – no ‘s’. As for getting on my mailing list – it’s really a text list – I guess you could email your cell phone numbers to Watergirl and she could send them to me. And as for doing posts more often, I can try. I’m pretty busy – still working part time, gardening, playing music, and just keeping my life together, but I’ll make an effort.
    24.
    Madeleine
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 10:42 AM
    Thank you. The photos are such individuals and the haiku capture the moment beautifully. When you are willing, please send more.
    25.
    Jill
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 11:21 AM
    I am the haiku and photo receiving sister—also a recipient, along with the rest of the family, of a calendar each Christmas with 12 haiku and photo pairings. A lovely way to start the day and end the year.
    26.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 11:35 AM
    @WaterGirl: Yes, they were from me the last time. This is the second post.
    27.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 11:38 AM
    @arrieve: Thank you. I’ve written a few in French, my second language, and it’s definitely more challenging.
    28.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 12:10 PM
    @Jill: Thanks sister for your support. It does help keep the haiku coming.
    29.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 12:32 PM
    @Immanentize: Ah yes, tradition. Some haiku poets writing in western languages still use the 5-7-5 format, but most don’t. It works for Japanese syllables, but not so well for western languages. It often leads to padding the lines and they come out longer than they need to be. I don’t know Japanese, but apparently, the whole idea of syllables is different. There are quite a few articles in haiku journals on this subject.
    30.
    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 1:48 PM
    These are wonderful. I add my vote to having semi-regular posting of them. My favorite is the Junco with the fallen cherry blossoms, but all of them were great. You are good! Please keep it up
    ETA: I always wondered about the syllable count thing in Japanese vs. English.  Thanks for the short discussion.
    31.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 2:37 PM
    @A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan): Thanks. I like that one, too. I felt a connection to that little bird, who was also walking on the cherry blossoms.
    32.
    way2blue
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 3:50 PM
    Very cool. Thank you for sharing.
    33.
    JustRuss
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 4:23 PM
    As a fellow PNWer, “the light behind the clouds” really resonates this year, it’s been so dreary. Hope you post more of these some time, they are wonderful.
    34.
    John S Green
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 4:24 PM
    Every one of your eight photo-ku are beautifully woven. A treasure to have such a lovely hobby.
    A walk to enjoy nature and write haiku has a name. It is called a ginko. Munira is very kind to share her ginkos (plural?) with us.
    35.
    Munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 4:31 PM
    @JustRuss: Thanks. We have had a lot of rain this spring.
    36.
    stinger
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 4:35 PM
    @Jill:  What a thoughtful and lasting gift!
    37.
    dkinPa
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 5:11 PM
    Your words and pictures are lovely!  Thank you for sharing.
    ]
    38.
    munira
    JUNE 16, 2022 AT 9:32 PM
    @John S Green: Thank you, John.
    39.
    Swampwoman
    JUNE 25, 2022 AT 7:24 PM
    I am the friend of the famous ginkgo girl Munira. Along with her sister Jill, I start my day with her photo and haiku texts and just now caught up with these especially lovely ones. I love to see her art appreciated by so many. She has amazing gifts and I am fortunate to have been her friend for more than fifty years.
  19. 19.

    SFBayAreaGal

    Real late to the post.

    Thank you Munira for sharing your poems and photographs. The combination for me was perfect.

Comments are closed.