Category: Haiku

I adore the simplicity, as well as the challenge of Haiku. The constraints focus my mind, seeking out the essence of the moment, feeling, notion, distilling it to brilliant singularity.

 

A Blog, A Reflection, And A Recommendation

Carl Setzer6 Comments

My friend Bill posted this earlier today: “Where everyone would love to drown“. Seeing the headline in my inbox, and knowing Bill, my brain connected it to the Stevie Nicks song “Sara”. Google, and its scion YouTube, assisted me as I wanted to listen as I read. Here’s what I played:

Hints of youth, of those people who’ve impacted us greatly, but who fade to myth over the decades. That’s what came to mind for me.

In response, a haiku awakened. True to form, I guess. 

Summers of my youth
Tastes of freedom and heartache
Crowds passing me by

I highly recommend you head over to Bill’s blog, the Pink Lightsaber. He’s a talented writer well worth the gift of attention.

Today’s Haiku Challenge Keyword: Lift

Carl Setzer 
the lift of music
reminding me who I am
on this summer's breeze

This is my response to today’s “Haiku Challenge” by Baffled.

These challenges inspire me, invigorating the creative within me.

This week has been rather intense. Last week, the first week of summer quarter, came with some issues. First, after enrolling for one math class without any direction for testing, it turns out I needed a placement test after all. Raced to get that done before the deadline where I would be auto-dropped from my class. It turns out, I need to go one class back. (I have studied calculus in the past, so remedial algebra stings a bit. It’s disappointing to have slipped so far. A lesson in humility, I guess. More importantly, this cost me about a week.

With this, in one of my other classes, I had significant technical issues, so I am somewhat behind in that class. At least by my definition of “behind”. This week I’ll finish my work right on the due date. I much prefer to be ahead.

These challenges easily fill my mind. When that happens, I lose track of who I am, and who I’m trying to be. One key thing that brings me back: music. Thus why my mind went there with today’s prompt.

I hope this post finds you well as summer progresses. May each of you find what you need as we end this week.

Gazing to the west

Carl Setzer
To the west
gazing to the west
with the sun descending low
as the air's cooling

Looking to the west as I walk through this park. Sunlight drifts through the trees. Summer in the north bringing a steep angle to the light. Richly beautiful. To me, at least.