“A Few Haiku & Senryu (61)”

(c) 2024 by Michael L. Utley

(#361)

November stubble
she tills the field
of memories

…..

(#362)

sorrow’s journey
drifting on the breeze
a sparrow’s plume

…..

(#363)

her sundered smile
picking up the pieces
of my heart

…..

(#364)

seeds of yesterdays
watered by the tears of years
memory garden

…..

(#365)

stream ice cracks
beneath the red footbridge
the hush of rushes

…..

(#366)

dip my bones in blood
etch my life across the stars
a soul’s journey

45 thoughts on ““A Few Haiku & Senryu (61)”

    1. Thanks a bunch, Darlene. I really appreciate your kind words. I’d love to publish a couple of poetry books: one of my longer poems, and one of my haiku/senryu/tanka. I haven’t been able to yet (it’s complicated) but I hope one day I can fulfill this life-long dream of publishing my own book(s). 😊

      Liked by 5 people

      1. rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja

        Thank you my dear friend. Iam so glad 😄 ! My week going well & you too. Beautiful your little colorado. I like. I wish your day going well 💓. God bless you 😇! Tack Care

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Hey, Saima! Nice to see you again! Thanks for your kind words regarding these tiny ones. Truly grateful for you and your presence here. I hope you’re doing well, my friend. It’s always a pleasure to see you visit. 😊🌸

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Kindest thanks, Xenia. I appreciate your wonderful support. There’s something about feathers that has always fascinated me, and finding a lone plume evokes such a poignant feeling. Perhaps my boyhood on the farm has something to do with it, with all the birds in the woods. I don’t know… I hope you’re doing well, my friend. Wishing you a peaceful rest of the week. 😊🪶

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks a bunch, Diana. This batch had been sitting in a folder on my hard drive for two years. I was tentative about publishing them but decided to give it a go since I’ve had difficulty coming up with anything new since March of this year. I’m happy to see these went over well. I’m my own worst critic, and often times I have no confidence in my own work, yet others seem to enjoy it. It’s a strange world… 😄

      Thanks for your kind support as always. You can stop by and visit that red footbridge anytime you wish! 😊

      Liked by 2 people

  1. “seeds of yesterdays
    watered by the tears of years
    memory garden”

    Dearest Mike, I love all of these, and they all touch my heart. I read them several times. It is difficult to pick a favorite because they are all so mournful and I can’t help but see myself within your words. How could I not, we have had different yet similar childhoods. I feel each word deeply, and I walk through each line as I read it.

    “her sundered smile
    picking up the pieces
    of my heart”

    This unearthed my heartstrings all together. Of course, I thought of your mom and your breathtakingly introspective poem featured on SpillWords, “Snap-Beans In A Wooden Bowl.”

    You have a natural gift for writing these mini pieces which contain such soul-stirring feelings in your readers. Thank you for sharing these with us, Mike. They are such a treat to read and ruminate on. There is nothing I have ever read that you have written that has not touched me deeply, and reading once is never enough. Great big hugs and lots of love, Joni

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hey, Joni. Thank you so much for your kind appraisal of these tiny ones. Usually I write six in one sitting for my mini-collections, so themes tend to appear. In this selection, there are lots of sorrowful memories of my mom’s death and the end my last relationship, both of which occurred within two weeks of one another. That summer of 2015 was awful, and much of my poetry centers around it in some way or another. Memories are all I have now, and that’s not necessarily a good thing when many of them are abjectly, painfully sad.

      Your kindness is so appreciated, my friend. Thank you for being here and for your stellar support. 😊

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