It’s been a week of wild weather and wilder WordPress moments, but today the moon slipped through the clouds with a smile, reminding me that even the sky resets itself.
Over at Weekly Prompts. The monthly Colour Challenge is, Blue. To visit their fabulous site, please click on >> Here
Moon Talk
G’day everyone. After some wet, windy, wintry days and a worrying and wearisome WordPress app week, it was a relief to see the moon’s glowing face.
I looked above the tranquil trees toward the clearing, cottony clouds and there, at last, I saw the moon’s handsome, happy face — and finally we could resume our “Happiness” conversation after resolving the week’s glitched frustrations and consternations (contaminations… contradictions… take your pick).
And as the moon drifts on and the music finds its rhythm, I follow along — lighter now, and finally in step again
Haiku from around the world now resting in Japan’s premier literary museum — a milestone worth celebrating.
This morning brought extraordinary news from Gabriela Marie Milton of Literary Revelations Press — news worth celebrating. Learn more about Literary Revelations Press: >> https://literaryrevelations.com
The Museum of Modern Japanese Literature in Tokyo has officially accepted four Literary Revelations anthologies into its permanent collection:
Petals of Haiku
Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony and Power of Japanese Art
Haiku for Soulmates
Thanks to a thoughtful presentation by Literary Revelations’ Artist in Residence, Hikari, the museum recognised the depth and authenticity of these global haiku voices. Their decision reflects a growing appreciation for international expressions of Japanese poetic forms.
For Gabriela, for Hikari, and for every contributor, this is a moment of genuine pride. These books will now rest in Japan’s premier literary institution — preserved for future scholars, poets, and readers.
As a contributor to both Tranquility and Haiku for Soulmates, I’m deeply honoured to be part of this moment.
Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Let the music settle softly over the moment — a quiet echo of everything worth celebrating.
The Little Cloud Studio window display at the Creative Geelong Makers Hub stirred a memory of Emily Dickinson’s quiet devotion to nature — this piece is my own small letter back to the world, written from a forest of imagination.
“This is my letter to the World That never wrote to Me — The simple News that Nature told — With tender Majesty, Her Message is committed To Hands I cannot see — For love of Her — Sweet — countrymen — Judge tenderly — of Me.”
Emily Dickinson
The Forest, a Fantasy Land
Come join me in the forest’s fantasy land; I know of a picture-perfect place where the dappled sunlight silently filters through the trees.
There’s a picnic table built for two. I’ll bring a food hamper and Emily Dickerson’s magical book of poems.
Within the bower’s peace and quiet, if you listen closely, nature’s gentle breeze softly rustles through the ferns and leaves; and then you’ll hear the green toadstools from the forest floor’s mossy logs humming a familiar tune.
Today’s music drifts from the heart of the forest — Enya’s “The Memory of the Trees.”
After weeks of mild, forgiving autumn days, winter arrived this morning without ceremony — a cool breath through the trees, a dimming of the sun, and the first hint of rain settling over the café windows.
So there we were, winter at our shoulders and coffee in hand, watching the day change
It’s the first day of winter. Our weather-weary sun is diminishing and hiding behind our shady evergreen trees and the dark, rainy clouds.
We’re cold, but safely sheltering at the cosy Box Office Cafe and enjoying our coffee and treats. Frankie is snuggling up beside me, and despite the damp atmosphere, my trusty old pencil still works, no matter what the prevailing conditions.
A low ember of winter, still burning somewhere inside.
Twilight gathered around me, the moon above and the land below — and this mural, a reminder of the ancient, living connection our First Nations people hold with Country.
Between the Moon and Clouds
They say the world is changing, but the moon cannot stop frowning, while nature is unerringly hurting, beneath our fettered feet.
Between the worried moon and the settling clouds, I perceive a loud rumbling sigh from beyond the deep blue sky.
In one ferocious breath, Thor decries, “Beware of the ground’s ringleader’s lies about the Earth’s visible demise, and hear the crust’s cries with your own eyes.”
In the silence between day and night, the sky held its breath, and I paused on earth’s shimmering crust, letting the music rise where words could not.
In keeping with this week’s ‘Bird’ theme, today’s Throwback Friday poem (originally written in May 2023) is drawn from my third book, Until Eyes Hear Sound. It appears as a poem in Chapter 1: Little Creatures and the Birds
Bird on a Ladder
I am a blackbird on a circus ladder Singing about how the world is feeling sadder Or should I sing, “becoming madder”
Here on the last rung, I stand Below, I see a treeless land Above, I hear a breathless sky After the show, I untangle my necktie And I ask you why “Does it matter, when I leap, what route do I fly?”
“Let the music spin the world’s madness into something we can still sing about
Walking home in the late afternoon beneath a low blanket of cloud, I found the light dull and the sky muted. Even so, I managed to capture these birds in flight. The dim conditions left my original photos a little blurry, but with the help of my Copilot app, I was able to gently sharpen them and bring their motion back to life.
My Bird Photos (a Haiku)
Birds do not need words Artistically superb They’re the sky’s Rembrandts
“A song to drift with, wings open to the sky — an echo of freedom to follow the final image
Hello, dear readers and followers. I contribute to Coffee House Writers magazine (USA) every second week, and I’m delighted to share that my latest poem,“I’m Quietly Flying Around,” appears in the new issue. You can read it by following the link below. >> I’m Quietly Flying Around – Coffee House Writers
There’s a peacefulness in flying alone for a while, until the friendly and noisy Corellas swoop in to remind me I’m never truly by myself up there.
A small song to keep me company while I’m quietly flying around.
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 